Acrylics or Oils?

1. 68

   RockerGingerposted 12 years ago

   Thoughts?

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      kikkibabesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Acrylics they are much better x

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         Paul Wingertposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         You're compairing apples and oranges. Both have their advantages and drawbacks.

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      unemployedlearnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I like both but oils are my fav.  I like the fact that if I do not like my tree, or clouds, I can take them off, with long drying time, it's a snap.
      The disadvantage is the thinner, it is difficult to separate the clean from the dirty, you have to wait til it settles in the bottom of the container, then drain the clean off the top.

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         fizgiggeryposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Have you tried water-based (water-miscible) oil paints? The drawback is there isn't as wide a selection of colours, and another possible drawback (or not) is that the drying time is a lot quicker.  But you don't have to use turps to clean!  Just good ole fashioned soap and water

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      Xenonlitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I glaze a lot and find that oils give a richer set of layers. But acrylics offer speed and glazing with the new mediums. Both are fine with me, if I have the space for the oils to dry.

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   livewithrichardposted 12 years ago

   I'd say that acrylics are easier to work with but oils allow a much larger range of textures.  I work with both.

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   gulshan15posted 12 years ago

   love

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4. 72

   R.S. Hutchinsonposted 12 years ago

   Acrylics for a plethora of reasons. It used to be a no brainier in that oils were the choice of Art only because Acrylics could not match the vibrant colors offered by oils. But now-a days, acrylics can match the vibrancy and offer so much more such as gels, textures, and mixes. The quicker drying times are a plus and can be held under control by using a wet palate so there isn't much waste.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   Always preferred oils for aesthetic reasons.
   Liked the smell for one.

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      Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Acrylics are easier to work with, yet  Oils can take it to another level

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   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   I use acrylics because they dry faster and are easier to work with.Oil have the texture and depth to them but you must be the patient type to use them..

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7. 59

   Marko Radulovicposted 12 years ago

   Hi there.
   
   Acrylics are a fast drying medium (the carrier for the pigment is, essentially, plastic). Depending on the kind of work, this may or may not be ideal. I've seen some artists do wonderful things in acrylic.
   
   Oils, on the other hand, are called that because the pigment is carried in an oil binder, usually some combination of safflower and linseed oil. These sorts of paints dry a LOT slower, which can prove to your advantage if you want to achieve a "wet-into-wet" effect in your painting.
   
   The slow-drying of oils can even be modified based on other mediums mixed into the oil before it is administered to your surface. Liquin, for example, produced by Winsor & Newton, is a plasticky quick drying medium. Cobalt drier is used for the opposite effect (it is, however, very toxic and must be used with care. I don't use it, personally).
   
   You can actually paint on top of dry acrylic (don't mix oil and acrylic when they're wet). Don't try to paint acrylic paints over dry oils, however. This would multiple the cost for your paints, however.
   
   Personally, I use oils. Quality paint will be expensive regardless of medium, because the pigment will be made of the same material - cadmium red will still be made of baked cadmium.

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      Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes don’t put acrylic over oils, a waste, nice combination though at times

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         WD Curry 111posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Acrylics are polymers. The pigment is not suspended (as in oils or latex) in the top brands, it is part of the molecular structure.

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   Seph Dublinposted 12 years ago

   I like both yet I must say that I’m a huge fan of oils. Oil paints are slower drying than other varieties of paint because they are made of small particles of pigment that are suspended in a drying oil.
   But I love how it’s capacity to create luminous colours that are hardwearing. It can also be left open for long periods of time. And I’m just so astounded every time I notice its wonderful result when blended on canvas. Awesome!
   Nevertheless, I guess it’s the spirit and love you put while working your artwork regardless of the material you are using. It’s like the genuine beauty that will blaze whether or not you are using acrylics/oils.

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      Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      True enough, any material
      
      I built most my career from just sandsculpture and snowsculpture,
      Who would have thought that?

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         Seph Dublinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         wonderful

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   Jacqui Julyanposted 12 years ago

   The last time I used oils was at college because there was the space and it didn't matter much about the mess I loved them!  I don't use them at home because it's busy with animals and children but I miss them!  I used some acrylics yesterday and it was fun but dries too quickly.  I like oils because you can come back the next day and move the paint around.

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10. 59

    mandypooleposted 12 years ago

    I agree, Oils are versatile and I like the range of textures and effects you can create with them- but they take ages to dry. Acrylics dry  a lot quicker which is a bonus.

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    KCC Big Countryposted 12 years ago

    I prefer acrylics any day!  Oils can be beautiful to look at, but such a pain to work with.  For me, it's just not worth it.

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    Jennuhleeposted 12 years ago

    acrylics fo sho!

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13. 61

    belowthewillowposted 12 years ago

    I'm more of an oil kinda gal.  It dries slower so it's easier to go back into after I've started and make corrections/changes.

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    LorenAyBeposted 12 years ago

    depends for what you want it. Acrilic is easier to manipulate. Oil looks better.

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    moor maidenposted 12 years ago

    I prefer oils, the pigments are far better. I had to paint in acrylics for some scenery painting in the attraction where I worked. I couldn't get to grips with how fast they dried. I would spend some time getting the mix right, do a bit of painting with it, go on to something else. when i went back to use the mix and it was dry! i like how oils take so long to dry, if you change your mind about a mixture all you have to do is scrape it off. i find that if you paint over dry paint your new mixture uses its radiance- the colour sinks.

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    diydivaposted 12 years ago

    I've only ever used acrylics and just recently started using real acrylics and found them to be amazing.  They really make my paintings turn out the way I want them.  I have considered oils but they seem like they would be much harder to work with.

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    WD Curry 111posted 12 years ago

    I like oils for blending, but I'm allergic to turpentine (pine). I use acrylics in all my mural work and most of my paintings. Oils almost always crack in time. There are exceptions, and that is where the science of oil painting comes in. Acrylics don't mud out and they will last a long time. Maybe even until the end of the world.

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    starstreamposted 12 years ago

    I have tried watercolors, acrylics, and oils.  Mostly, I prefer the oils because I like the texture, thickness of the paint.  Mixing colors is really fun too.

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    Owl Ka Mystposted 12 years ago

    I like both for different reasons and for the different looks they offer.
    The medium a painter uses is dependent upon the desired end result and what you have to do to get that  result.
    I have used both as well as watercolor. I paint more with watercolor because of what I can do with them that cannot be done with oils or acrylics.

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    geoffco23posted 12 years ago

    Pick one. Stick with it. Both have pros and cons. You can waste a lot of time in the technique hole.

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    2uesdayposted 12 years ago

    Different mediums achieve different effects - oils the colors have a different depth of color, acrylics dry faster allowing you to work on the same area faster.

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    penofoneposted 12 years ago

    Acrylics tend to stay dry in a part of the tube or bottle they are in, so its wise to separate colors first before painting... If you are a beginner learning acrylics can be easy and fun although they are willing to ease the thinner as used in oils. They don't compartmentalize what you can do in acrylics, a wide range of subjects may work.  Oils on the other hand to to ooze out the tube without enough oil basically.  It is not the fact you have to mix oils, it is the quantity of mixing and basic argument that oils are of a post-modern era. It is opposite of what acrylic painters like about acrylics the most. They are fast drying and adhere to a sketch better as I have described.
    
    Anish(B.B.)

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