Acrylic Paintings Vs Oil Paintings

Oil paint is a slow-drying paint that contains particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil. Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint that has pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Even though acrylic paints can be diluted with water, once they are dry, the resulting product is water resistant.

A finished acrylic painting can have the appearance of a watercolor, an oil painting, or some other unique look, depending on the percentage of dilution with water, gels, or pastes.

The binding ingredient of oil paint is linseed oil, whereas water is the main binding ingredient used in acrylic paint. Therefore, oil paint is said to be “oil based”, while acrylic paint is “water based.”

Drying Time of Painting

Acrylic paint and oil paint require different lengths of time to dry. Oils take relatively more time to dry, typically several weeks, depending on the ingredients used. This is because oils do not undergo the same process of evaporation that water does when exposed to air. Rather, oil paint oxidizes into a dry solid. This property causes oil paint to dry very slowly, giving the artist time to blend colors and adjust the final product.

Alternatively, acrylic paint is often chosen by artists who want faster results, since it takes only hours to dry. However, a slower-drying acrylic paint was introduced in 2008 by Golden Artist Colors, which combine the qualities of oil paints with the quicker drying time of acrylic, resulting in a paint that remains wet for a few hours on the palette under normal environmental conditions.

Drawbacks of Oil

Using oil paints comes with its drawbacks – there is a need to use a solvent such as turpentine to thin the paint and clean up the work area. Such solvents typically have some level of toxicity and excessive exposure is best avoided.

Before painting, the canvas must be properly primed, and the finished product requires a removable protective layer of varnish. The appearance of the paint can become yellow and brittle over time, and, to avoid cracking, the principle of “fat over lean” must be adhered to; each layer of paint that is applied must have a higher oil to pigment ratio.

Acrylic is typically more versatile in nature to use for the average artist, although because of its faster drying time, the painter is not able to blend colors or use the wet-in-wet technique available to oil paint. Retarders can be added to acrylic paint to slow the drying process, allowing water to be added to make the paint more workable.