So, you’ve decided to embrace the luscious nature of the oil paint in your artistic ventures and enjoy their signature flexibility. However, no matter how many hours you wait, the paint doesn’t seem to dry.
This feature may be a deal-breaker for artists who can’t wait for hours or days until the paint dries. Others prefer to work on different projects simultaneously to overcome this limitation so while the paint is drying, they work on another project. But do you have to wait for oil paint layers to dry
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You don’t have to wait for paint layers to dry in the wet-on-wet technique. In this style, the paint layers blend on the canvas to create the effect intended by the artist. However, the indirect technique requires the paint layers to completely dry to paint each layer distinctively from the others.
Read on to see how these techniques differ and how you can speed up the drying process. Do You Have To Wait for Oil Paint Layers To Dry? Welll… it depends.
Table of Contents
Oil Paint Characteristics
Oil paint is composed of pigments and different types of oil, such as:
- Linseed oil
- Safflower oil
- Walnut oil
Different oil types have varying drying speeds, but they all dry much slower than other paint types because the oil needs a specific chemical reaction to dry, which involves absorbing oxygen from the air.
Technically speaking, oil paint doesn’t dry; instead, it cures because the oil doesn’t evaporate.
One of the most significant advantages of oil paint over other water-based types is its flexibility in adding and blending layers.
Since oil paint dries slower than others, you have enough time to think about the quality of your work, whether you need to change some aspects of the painting or add any hues or shades as you progress.
This fluidity also allows you to use different painting techniques to achieve various styles and effects. Two primary oil paint techniques are Alla Prima and layered painting.
- Alla Prima. It means “at first attempt” in Italian, it doesn’t require the oil paint to dry before you can apply the second layer. This technique allows the artist to finish a painting in one session as they don’t need to wait for hours or days until one layer dries. However, in this technique, layers of paint tend to dissolve into each other. As a result, the artist may have difficulty getting the colors right.
- Layered painting. As the name suggests (aka the indirect technique), it involves painting different layers to achieve more defined lines between the details. That’s unlike the Alla Prima technique, which involves blurred lines. In this technique, the artist needs to wait until a layer is completely dry to apply the next layer. Otherwise, the layers will dissolve, and one layer may remove the other.
How To Tell if a Paint Layer Is Dry
You must wait until each layer is dried thoroughly if you’re following the layered painting technique. However, since different oil paints dry at varying speeds, there’s no definite time as a point of reference.
You need to try other methods to ensure the paint has dried completely. The most intuitive way is to touch the paint’s surface and see if it feels dry. This trick works in most cases, but if you want to be 100% certain, you could try other methods.
For example, you could use your fingernail or a sharp object, such as a razor blade, and scratch a small part of the painting. You should press gently, or you may tear the canvas or ruin the painting. If the paint is dry all the way through, it comes off powdery. However, if it comes off in a thread or roll, the paint isn’t still dry, and you should wait longer.
Another method is to dip a lint-free cloth in a solvent, like white spirit, and gently rub it on a small, inconspicuous part of the painting. If the paint comes off, it’s still not dry enough for the next layer.
Factors That Influence Drying Time
Although oil paint is slow-dry, not all oil paint is the same in this regard. Different factors can make oil paint dry faster or slower than others.
- The environment where you paint. Warm, dry, or light environments help your paint dry faster than humid, dark, or cold surroundings.
- Various formulas and processes in making paints by different manufacturers. This also affects the dry time in each product. In addition, entry-level paints designed for students are different from those designed for specialized purposes.
- Medium and oils used in the paint. For example, poppyseed makes the paint dry much slower than safflower. Linseed and alkyds are the fastest drying oils.
- Pigments and colors. That’s because pigment particles aren’t the same size, making them absorb oil in different amounts. For example, blacks, reds, or cadmium colors dry slower than burnt umber, lead white, or Prussian blue.
- Technique and method of painting. For example, if you apply several layers on top of each other, your painting will take more time to dry than when you use thin layers.
How To Help Paint Dry Faster
Although the layered painting method may take weeks to dry, you could use some tricks to speed up the process. One of the most effective techniques that also help you avoid cracking is the fat-over-lean method. As the name suggests, you should start with thin layers of paint, wait for them to dry to the touch, and add thicker layers.
The paint’s brand and type also help you get there faster. Always use fast-drying colors in the lower layers and save the slow-drying ones for the top layers. You could even use solvents like white spirit to thin the paint and make it dry faster.
As mentioned, the surrounding environment and the room you paint in can significantly affect the drying process. Even if your studio isn’t warm and bright, you could move your painting to a well-ventilated room with a higher temperature to help it dry more quickly. You could even use a fan or dehumidifier to provide more oxygen for the polymerization process.
Final Words
Painting with oil paint can be time-consuming since it takes longer than other paint types to dry. However, you don’t always have to wait until the paint dries because it depends on your painting technique.
In the direct painting, you can apply layers directly on the previous ones without waiting for them to dry. However, the indirect method requires the layers to cure completely to prevent the layers from dissolving and blending.
Use fast-drying paint brands and pigments, add mediums such as Liquin, and paint in a well-ventilated room to speed up the drying process.
Sources
- Scientific American: The Chemistry of Oil Painting
- Tate: Oil Paint
- Online Art School: Wet-on-wet oil painting method explained
- Draw Paint Academy: Alla Prima (Wet on Wet) Painting Tips
