Can You Apply Acrylic Paint Over Oil Paint?

Using a combination of acrylics and oils in a painting creates unique properties of a painting. Acrylics tend to dry faster hence any mistake needs to be corrected immediately. Oils dry slower and you can take advantage of them to create soft edges and a perfect blend. However, can you apply acrylic paint over oil paint?

Acrylic paint cannot be applied over oil paint. The acrylic paint won’t stick to the oil paint. It may end up peeling. You can paint oils over acrylics but the opposite is not recommended.

We know that the answer to Can You Apply Acrylic Paint Over Oil Paint? has been answered, so let’s keep learning on the consequences.

What Happens if Acrylic Paint Is Applied Over Oil Paint?

Acrylic paint when applied over oil paint just won’t stick. The peeling can happen immediately after the acrylics dry or after some weeks. As the oil dries, it continues flexing. This is one of the major reasons why applying acrylic paint over oil paint causes cracks.

Water And Oil Do Not Mix

Since water and oil don’t mix, it is important to be careful when painting. When working with a water-based medium like acrylics, the surface should not have any oils and grease. This includes any oil or skincare products.

As compared to painters from other fields, most artists are not as strict. For instance, in an auto body repair shop, before painting a car, the exterior of the car has to be degreased. This is to remove any grease or fingerprints.

Grease or oil on a canvas may hinder acrylic paint adhesion, and applying acrylic paint over oil paint is worse than painting on a greasy surface. Oil paint acts as a barrier between the canvas and the acrylic paint. Therefore, acrylic paint won’t adhere to oil paint: Water and oil repel each other. This obviously affects how oil paints stick.

Adhesion

Painting acrylics over oil won’t bond. Therefore, the acrylic paint may end up peeling or may fail to stick.

Can You Use Acrylic Paints And Oil Paints In A Painting?

Oil takes a long time to dry. This is an advantage as you can correct any errors and repaint them before the paint dries. Oil paints offer flexibility. On the other hand, acrylics dry faster. As compared to oils, acrylics have vivid color.

For new artists, painting oils in layers can be scary. The good news is that you can start by using acrylic paints. After drying, you can paint over parts or the whole painting with oil. This process saves time.

By using oil and acrylic paints, the working time is shortened into hours. If you want wonderful painting effects, use transparent oil color. For a bold painting, use dark oils over acrylic.

When using oils over acrylic, these factors should be considered:

Avoid Using Soft Or Spongy Acrylics

While oils become fragile over time, acrylics remain flexible over the decades. When soft and spongy acrylic is applied, the oil paint may crack.

Protect Natural Fiber Substrates

Oil should not soak into paper or canvas. This is because it can negatively affect the natural fibers. Unlike fiber substrates, oil penetration does not damage the wood substrate. However, it is important to ensure that the wood substrate is sized to reduce absorbency and adds protection between wood and painting.

Allow Acrylics To Fully Dry Before Applying Oil Paint

Although acrylics dry faster, it needs to fully dry before applying oil paint over it. Whether you’ve applied thick or thin layers, ensure that it completely dries first.

Avoid Sharp Peaks And Textures

Pastes and gel tend to be rigid after drying. They can also soften or become flexible when temperature increases or when applied in ridges. After some years, the sharp textures may compromise the oil layers. Thick oil textures may take a long time to dry and in some cases, may never completely dry. Therefore, if you want to build texture, consider using acrylics.

More Layers Increase Stiffness

Increased stiffness is pivotal for a stable base. Oil layers may become rigid after some years. Having around four or more acrylic layers increases stiffness.

Be Careful When Using Highly Absorbent Acrylics

Highly absorbent acrylics extract excess oil from the oil paints. Although some oil penetration increases adhesion, too much oil increases the chances of flaking or cracking. To reduce absorbency, use thin oil or acrylic colors.

Gloss or Matte

Both gloss and matte have great adhesion. However, matte surfaces improve adhesion when using oil or acrylics.

How Acrylic Paint Over Oil Paint Violates The Principle of Fat Over Lean

The principle illustrates that paints should dry from the first to the last layer. Therefore, the first layer should completely dry before applying another layer. Drying gives a solid foundation to other layers.

Acrylics dry faster than oil paints. When painting acrylics over oil, the acrylics will dry faster than the oil paint. This goes against the fat over lean principle. When painting, you have to ensure that the underneath layer is dry to avoid shifting or moving after the top paint layer is dry.

Why Does Using Both Oils And Acrylic Improve Painting?

Painting in layers with oils over acrylics creates a new prospect to a painting. The combination creates a more abstract painting.

How Do You Paint Over Oil Paint?

Latex paint can be applied over an oil-painted surface. However, the first layer should be completely dry. While preparing, ensure that you clean and prime any glossy surfaces.

First, you need to clean a glossy surface. Use sandpaper to scrape the surface. This is important for improving stickability. The goal is to get rid of the surface gloss. However, do not remove all the paint but just scrape to ensure adherence to new paint and primer. Then, use a knife to remove any loose paint.

Using a wood putty or filler, fill any small holes and gaps. After drying, scrape the area using sandpaper. To remove any dust or dirt, use a tack cloth to wipe the surface. A tack cloth has a sticky surface that wipes any dust particles. Remember not to apply pressure when wiping to avoid a waxy surface.

If the surface is extremely dirty and greasy, use trisodium phosphate to deep clean the surface. After cleaning with trisodium phosphate, rinse the surface with fresh water. Since trisodium phosphate is harsh, protect your eyes and skin and have adequate ventilation before using it.

When the surface is clean and dry, go ahead and prime it. This step is important as it will prevent the peeling off of the latex paint. Once the primer is dry, you can now paint it. You can paint two layers if necessary. However, let the paint dry before applying another layer. To have the best outcome, do not load your brush with a lot of paint.

Can You Apply Latex Paint Over Oil-based Primer?

The three types of latex paint are acrylic, alkyd-modified, and vinyl-acrylic. Unlike other types of paints, acrylic is best-performing since it adheres well and retains its vivid color over a long time. Alkyd-modified paint works best when painting exterior objects. Vinyl-acrylic is best applied to walls.

Latex paint can best be applied over oil-based primer for wood projects. The process is challenging since latex paints don’t stick to oil paints unless topcoat paint is used. Latex paint is water-based and made using acrylic resin. However, it contains a rubber base. It works well when painted in drywall, walls and ceilings, and furniture.

When Should You Use An Oil-based Primer?

Oil-based primer is applied before painting hence acting as a base of your paint. It creates an even and smooth texture. It extends a painting’s life. By using oil-based primer, you won’t have to worry about any flakes or cracks. You can apply oil-based primer when painting your walls, unfinished wood, bathrooms, and furniture.

Due to its versatility, the oil-based primer perfectly works with many surfaces and can be applied with latex and oil paints. Therefore, you can use it for almost any project. If you’re using wood, oil-based primer is a good choice for sealing porous surfaces. They also help in stopping the release of harmful tannins from some woods.

Oil-based primers are excellent for dealing with water stains and ink. It slows down blistering and cracking. Unlike other primers, oil-based primers are a perfect choice for covering knots and nail heads. If you’re using weathered wood, the oil-based primer will penetrate the wood making it ready for a fresh paint layer.

Why Should You Use Latex Paint Over Oil-based Primer?

Using latex paint over oil primer creates outstanding results. However, you need to prepare well. The combination works best when working with unfinished and wooden surfaces. For unfinished surfaces, the primer gives a good seal and surface coverage. For wooden surfaces, oil-based primers prevent it from bleeding or releasing tannins. It prevents the wood from expanding.

Combining latex paint and oil-based primer gives a robust result. While oil-based primer works best with some woods, latex is a great option for softwood.

When using latex paint over oil-based primer, you first need to plan your workspace and ensure enough ventilation. Then clean the surface to remove any contaminants. The next step involves sanding the surface. But if sanding is not required, you can apply primer. After the primer dries, you can sand the surface lightly then paint it. Lastly, seal the painted object to extend its lifespan.

Is It Advisable To Use Water-based Paint Over Oil-based Primer?

Oil-based primers can be used with any type of paint, including water-based paint. The steps for applying water-based paint differ from that of latex. After painting the first layer, you can directly add water-based paint on top or sand the primer before applying the water-based paint.

What Is The Difference Between Water-based Primer And Oil-based Primer?

Water-based primer perfectly works with latex and acrylic paints. On the other hand, oil-based primer is excellent for enamel paints. With good preparation, you can use water-based paints with an oil-based primer.

Water-based primers can be easily cleaned using soap and water. They’re also not harmful to humans and the environment. Oil-based primers have a strong odor. They can be cleaned using mineral spirits. They’re the best option for water issues, eliminating odors, and stains from wood tannins and rust.

Is It Safe To Use An Oil-based Primer?

A primer that takes a long to dry releases volatile organic compounds that are harmful to the environment. It poses a danger to human health when exposed to it for long. Oil-based primer tools can be cleaned using thinners and solvents. The solvents and thinners are toxic.

Does Oil-based Primer Take Long To Dry?

Oil-based primer takes more than 8 hours to dry. Unlike water-based paints, oil-based primer takes longer to dry. If you wish to apply latex paint to primer, the project can take around two weeks.

How Can You Differentiate Latex From Oil-based?

Oil-based are smooth and glossy while latex paint has a rubbery finish. You can experiment by using a cotton ball and denatured alcohol. Dip the cotton ball to the denatured alcohol and slightly rub it on the wall. If the paint dissolves, then it’s water-based. Oil-based products are not affected by this experiment.

Can Gesso Be Applied Over Oil Painting?

Gesso is a mixture of chalk, pigment, or gypsum. Most gesso is acrylic based hence should not be applied over an oil painting. You may consider using white oil paint rather than gesso. However, it may take longer for each layer to completely dry, one layer may not be enough, and some white pigments may crack. It’s not also recommended to apply acrylics over old paintings that have gesso.

Final Words

Acrylic paints dry faster. Oil paints may dry after days or weeks. Therefore, if you’re fast in painting, then you can go for acrylic. If you’re slower, use oil instead. When mixing paint, acrylics tend to be more difficult than oil.

Although oil paints are long-lasting, they may discolor with time if not properly taken care of. Acrylics however do not discolor. Oil paints are richer hence have more vivid colors than acrylics which may darken as they dry. If you don’t want toxicity, then acrylics are the best choice.

In the end it will depend on what you feel more comfortable with, with what you can afford and, of course, how long it could take you to finish your project.

Sources

• The 5 Key Differences between Acrylics vs Oil paints – a Beginners Guide – will kemp art school
• Can I Paint Acrylics Over Oils?