What is the best painting medium

A lot of artists ask me what is the best painting medium? Watercolour? Oils? Acrylics?
The answer depends on where you are in your career and what you want your career to look like. The best painting medium for a beginner might very likely be watercolour while for someone who participates in a lot festivals oils might be the best choice.
To decide on the best painting medium for you you have to first answer the question what am I hoping to accomplish with my paintings.
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[@mariavictoriadiaz4705]

I'm a botanical watercolour artist, I was trained using watercolour, and I used to paint in oils, and watercolour is harder than oils. I paint photorealistic plants and it's exhausting. I want to go back to oils. I don't know If it's the best for learning from what I said before. I'm really enjoying your channel and your artwork! I can show my IG if anyone would like to see how botanical watercolour looks like :)

[@timpackerfinearts]

I also started in watercolour... it will be a challenge at first painting in another medium, but well worth it in. the long run👍😊

[@Howie47]

I've been led to believe that watercolors no longer need glass in front of them. I use cold wax that totally seals them from moisture, and adds some UV protection. The wax is a paste, goes on with a cloth, and hardens. Wax both sides and your paper is totally sealed. There are also spray varnishes that can seal water colors. This makes water colors easy to ship also. as they can still be rolled up. Let the buyer choose their own style frame.

[@timpackerfinearts]

You can also use a DMSA varnish by Golden👍

[@timdanyo898]

Acrylics are my jam for the fast dry and layering as you stated. I’m a musician and filmmaker as well so Acrylics are generally easier clean up and maintain in a multipurpose studio.

[@timpackerfinearts]

If you like to work in layers over dry paint acrylics are the best👍😊🎨

[@ZadenZane]

I started seriously doing art after writing children's books that needed illustrations and I thought I'd illustrate them myself, so we're talking black ink sketches here. Totally separately I wanted pictures for my walls so I started painting colourful works on paper and canvas. For the sake of simplicity I only bought acrylic paints, knowing I could colour my drawings with them and use them for my walls and they're totally interchangeable. I thought my painting was going to go in an oils direction because I like big, bold pictures but to my surprise I found myself using coloured acrylic inks and diluting the paints more and more so a lot of my stuff is essentially watercolour now... except done in acrylics. Which seems to be a rare thing, when I ask about my techniques on art forums people often don't know exactly what I mean or don't understand why I don't just use watercolours. One reason is that if I wanted to I could use the same techniques I usually use on paper on canvas and seal it in and varnish it, which is way more satisfactory than putting a big painting behind glass. I once saw a social media video showing a gorgeous painting about 40" so a metre square or bigger. It looked like acrylic but she insisted it's watercolour. Even at that size, the smaller end of large, can you imagine a one metre square glass panel with a picture behind it? No, I paint small on paper but anything bigger than A3 so about 16"x20" up, it automatically goes on canvas and that's partly why I continue with my "watercolour acrylic" style that nobody seems to understand!!

[@timpackerfinearts]

I totally agree... having to use glass is a big negative for watercolour

[@christinemaleport1422]

I love your painting, & the stained glass look. So pretty 😍 🤩

[@timpackerfinearts]

Thank you so much 😊

[@faunmoss]

Thank you so much for this informative video! I've just gotten more serious about practicing in the last few months, & I work with gouache. it has a lot of the benefits of watercolour that you mentioned (water soluble, no fumes, affordable) but are a lot less frustrating to work with for me, especially since I want opacity. You raise good points about how the difficulties of watercolours ensure that beginners get their foundations right; I hadn't thought about that! I also work with coloured inks on occasion which are equally unforgiving as watercolours, but I personally prefer them -- though I have to admit I've been neglecting them lately, since gouache lets me correct any mistakes I make.... Your video gave me a solid reason to dust them off again! Thanks again for all the invaluable advice you put out; I'm focussing more on composition thanks to you and it makes a WORLD of difference!

[@timpackerfinearts]

My pleasure😊🙏

[@SnowS162]

Beautiful painting behind. Thanks for your great content. 😊

[@timpackerfinearts]

my. pleasure 😊👍

[@belindahall5220]

Thank you so much for your insight on this question! I hadn't thought about the framing or heavy glass issues with watercolor. I did have some of the reasons mentioned for beginning with watercolor. I have learned a lot, but do have frustrating experiences with it. I bought the Faniel Smith water soluble oils and mediums and just love them!! So creamy, glossy and easy to spread. Thanks for sharing and clarification on this quandry:)

[@timpackerfinearts]

😊👍🎨

[@Extremestoic23678]

I would like to see a video where you hold up the photos ( I assume you use photos) beside the painting.

[@timpackerfinearts]

sure

[@shingen217]

Excellent explanation, thank you 🙏🏻!

[@timpackerfinearts]

my pleasure 😊

[@susanfield2444]

Thank you for this information.

[@timpackerfinearts]

my pleasure😊

[@delmarrosa8596]

Wow, I've actually learned a lot from this video. I was wondering if you post a video about repairing your art that has been damaged from water and has gotten mold on it. I've had quite a few pieces I've done throughout the years that have gotten mold on them when our basement was flooded during renovations.

[@timpackerfinearts]

Glad you enjoyed the video... as for damaged paintings... Sorry thats not my area of expertise👍

[@FergusonArt]

Great information. I enjoy oil wet on wet most of all.

[@timpackerfinearts]

😊👍

[@maletu]

You can clean your brushes with oil. Use linseed oil, or use cooking oil.

[@timpackerfinearts]

You just have to be sure to get all of that oil out of your brushes (cooking oil) or it could really retard the drying time of your oils👍

[@maletu]

@@timpackerfinearts Linseed oil or other oil sold for use in oil paints: there should be zero problem. I've been cleaning my brushes with cooking oil: possibly living dangerously. I dip (without agitation) and wipe/squeeze on paper towel, repeating till clean. I leave brushes a bit oily: they seem to mess up when I try to finish with a soap-and-water wash. When I start painting again, I pinch/squeeze with paper towel once more to get any mobile residue, then dampen brush in proper linseed oil and/or Liquin, and pinch/squeeze again. I believe this leaves very little cooking oil in the brush. I have experienced zero problems with drying: using a little Liquin with my paints, paintings are usually touch dry by next day, or a second day if thicker (or I forget the Liquin!)-what you'd normally expect. There's a whole solvent-free movement in oil painting, and I don't (just) mean water-miscible oils. I'm not a purist (I use Liquin), but when paint companies tell us something is hazardous-and have a solution to sell-I do wonder: cui bono?

[@timpackerfinearts]

@@maletu the important thing is it works for you 😊👍

[@maletu]

@@timpackerfinearts And-like you-I value getting a full range of useful solutions in front of people who may want or need them. (I edited the above, to make clearer/more helpful.) Thank you for your helpful videos: I enjoy and have learned from them.

[@timpackerfinearts]

@@maletu my pleasure 😊👍

[@judymills873]

When you use water mixable oils how long should it dry before you varnish? Do you have to varnish before you sell?

[@timpackerfinearts]

@@judymills873 it depends on whether or not you use any mediums to speed the drying time. If I use impasto medium it could be dry in as little as a week. It is a good practice to varnish your paintings… but less of a big deal if it is going into a home with zero smoking … it was much more important in the days of indoor smoking and heating via wood burning fires.

[@judymills873]

@@timpackerfinearts Thank you

[@purnendudasarts4880]

Very informative video❤

[@timpackerfinearts]

glad you enjoyed it 👍😊

[@nielsybernal1265]

Thanks, when painting with oil do you have to prepare the canvases, speaking of the one you but at the store thanks again Sr.

[@timpackerfinearts]

If you buy good quality canvasses already primed with gesso that should be fine to paint on without any further preparation. I tone my canvas with quinacradone crimson in fluid acrylic and once that has dried ... I paint on that.

[@nielsybernal1265]

@@timpackerfinearts thank you very much for your fast response, have a bless day

[@tinatrotter4335]

Do you prep your canvas with acrylic paint

[@timpackerfinearts]

I tone the canvas with a dark red fluid acrylic

[@AFAskygoddess]

IMHO, if you aspire to be a great oil painter, start painting with watercolors first. Watercolors are very frustrating for the beginner artist because they are so unforgiving. After a year or so, switch to oil paint. It will feel so easy and stressless. 😆 🤣 lol

[@timpackerfinearts]

Totally agree,,, I was elected as a member and served as president for the Canadian Society of Painters In Watercolour in the early 2000's... and mastering watercolour makes you learn to make the right stroke, in the right colour ,at the right place and at the right time. After that oils Eem a breeze 😉👍

[@belindahall5220]

That was Daniel Smith water mixable oils:)

[@timpackerfinearts]

I use a variety of brands

[@SpamRage]

The question posed in this video is the wrong question to ask. Use what feels natural or comfortable, if you want to learn a medium. Practice.