painting vs covering

painting and covering both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
painting	Yes	No	No	No
covering	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, covering is a hypernym of painting; that is, covering is a word with a broader meaning than painting:

Other hypernyms of painting include application, coating.

painting (noun)	covering (noun)
creating a picture with paints	the act of protecting something by covering it
the occupation of a house painter	the work of applying something
the act of applying paint to a surface	the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it
graphic art consisting of an artistic composition made by applying paints to a surface	an artifact that covers something else (usually to protect or shelter or conceal it)
	a natural object that covers or envelops