In wood engraving, a design is drawn onto the surface of a block of polished hard wood such as box. Fine tools are used to remove those parts of the design that are to print white leaving behind a tracery of lines and shapes in relief. These are inked with a sticky ink, stiff enough to prevent it from falling into the hollows and an impression is taken using hand pressure or a press.

Paynter's work often features coastlines that rarely include people such as this one drawn from Rhoscolyn on Holy Island. She describes a sense of fear of falling over the edge when "out there" drawing from life and of how "a disaster scenario will develop inside [her] head until it is almost out of control and [her] pulse is racing." Paynter's work shows impeccable technique and an exceptional creative range. As well as dramatic landscapes, her work features buildings rich in heritage and gentler pastoral scenes. It includes more personal observations within her home and of her children, private and intimate commissions for bookplates and Christmas cards, and illustrations for private press. Perhaps her greatest contribution to the medium is represented by her social and political commentaries and works that address psychological issues related to daily life. Paynter became Secretary and later Chair of the reformed Society of Wood Engravers in the 1980s and has been instrumental in the resurgence of wood engraving as a medium. In 2006, she became President of the Society of Painter-Printmakers in recognition of her outstanding contribution to printmaking.