Oil Paint vs Tempera: What Are the Differences?

Looking at the best tempera paintings ever made, it’s natural to want to try this new medium. But if you have been an oil painter your whole life, experimenting with tempera can be daunting.

The main difference between oil paint and tempera is that oils dry much slower than tempera. They dry to beautiful rich colors and let you work on the piece taking as much time as you want.

In our oil paint vs tempera comparison guide, we look into their main features- history, blendability, texture, production, drying time, and finish. Painting with tempera is a race against time. You have to be fast with your strokes and enjoy the act of mixing pigment with egg yolk. But we assure you — the end results will be worth it!

Oil Paint vs Tempera: What Are the Differences?

Oil paint and tempera paint are incredible mediums. They’re loved by artists all over the world, which makes it a bit hard for newcomers to have their pick. If you prefer tempera painting to oil painting, it means you like a certain painting style and texture.

Because you’ll be surprised how little these painting mediums have in common! Keep reading to know ten differences between oil paint and tempera paint, number 9 will blow your mind (or not!).

Component – Tempera Paints Are Made by Mixing Pigments with Egg Yolks

First of all, tempera paints are made of non-toxic pigments, preservatives, water, and a binding agent, which is most likely egg yolk. Other emulsions such as linseed oil and adhesives are possible, but they are not as widespread as eggs.

As you can see, tempera paints have a unique binding agent. It may seem unusual at first, but the egg yolk is what makes the main difference in tempera-based paintings.

On the other hand, oil paintings are made with oil colors which in turn are made of binder and pigments. The materials in oil paints are clean and blendable, while blending tempera takes a certain level of expertise.

With some luck and practice, you’ll become more comfortable with this liquid, and mixing pigment will no longer be an issue.

Drying Time – Tempera Dries Much Faster Than Oil Paints

One of the main problems with oil paints is that they take a lot of time to dry. Most artists use different layers of paint on a single painting, and it generally takes at least 24/48 hours for each layer to dry properly. The reason behind this is that oil-based paints don’t evaporate into the air, hence the time.

On the other hand, tempera has a water-based formulation, hence it doesn’t take tempera a lot of time to dry out. In fact, it takes barely 10-15 minutes for tempera paint to completely dry.

Binder – Most Oil Paints Have a Binder Made of Linseed Oil

You can use different binding agents with oil paints. They contribute to the drying time, durability, look, and texture of oil paintings, so you have to be more careful in your binder choice.

For example, linseed oil is an incredible binder for an oil painting artist, but he has to consider its curing time and yellowing. Walnut oil, safflower oil, and stand oil are good film formers. There are chemical paint thinners that do the same job but faster.

With tempera, you don’t have to make a lot of decisions and, therefore, keep your focus on the painting. You can dilute them with water and add a little bit of vinegar to preserve the egg white. The colors don’t dry to a lustrous poster paint, but you get a lot of smoothness and matte on the artwork.

Layering – You Can Apply Oil Paint in Thick Layers

The chances of a more creative and visually stunning artwork are with oil paints. This is because oil paint is buildable paint, meaning you can create one layer after another and still not ruin the painting if the layering is done right.

The thick layers in oil paints make a painting visually astounding. On the flip side, you can’t add multiple layers of tempera paint on the same painting — that might ruin the whole artwork. 

Techniques – An Oil Painting Can Be Made Using Different Techniques

When it comes to painting with oil colors, you can use tons of different techniques such as scumbling, glazing, Chiaroscuro, Impasto, Ala Prima, and Grisaille. But if you’re a new artist, you might hesitate to use brush strokes on a blank paper.

Jan Van Eyck introduced the underpainting technique where you cover up a light sketch of your subject with short strokes.

Old masters also use the Impasto technique — working with multiple layers of paint to create exceptional art. It’s the only technique that’s common for both types of paints, and it’s also how many artists easily transition from oil to tempera and vice versa.

Type of Finish – Tempera Paint Dries to a Smooth, Matte Finish

If you’re a fan of a smooth and matte finish, then tempera paint is something you should take an interest in. This very paint gives you a super smooth and slick matte finish.

Again, if you’re into a shiny and glossy finish, you can opt for oil paint. It all depends on your preference as both of the paint looks amazing after dried, cured, and varnished.

Application Time – Tempera Paint Needs to Be Applied Fast

Because tempera is a type of watercolor, the binder dries quickly and stamps the pigments on the painting surface. Liquid tempera paint can turn solid in a matter of a few minutes. So, in order to have beautiful rich colors, you need to speed up your tempera painting.

Mixing pigment with oil became popular in Northern Europe in the late Renaissance. Not only was it easy to create the perfect oil-paint mixture but also layer different paints to have a glazing effect.

You can see interesting effects in an oil painting because the pigment in the bottom layers shines through the thin, top layers. Plus, oil paints take a long time to dry. So, artists can have sufficient time to rethink their art and rework when necessary.

Medium – Tempera Paint Is Usually Not a Good Fit for Canvas

As shocking as it sounds (I mean, it shocked me), tempera is something you want to keep away from a regular canvas on an easel. If you’re not following the right technique, tempera can drip down the canvas surface and ruin your entire artwork.

The thin yet creamy consistency of egg tempera makes it adhere better to poster paper, drawing paper, wood panel, and cardboard.

Painting with different mediums takes quite the effort. But once you master egg tempera paint, working with other painting mediums will seem easier. For oil paints, all you have to do is prime your canvas/wood panel and start layering!

Longevity – Tempera Paints Last Longer Than Oil Paints

Another one I had not thought of. In Northern Europe, mixing pigment with egg whites became a popular practice because of how well the yolk protected the painting. Egg whites dry to a smooth yet temporary varnish, while you need to buy resin varnish or spray varnish for an oil painting.

Even though the varnish in the tempera mixture is non-toxic and organic, it still does a better job at preventing fading, chipping, and cracking. An oil painting is more likely to fade and crack compared to one made with tempera.

Consequence of Time – Oil Paints Tend to Turn Yellow with Time

If poster painting is done with the right supplies and kept with care, it’s highly unlikely that any significant damage will occur to it. However, oils often tend to turn yellow after a few years, and you might see cracks in the pigment if not taken care of properly. 

A big part of tempera paints’ color rendition depends on the type of pigment you are using. So far, you can make DIY tempera paint with food coloring and eggs at home. But they don’t compare to artist-grade pigments, do they?

Final Words

You may not be able to create fine details given how quickly you need to be with tempera paint. But it can be decently rich in color and let you finish an artwork fairly quickly. Oil paints are far more forgiving, spontaneous, and richer. They give you that glossy finish that you can never get with acrylics, watercolors, or tempera paints.

At the same time, tempera is an affordable medium, and you can make your own colors from small amounts of vinegar, egg yolk, and powdered pigment. Now you know how tempera and oil paint compare. So, which medium from our oil paint vs tempera blog you’re more excited to try?