What Makes a Painting ‘Realistic’ or ‘Abstract’?

Imagine you're looking at a picture of a tree. If it looks just like the real thing, that's realistic art. But if it looks more like a bunch of colors and shapes, that's abstract art. Realistic paintings try to make things look exactly as they are, while abstract paintings focus on how things feel or look in a different way. It’s kind of like drawing a cat versus drawing something that feels like a cat but isn’t quite like one.