I'm pretty sure that most of the readers of this post are already familiar with other kinds of painting, like oil painting, water painting, and the like. But I suppose that only a few are familiar with the craft called leather painting.
Leather painting is one of the forms of leather crafts where color or a series of color is applied unto a section of the surface or the entire surface of treated leather. This is different from leather dyeing such that painting only obviously entails putting paint on the surface of the leather, while dyeing involves complete immersion of the leather material. Once done well, the paint on the leather can give off an effect that is embossed, creating a strong visual impact. Leather paintings may not be too far off from still images, and may be used to hang as tapestries and the like. Leather paintings are typically framed, but not usually covered by glass, to emphasize the texture that natural leather brings.
The paint used in this kind of craft are typically acrylic. Acrylic paints usually have vibrant colors, aside from their property of easy drying. This is especially helpful because that means it will be easier to put layers of paint on your medium, creating a dynamic effect to your artwork.
Like in ordinary paintings, you can put the leather on a stable wooden board or cardboard, or maybe you can put it inside a wooden frame like that of a traditional painter's canvas. This is to ensure the stability of the materials while you are painting. Natural leather easily cracks as well, so you might want to stretch it out during the painting session.
For a more detailed guide to leather painting, and for some patterns, you can always visit your local hobby shops. There are also a number of resources on the Web that you can check out.
