How would you write an introduction about: Compare and contrast various ways that artists have been influenced by other cultures.

To
effectively introduce a topic like this, it is very important to have particular examples in
mind.  You could certainly use your first sentence or two to introduce the topic on a broader
level, but you will need to find a way to narrow your discussion to specific "ways." 
The best way to do this is to determine what examples you are going to marshal to your defense
in your paper.  Once you have selected your examples, determine what they have in common -
remember to...