'freehand-painted' originates from English, specifically the compound formed from 'freehand' (English) and 'painted' (from 'paint'); 'freehand' itself combines 'free' (Old English 'freo', meaning 'not constrained') and 'hand' (Old English 'hand', meaning 'hand'), while 'painted' derives from Old French 'peint' (from Latin 'pingere').

'freehand' developed within English as a compound meaning 'done by the hand without mechanical aid'; 'paint' came into English via Old French 'peint' from Latin 'pingere', becoming Middle English 'peinten/painten' and then modern 'paint', with 'painted' as its past participle; the compound 'freehand-painted' is a modern descriptive formation combining these elements.

Initially the elements described (1) 'freehand' as 'by the hand without mechanical aid' and (2) 'painted' as 'applied color with pigment'; combined, they meant 'painted by hand without guides' and this core meaning has remained largely stable in modern usage.