Acrylic VS. Oil Paints - Why I like oils better!

[@LizGridleyArtist]

Oil girl over here but always awesome to hear other artists' experiences ❤️❤️

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Gotta love oils!

[@nathaliealvarez7701]

I just love to see you painting! It makes me so inspired to create so many things. Keep on doing this beautiful art of yours ❤️

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

You are so sweet Nathalie! Thank you so much!

[@nathaliealvarez7701]

Emily Mackey Art lots of love from Colombia 🥰

[@ilovefaries18]

You’re so right about cleaning the brushes! I have a whole cup of messed up paint brushes full of oil paint residue and what not. Part of me is like just throw them away, but seeing brushes in the trash breaks me heart too lol

[@Imjustacatlady]

Let them soak in some plain linseed oil (or any oil) overnight, then scrub them off in a solvent/mineral spirit. You can try Murphy's oil soap for cleaning too. The soap and water method did that to my brushes and I fixed by using oil soap and soaking them in oil overnight.

[@Visual_Arts]

I find when blending backgrounds with acrylics it's better to use a wet on wet technique. It gives you a lot more blending time. Also, use a wet palette for acrylic paint it will give you hours to mix your paints without them drying out (you can also store it in the fridge and it lasts for days). Love your paintings as always Emily 😍

[@Imawatches]

I personally prefer acrylic because oils take too much preparation, solvent and etc.... its just different technique, acrylic needs big layers of paint if you dont want them to dry :D

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

YES! I totally get that. Oils take so much prep and set up. When I want to do more chill paintings like my sketchbook paintings, I always use acrylics.

[@marialorenzaaverilla3434]

@@EmilyMackeyArt You can get water-soluble oils now! I've yet to try them but I hear they're way easier to set up! I cheat with acrylics - I use slow-drying medium aha 😂😂

[@jazzyjaz3886]

I normally use acrylic but one time I used an oil paint (somehow thinking it was acrylic) and I was freaking out when it wouldn’t wash out from my brush but eventually I found out to use paint thinner and that helped. Anyway, I only have a few oil paints from a family member but they aren’t usual colors. For that reason and also because I love to paint beach scenes, I would want try oils first like at class and if I like them and I’ll by more paint. So I guess I have to start looking at some art classes! I know this might be in some of your past videos but I would love a video that shows the process of you using and cleaning your oil paints/brushes.

[@maysaraalgibory5910]

you can clean your brushes with dish soap and water to clean your brushes or fabric softener and water.

[@jazzyjaz3886]

Maysara Algibory I now got this one brush cleaner that gets it out nicely

[@maysaraalgibory5910]

@@jazzyjaz3886 oh that is good

[@jossslinnn3574]

I just recently started oil painting. I have to said that it is great for ppl like me who doesn’t have much background for painting and just take the time to enjoy the process. Thank you for the great content👍🏼

[@GC-doot]

So i always wanted to get into painting but never pulled the trigger. I randomly started doing oil pastel drawings and that really made me realize im into blending. This is amazing! Im so glad i stumbled upon your channel.

[@van_creative]

Very cool how you demonstrated the pros and cons of both types of paint! Love your channel

[@chithrav3179]

love your sketchbook paintings a lot 😍😍pls do more tutorials❤❤

[@hellbent444]

if you use golden’s OPEN acrylic thinner, it keeps your paint wet for days as well. it was cheaper for me to do that as opposed to buying a whole new medium! also, im pretty afraid to use oil paints lol.

[@krissy9445]

This was really helpful, thank you. You just solidified that I have to try out oil paints and find my preference.

[@vanshsharma8227]

Thanks ,I got so much help in this one month by watching your videos 😊.

[@lorirees4248]

Emily, thank you for your videos! I appreciate the time you take to show your work and your process. You are an inspiration. I've already painted two of your beginner tutorials.

[@sniggi5064]

Honestly I prefer acrylics; I totally respect your opinion but I feel like if you don't have a nice little art studio it can be very hard to prep your board, deal with the scent, and clean everything up. I love the thickness of acrylics and how textured it is. However things can get a little patchy if you're doing portraits and stuff.

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Totally! I think acrylics are super wonderful. And I forgot to mention they are my absolute go to for my chill non commital paintings when I don’t have the energy to do a bunch of prep or set up. That’s why it’s my fave for doing sketch book paintings. But the oils are my fave for my more serious in depth paintings.

[@sniggi5064]

@@EmilyMackeyArt hehe i agree; acrylic paintings in my sketchbook feel so nice. I've never tried out oil paints properly before, so I reaallyyy hope that we'll try it out in art class! It'd be so cool to work with a medium that doesn't try in literally 3 minutes

[@loati94]

I use a smidge of safflower oil to switch colors and a rag. I wipe the brush in a rag as much as I can and then dip it in safflower oil and work it on the palette to disolve as much paint as possible and it does the trick. Also Sennelier makes a solvent free "solvent" that I use like the safflower oil. It doesn't dry as fast as regular solvent because it doesn't contain petroleum and it's plant based but again, it does the trick

[@rebeccabrudenell5657]

Have you tried water mixable oils yet? I’d love to see your thoughts on them!🥰

[@madiha_tanveer273]

The WHAT

[@jamesp8255]

They're awesome

[@Blue-jo9fl]

@@madiha_tanveer273 that's news to me as well! :0

[@Hahaidkanything]

Please do another ocean sunset video with oils? You're awesome! 💜

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

I will! Thats like my favorite thing to paint right now!

[@praghathis7029]

First of all, can I just say I love your voice. It’s soooo soothing n it never gets boring. Secondly, thanks for giving the right direction. This is exactly what I was looking for as a beginners with acrylics. I love the idea of using acrylics first n then going on top with oil, coz o was wondering if tht can be done as I too want the quick drying time of acrylic to get the idea of the shades to use, but also wanted the neat smooth finish of oil .

[@milafatema6910]

Just wow........!!! I love your artwork. It’s a great painting. Really awesome. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Thank you Mila!

[@erinlee7670]

I used oil paints in the wrong way in the past and it took way too long to dry so I automatically dismissed it but I will try again now that I know more about when oils are best used🙏 thank you for sharing!

[@sfcucci]

This was a great tutorial for a newbie like me. Thanks so much Emily

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Brilliant video! I've only used oils a few times but plan on experimenting with it more ☺️

[@caetdoesntdraw7747]

Currently im in the fast pace which using acrylic and gouache. I loveeeee gouache because they’re so matte and i love acrylic because they dried up so fast but yes you’re right, it does take time to blend with acrylic to achieve the right precision. I always find it’s fascinating to work with oil. I’m afraid to because i kinda broke in money to buy all that solvents. But when i see your style, makes me think again about to buy oil painting, because I want to feel how to use oil and this video really gives differences between two types of medium. Thank you so much! It’s really helpful ❤️❤️

[@kiaraintheforest]

I would love to listen to audio books read by you. I mean your voice is just inviting me to adventure!

[@vi-sl2lv]

Oh wow.what a unique preference

[@irish_artistry9289]

As an oil painter, I have tried to move away from solvents as well but cleaning my brushes I use a product called "Clean Spirit" by Bartoline (not sure if you can get that in the US). It is AMAZING. I have abused my brushes and haven't cleaned them so I cleaned them all yesterday using the Clean Spirit and then some dish soap and hot water. They were good as new!

[@PinkOrchid101]

I feel you. Extender medium has been a good pal to me but it’s dependent on your preference as an artist xxx thanks for another great video

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

I’ll have to look into that! Thank you!

[@draurangzebbutt9782]

Please!can u do a tutorial on how u prepare canvas+do u use water or wet the brush.I am a beginner and I live all your paintings

[@realalien1]

I worked for Disney as a background artist and we where able to work with acrylics and acheive an oil look. It’s how you handle the paint, keeping it wet and badger brushing the layers. But yes I agree oils gets the effect faster.

[@seahorse5689]

Thanks for the note about cleaning your brushes without solvents--that was the one thing keeping me from trying oils. Love your work and your tutorials. Quick question about drying time. Do you have to cover the painting to keep out dust (or pet hair) while you're letting the painting dry?

[@AltafKhan-gt6ht]

I am your big fan all of your painting are sooooooo beautiful and clamming ,I wish I could take classes from u.

[@jayitachaudhuri7035]

Your videos just make me so happy lol omg

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@scwd-wd]

Have you tried open acrylic?

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I spend to little on making clouds. There so beautifull. I love you,re cloud paintings. I paint whit both. I love acrylic and oil paint. I love both paints. I am jelly at you,re amazing glass pallet omg its beautifull

[@sydbug5830]

For anyone looking to clean brushes in between oil paint colors, try using baby oil. I have a jar of dirty leftover baby oil I discard after I get it full from use. Any baby oil and wiping your brush off on a paper towel. It's amazing and conditions your brushes.

[@ruslan780]

The way I was taught to blend with acrylics, is to prepare the key colour in abundance and keep them in an air tight container which allows you to preserve acrylics for weeks. Then you would blend other colours with the key/base colours and add the subtle changes with a dry brush. Thus in this case you would have a batch of blue sky preserved and ready to be blended with other colours later on.

[@kaitlinfredrickson]

You can fill a brush cleaning jar with drying oil instead of solvents. I can't use solvents, they give me an instant headache regardless of ventilation, but this works great for switching colors during a painting session. Just swish the brush in oil and you can wipe off the color more thoroughly. Lately when I'm done painting I've been cleaning the brushes this way and then leaving them suspended upside down in a jar of walnut oil. So far it's worked well but we'll see.

[@TsukabuNosoratori2]

I can't handle the fumes of oil paints (allergies), so I do mainly water based mediums. Just last year I started painting with acrylics and I joked that it made me feel like I was 'such a growed up little artist!' even though I'm 34. But I still love watching oil artists work their magic. My granddad was an oil on acrylic artist and we still have some of his paintings decades later that I love looking at. It feels like an extension of his soul, even though he passed on when I was 6. Your works are so fun for me to watch. Keep at it!

[@0RCHlD]

I started using oil paints (ive always used acrylics or watercolors before) but the oil paints just look so nice???? its so pigmented and so smooth without any weird texture

[@vincentcouleurs]

So beautiful👍🎨

[@jhuynh827]

how long do you wait to paint over layers when using oil paint?

[@ZadenZane]

Re: drying time... Am I seriously missing something? How can acrylic's quick drying time be a disadvantage? I don't remember ever thinking "I wish this paint would stay wet for longer." But I do frequently say, "I wish this paint would hurry up and dry!"

[@inspiredbyalllife]

Acrylics' quick drying time is what made me researching oil paints, especially after I switched from making bookmarks to bigger paintings. Depending on a person, it can be really frustrating to not have time to think of the process carefully and experience the palette going dry. I'm currently waiting for my oil paints purchase, but even just now I like the idea of being able to come back to my painting later, even on the other day with already mixed various shades. Acrylics is what I love to use for impasto technique though and watercolour is good for me for book illustrations or more abstract paintings. So I really wanted a medium to make mostly realistic art in a traditional way.

[@ZadenZane]

@@inspiredbyalllife I left that comment about four months ago and am slowly starting to understand... To be honest I had assumed my attempts at art would take me in an oil painting direction but I've actually found myself far more interested in watercolour styles and techniques...!!

[@inspiredbyalllife]

@@ZadenZane Watercolors are great too! The least forgiving imo, but the results you can achieve with them it's worth it. They feel so lighthearted to me, both in the process of painting and as a finished painting. Anyhow, good luck with anything you take, my fellow artist! Cheers. 😄

[@ralph.m_]

my oil paints are so hard to spread this is why i dont use them but when i look at oil painting videos, they look so easy to spread on a canvas. is there any solution for this?

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

YES! That’s a great question Ralph! I would recommend using a medium! I will occasionally use a medium called liquin. You just as a tiny dap to you paint when it’s not flowing smoothly enough. Give it a try! I think you will like it!

[@ralph.m_]

@@EmilyMackeyArt thank you so much for replying. its really helpful!! ^^

[@askialuna7717]

I add linseed oil drop by drop until it is soft enough. If the paint is too hard, it indicates that there is too little binder and too many pigments / fillers or the paint is old and get harden in the tube.

[@abbann11]

I’m curious if you’ve ever used an acrylic retarder to help them dry slower and if it really does make them “more like oils?”

[@marialorenzaaverilla3434]

It depends. I've used the additive (acrylic retarder) and slow-drying medium. They both do the same thing - making the acrylic dry slower but, you need more care with the additive. The additive doesn't have the acrylic binder so if you put too much, the acrylic paint will break down. A little bit of additive does go a long way! The slow-drying medium doesn't break down your paint but, it can make your acrylic more transparent. It's up to you what you prefer!

[@alefiyahhakimjee123]

I love your videos!!

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

you are so sweet! thank you!

[@modest_meghan]

what is that small red brush you are using? thanks emily !

[@vlogswwada]

So cool

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Thank you!!!!

[@vlogswwada]

Your welcome

[@arina4661]

Amazing!!!!❤

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Thank you!!!❤️

[@luisdiegomorataya3505]

please post a jungle painting!!!!! i love green and I think you'll do it the best

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

That’s a fun idea!

[@luisdiegomorataya3505]

@@EmilyMackeyArt OMG HIIIII I LOVE YOU OMGGGGGGGG

[@srhzhr_1]

The first time that I'm actually early

[@gunjankalvi]

Sammeee

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Yay! Thanks for being here!

[@srhzhr_1]

Most welcome ☺️:D

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I have tryed oils and i dind love them and they got me to the point i wanted to trow them out of the Windo whit my brushes. That why i choose acrylic,s. Its a lot eazer for me

[@sydbug5830]

So does putting oils on acrylic affect anything like the way oils dry? I do oil painting and used to be heavily acrylic. If I can oil paint on top of basic acrylic background it would save a lot of time

[@loati94]

Doing an underpainting in acrylics and the rest in oils is a technique a lot of artists use. Never put acrylic on top of oils though

[@lisar2801]

I use a wet pallette for acrylics. Game changer

[@korrinebonheart7665]

Prefers oils but likes the acrylics better?

[@death057]

I know this is from 3 years ago and I completely just today found your channel. So have you ever heard of golden open acrylics? Mixed with golden slow dry open medium? There's now also for us people who cannot use oil paint due to the mineral spirits and all that stuff which will affect my health there is water soluble oil paint! So we can now get closer to the look of oil painting with water soluble stuff! And if that wasn't enough there's a company called atelier and they have atelier interactive acrylics. What is interactive acrylic you ask? It's acrylic paint that if you use the solution that they sell you can reanimate rehydrate the paint! In other words when it dries you can make it wet again isn't that just remarkable? I mean I would love to be able to work in oils good old-fashioned oil paint like my mom did but my mom also did that in a art studio that only had a window unit air conditioner and that was the most of her ventilation. She also used good old-fashioned turpentine from the hardware store back in the '80s because you know starving artist and all and I was the little feral art kid running around her art studio. Unfortunately my family has a predisposition or otherwise known as a gene that can cause pulmonary fibrosis. And being in a not so well ventilated art studio using not so Good for you turpentine back in the '80s can trigger that. I have now inherited my mom's house with her art studio and I'm not going to make the same mistake especially since I spent so much time growing up here. So for all those out there who for one reason or another just cannot use good old fashioned oil paint because of reasons look into the paints that I said at the beginning of this comment because they've changed my life. Now I haven't tried the atelier interactive ones yet with the solution I have used them they have great pigment in them and you can use them like regular acrylics and can use water with them and they won't read wet unless you have the solution that they sell which may possibly be some sort of rubbing alcohol mixed with something else but Don't quote me on that. I hope that someday I will be able to paint half as good as you do on this channel! At least stuff that looks realistic instead of my more abstract and paint pouring but perfectionism has perturbed me and paint pouring makes it impossible to try and have too much control over it. But I'm trying to paint clouds as of right now lol thank you for the tutorials they help and it's amazing to me that we all have the ability to find tutorials like this on KZbin! Keep up the good work. I just wish my art activist art teacher of a mom could have had a chance to do her own tutorials and tell her story because she was babysat by Jackson Pollock and her uncle was on the cover of Time magazine has work at the Guggenheim the MoMA and the national museum just to name some. To keep on doing these tutorials so that the spirit of St Ginger the art angel can spread further throughout this world in ways Gen x could have never thought of lol thank you

[@M78-h2j]

hi i love you so much and please reply to me and i really want you to do more acrylic beach paintings pleaseeeeee😙🥺

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Hello! I will totally put more acrylic beach paintings on my todo list!

[@M78-h2j]

Emily Mackey Art thank you so so much i really appreciate it

[@alaniz48..]

that was a great presentation, I will have to try oils as well.

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Thanks so much Juan!

[@Cat-tg8nk]

i tried to do one of your acrylic painting tutorials the other day and it kept drying up on me :( but i’ll practice so one day i can be as good as you

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

That’s the toughest part of acrylic painting! Maybe you should give oil paints a try. They might be more your style like they are for me!

[@maxbuster7010]

Have you heard of sta-wet palettes for acrylics? I've heard those help keep your palette from drying out

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

I haven't! I need to try that out! Thanks for the tip!

[@jamesp8255]

Mastersons stay wet palette is very good.

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I love to paint whit oil paints. I wanna start painting again whit oil paints and watercolours 😊i have stress and i haven,t have painted in a long time and i mean a long time. I have to eaze my stress level 😊 i use my canson xl mixed media sketchbook for my watercolour paints and my oil paints. I use the same 7 colours that you use for you,re acrylic paints and i love that colour pallet. I paint also whit watercolours, i use canson xl mixed media sketchbooks my watercolour brushes from alliexpress,i paint whit the paint brand pebeo,i use safflower oil to oil paint and i use CHELSEA | N°8 Lavender & Olive Oil Soap™ to clean my oil brushes. Its all naturel no chemicals😊jeej i am oil painting chemical free😊 it was my dream and now i am doing it😊 I love the oil painting cloud better

[@sonyaartest2826]

Cool vare good 💕

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

[@kevincase2473]

Just found your channel! Beautiful work! I started in acrylic but switched to oil, which I prefer. I do use linseed/gamsol/ and liquin original. But I love your style!

[@saumyasingh8555]

Hi l love your videos

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

[@loati94]

I love both I can't master either lol

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

The only thing i use for my acrylic paints is water for my oil paints i use walnut oil alkyd medium to paint whit and safflower oil to clean my brushes. I can,t stand the smell of terpentine,gamsol and the gamblin solvent free gel line. The walnut oil alkyd painting medium and the safflower oil saved me and my oil paintings. I would highly reccoment it. I got the safflower oil from another you tube artist called Chris Beavan and the walnut oil alkyd painting medium i got from Shelly J Cox. Bless these people for painting whit these fantasic oil painting mediums. If it wasnt for them i had gave up on oil painting. I love you,re oil and acrylic clouds. I paint whit both. 😊🫶🏾👋🏾👍🏾

[@Jacirovnaya]

Is this canvas?

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

I love both. I found a budget paint brand that sells both. The brand is called pebeo. I think its a frence brand i don,t know😅 i love you,re oil and acrylic paintings. I can not choose i find both paints beautifull. I am waiting for my walnut oil painting alkyd medium to come cause i can not stand the smell of terpentine and gamsol from gamblin. And i,ve tryed to paint whit water whit the oil paints......don,t do that. I got frustrated easy. For cleaning my brushes i use safflower oil. I love you,re cloud paintings🫶🏾👋🏾👍🏾✌🏾🖐🏾

[@sfenoidb4319]

Hi Emily . I would love to ask you to make a video about painting sailboat ⛵️ oil painting to really beginners in real time ..pleaseeeeee I would really appreciate that Best luck from Istanbul

[@aeralaydee]

Im done another video of yours!! Next vid comin' up.

[@TheHyde8875]

Seems your technique is acrylic base and oil top coat which is fairly common, however, the cons of oils is negated by the pros/cons (depending on your opinion) of acrylics. You wouldn't be able to do that whole painting in one sitting if it was all oils. It would take days, but blocking in with acrylics let's you come back with oils for the more realistic blending/texture without having to wait for an oild base to dry.

[@qiqiliang7793]

can you do a video for - Rapunzel see the light - (they on the boat) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ love your tutorials!!

[@madiha_tanveer273]

Is it really necessary to use acrylic for your first layer of paint?? I don’t really wanna have to spend extra money on acrylics + oils...

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Not at all! It’s just a now this i like to use occasionally. I’ve painted with just oils or just acrylics plenty of times.

[@madiha_tanveer273]

Emily Mackey Art thank you for replying!

[@sofiepiercing]

I personally like acrylic better but oil looks fine

[@afiasaiyara6668]

😍😍😍😍❤️

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

[@jazzyjaz3886]

6:30 it’s already amazing. I loved watching this video

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Thank you jazzy!!! You are the best!

[@jonytupino9831]

❤❤❤

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

[@danijelabilic9423]

Can you do tutorial for the picture you said in the last video that you want to doo plssss😍

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

It's on my todo list!

[@danijelabilic9423]

@@EmilyMackeyArt thank you so muchh love your work

[@jcepri]

I tried oils and hayed them. It forever to dry. Turned into a big mess

[@karenpaxton]

As an artist, I'd agree with the oil v acrylic yet I have painted for years with both/either. I must say, in this instance, the acrylic has a bit more drama and transparency to the whites in the cloud. Both lovely though 😊✌️

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Great point! Honestly looking back, I think they both turned out to be perfectly nice paintings, but the oil one is just more my style.

[@karenpaxton]

Emily Mackey Art it's not often I'd choose an acrylic but I dig this one! Ps, love the sketchbook pages you were selling, really want one 😭

[@eliudegmdialamicua6169]

❤

[@califmike2003]

Golden open acrylics problem solved. Oil paint even when you have a fast drying Medium you're looking at 30 hours of drying time layer upon layer fat over lean at least 2 weeks before you can varnish it oil does have an amazing look when it's all said and done but the speed and the cleanup and the way acrylics work to me outweigh oil

[@QutubKothari]

I hate oils I love acrylics

[@intelectualhands9277]

Wow amazing! I've similar chanel!

[@vinaya8324]

Hi!!

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

HELLO!

[@yankis.]

I like oils, but damn they are expensive. For someone who paints on big canvas those tubes don't last a minute.

[@celenecondino2754]

Now I get it why my acrylic painting didn't turn out good... Its the paints not me😌

[@EmilyMackeyArt]

Yes! It could just be that your expectations for your painting weren’t what the acrylic medium would allow! That doesn’t mean that acrylics are worse, but they just do different thing.

[@TruthSetsUfree100]

Check out GregsimkinsArt on his use of acrylics, he works them into an oil like smoothness its amazing

[@califmike2003]

You're obviously an oil painter an oil is not the only way you can blend what's golden open acrylics you can do the same blending technique that you did with your oils the paint stays wet for hours

[@MaryLeech]

You like the OILS better, right? You misspoke @14:23 saying "...and why I like the acrylics better." Oops!