Idiom
paint a picture of somethingpaint a picture (of something)
to describe a situation in a particular way.The report paints a picture of a neighborhood in decline.
Usage notes: often used with an adjective that describes the type of situation:
Doctors have begun to paint a grim picture of his condition.I don't want to paint too rosy a picture.
As the 2nd usage ex. shows, the obj is optional--SL, 1/03