Artsy Fartsy Part 2 Acrylic

I received a set of oil paints for my birthday back in 2005 and have been hooked on painting ever since. After a while though, I got impatient with the oil process. Unless you use the Bob Ross wet on wet technique, you must wait between layers and stages for paint to dry. Depending on the color and the thickness of your paint, sometimes you can be waiting for days or even weeks to continue a piece. So I switched to acrylic and never turned back.

The swift curing of acrylic makes it much more ideal for thick texture. If the heavy texture in the painting above ("Ladies & Gentlemen") was done in oil, it could have taken up to a year to cure thoroughly; this one cured overnight.

While I think richer colors can be achieved with oil and I love the smell of linseed, for me the time saved by switching was well worth it. The stages dry so fast that by the time you have completed one, you can usually start the next. Also, acrylic paint is water soluble so there is no smelly paint thinners to buy and clean up is a breeze.

The fast drying action of acrylic also makes it more suitable for crafts and (when varnished) outdoor decorating than oil.

Thank You for stopping by, Rodney