Hilary Paynter, Hon. RBSA, RE, FRSA, (born 1943) is a British wood engraver and printmaker.
She was born in Dunfermline and spent much of her life abroad in places such as Malta and China. She studied sculpture and wood engraving at Portsmouth College of Art before embarking on a career within arts education and printmaking. She has been an art teacher and an educational psychologist, but as of 2015 is a full-time artist. Her work is held in many public collections, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), The Ashmolean (Oxford) and the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge).
Paynter is an Honorary Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), a Past President of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers, and a current Committee member of the Society of Wood Engravers. As part of her role as Honorary Member of the RBSA, Paynter has participated as a guest artist in print exhibitions and delivered printmaking workshops for adults. In recent years, Paynter has produced a large illustrated book, titled Full Circle, to chart her work and its development.