Acrylic Paint vs Oil Paint: What Is The Difference?

If you're just getting started with painting, the art supply store can be an overwhelming place. With seemingly aisles upon aisles of product, its hard to know what to buy!

While both acrylic and oil paints come in a wide variety of vibrant colors, the similarities are few and far between. I've been there and I know how hard it is to understand the differences, so I am going to break it down for you!

Oil paints and acrylic paints are two different types of artist paints with distinct characteristics. I've been painting on and off for most of my life and I've spent a lot of time with artists.

I've made a few observations along the way. For one, I've noticed that the artists that use oil paints either went to art school (or took an art class) and were trained to work with oil paints or they've been painting for a long time and moving onto oil paints has been a natural progression in their art.

For oil paints, they're easy, convenient, easy to clean and easy to work with. So why wouldn't everyone just use acrylics?

Let's discuss some of the differences between each type of paint.

What ingredients are in each type of paint?

Oil Paints:

Oil paints are made by suspending pigments in an oil base, traditionally linseed oil. The slow drying time of oil paints allows for blending and reworking colors on the canvas.

Because of the quick drying time, oil painters can continue to blend wet paint for hours and days. This gives artists the freedom to look at their painting with fresh eyes and easily make modifications.

Acrylic Paints:

Acrylic paints are made by suspending pigments in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints are usually water based and work well on most surfaces. They dry quickly because the solvent evaporates rapidly, which means layers dry in minutes to hours depending on the thickness.

While acrylic paints blend nicely, once they're dry, you can't really make changes unless you paint over the existing color pigments.

How do oil painting and acrylic painting differ in terms of drying time?

Oil Paints: Oil paints have a slow drying time, which allows for more flexibility and time to blend colors on the canvas. The drying time can range from days to weeks depending on the thickness of the paint layer and the environment.

While the different brands and techniques might have different drying times, the key differences relate more to the depth of color and ease of use. The slow drying time allows artists to try out different effects, but also allows artists to take their time working on different sections of a piece.

Acrylic Paints: Acrylic paints dry very quickly due to the fast evaporation of water from the paint. Thin layers can dry in as little as 15 minutes, which makes acrylics popular for artists who prefer a faster working pace.

There are acrylic paint mediums that can be added to acrylic paints to make them dry a bit slower, but they still will not stay wet as long as oil paints.

Which paint is better if you're a slow painter?

Oil Paints: Oil paints remain workable for a longer period, allowing artists to blend colors smoothly and make changes to the painting even after initial application.

Acrylic Paints: Once acrylic paint dries, it becomes water-resistant and cannot be easily reworked. However, acrylic paints can be thinned with water or mediums to create transparent washes or thick impasto textures.

If you're a slow painter, you will probably want to try some oil paints. But starting with acrylic paints is good if you're new to the art form.

Do the colors in oil paints look the same as acrylic paints?

In short, no. Here are the key differences:

Oil Paints: Oil paints tend to have a rich, deep color because of the way light interacts with the oil layers. They can also have a glossy finish if desired. Because oil paints are mixed with oils that naturally have a warmer tone and do not lighten the color as it dries.

The oil paints will hold color and the color will remain constant for long periods of time. It is not a surprise that the classic paintings from hundreds of years ago are done with oil paints.

Acrylic Paints: Acrylic paints can have a lighter color straight from the tube, but they often look different when they are dry. This is because acrylic paints have a binder medium which is mixed with the pigment and the medium is white in color, but then it dries clear.

So when it comes out of the tube, the pigment is mixed with somewhat of a milky substance and then it appears to be whiter, but dries darker. This can cause problems if you are trying to paint something that needs and exact match (like the sky).

However, acrylic paints can be mixed with mediums to achieve gloss or satin finishes or artists over time realize that they need to add white pigment to make up for the color darkening that is often found when the paint is completely dry the next day.

Are oil paints and acrylic paints applied and mixed in the same way?

No. For one, mixing is done differently.

Oil Paints:

Most traditional artists mix oil paints with a palette knife and can work in palettes. They can mix and blend over time because of the slow drying time.
Oil paints are often preferred for traditional painting techniques like glazing, impasto (thickly textured painting), and blending colors on the canvas.
Oil paints blend easily and are often used for realistic works of art that often take time to get the desired outcome.
If you are making something that you think will take too much time to complete in one sitting, you will want to work with oils.

Acrylic Paints:

Acrylic paints are versatile and can be used for various techniques, including watercolor-like washes, airbrushing, and detailed fine art techniques.
Acrylic paints are best mixed in a container like an ice cube tray that can be covered because of the drying process.
Acrylic paints can be mixed with both water or acrylic mediums.
Acrylic paints work really well with abstract work.

Can oil paints and acrylic paints be used together?

Yes and no. Let me explain. Since oil paints are oil based and acrylic paints are water based, they cannot be mixed together when wet because oil and water do not mix. However, you can paint with oil paints on top of dry paint (acrylic) but you can not do the reverse.

You cannot use acrylics on top of oils. The reason you can paint oils on top of an acrylic paint is because all of the water has evaporated and the oil paints just need to rest on top of the pigment.

Are acrylic and oil paints equally as safe and healthy to work with?

Oil Paints: Oil paints traditionally use solvents like turpentine or mineral spirits for thinning and cleaning brushes, which can have health risks due to fumes and toxicity.

Acrylic Paints: Acrylic paints are water-based, making them easier to clean up with water and generally safer to use, although some artists may still use mediums that require ventilation.

Because of the chemicals used in oil paintings, it is best to use acrylic paints when working with kids. It is always a good idea to have good ventilation when working with oil paints or any new medium that has chemicals.

How can you tell the difference between an oil painting and an acrylic painting

The main differences between oil and acrylic paints lie in their drying time, handling characteristics, finish, and the techniques they are best suited for.

Choosing between oil and acrylic paints often depends on the artist's preference for working time, texture, and the desired final appearance of the artwork.

Oil paints tend to have more color vibrancy and depth. When looking at a side-by-side comparison of acrylic vs oil paint, the major difference is the bright colors, ability to work with layers and textures on a variety of surfaces.

When working on large paintings over an extended period of time, oil paints are more versatile. If you are a fast painter, like an abstract artist, acrylics will be best for you.

What kind of paint should I buy?

It is all personal preference. Once you start painting and experiment with different styles and have a deeper understanding of your artistic vision, you will be able to make a more informed decision.

If you are working with kids or just starting out, in my personal experiences, acrylic is easier. They make loads of great professional acrylic paints these days and white oil-based paints seem to be the preferred method for professional artists, acrylic paints have always been the reliable choice for me.

However, there are good paints for oil artists and good paints for acrylic artists. Both come in many different colors and with different properties. Both can be made into thin paint or thick paint depending on your painting process.

The best way to make an informed choice is to experiment!

Want more painting tips? Check out this post on picking the right canvas for your painting.

Acrylic Paint vs Oil Paint: What Is The Difference?