WHY I Switched From Acrylic to Oil

I get asked about why I switched from acrylic to oil often so I thought I'd give the 3 main reasons that led to the switch.
I'll always have love for acrylic paint but once I spent some time working with oils there was no looking back.
Let me know which you use/prefer in the comments!
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#art #artist #oilpainting #acrylicpainting #artstudio #artgallery
00:00 Introduction
00:18 The Backstory
01:26 Reason #1
03:13 Reason #2
04:03 Reason #3

[@elizastar1973]

I love oils because they give me a chance to come back to my painting every day and maybe change something easily or add more, and the blending is so fun, I love swirling my colors, my paintings rarely come out the way I planned, but I love that about oils, its like painting with magic.

[@Mingtree10]

Thank you 3x. I paint with oil and do so a lot, now retired. But I see a lot of YT vids and workshop classes re acrylics. I knew about drying time but this vid clarifies so much. I will stick w/ oil, which I love, for all the reasons you mentioned.

[@DarrenNaylor]

I’d say if you’re already familiar with oils and enjoy oils…stick with oils 😄

[@kingboo51]

Oil on top for sure, game changer once i switched!

[@DarrenNaylor]

🤝

[@sheilafinchfineart]

Nice video! I enjoy your video-editing style and your personality shows through! I hope you make more videos! I often use acrylics to 'lay-in' my paintings, and then paint the rest of the layers in oils. 🥰

[@MichaelWarthStudios]

I work mostly in oil though I love watercolor too. Watercolor under an ink drawing was my main go to to make art but around 40 years old, I decided I really wanted to make oil painting work for me.

[@ishaniart]

Great video!! I’ve been painting with oil for years! I just started using acrylics precisely as you said, it depends on what you want to achieve and I’m trying something different right now. BUT my favorites are and maybe will be, OIL PAINTINGS. Thanks for the video!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Ya, I think it just really depends on the outcome of the painting or which medium makes more sense at the time. For example, I recent did a painting where many things were in 2D and I intentionally wanted them to look ridged and dry quickly but everything else was done in oil and was much more smooth and detailed. It was cool using the two for different reasons but to create a cohesive outcome.

[@paulbentley1705]

Yep! I’ve been using acrylic but I’m planning on starting oil next month. Blending and drying time are my biggest complaint about acrylics.

[@ivelissei.861]

After years of being afraid of using oils (hearing it's dangerous and it's difficult to handle) I finally bought oil paints because of the reasons you mentioned. I'm looking forward to seeing your video about how to use it. I'm finally ready to move on from acrylics☺️

[@DarrenNaylor]

Love to hear it! I'll try to get that video up sooner than later then :)

[@pauljakeman]

Great deep dive mate, some great info from this! Thanks!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Much appreciated!

[@cherylwhite6780]

I have a set of unopened water soluble oils that keep tempting me and I think you might have just inspired me to open them up, thank you!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Do it! Best decision I ever made. Might take a little adjusting but you’ll love it.

[@glittr_prince]

Get a tube of Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel when working with water-mixable oils. It will help make the paint move.

[@jess-perna-fine-art]

I use the water mixable and they are the best. No odor and the portraits come out great!

[@jess-perna-fine-art]

I only work in oils for the same reasons you mentioned. Also, when painting faces you have to be able to spend time. I have been painting in oil since I was eleven. Thanks for the videos!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Love to hear it!

[@edsoncarvalhoart]

what a good video!!!

[@DarrenNaylor]

I appreciate it!

[@JanineMKartist]

I’m using a wet palette now with my acrylics but for my next and future paintings I’m going g to start adding top layer details with some oils . True with the some drying in wet palette. I mist the surface to help prevent that too. I have some oil sticks too I hope are still good. Oils are so expensive though I have to only buy a couple at a time until I’m ready to start working with them. I hate how acrylic kills brushes too

[@glenfagan4424]

Still learning portraiture with acrylics. Yes the blending would be nice. May transition to oil later on. Thank you for your insides.

[@user-ox6st6ek4r]

Before I took my one and only painting class, I knew that I didn't want to go with watercolors. I wanted the feel of being able to grab the medium and put that medium onto a canvas, in other words, acrylic or oils. At the time, my schedule only allowed me to attend classes at night at the local Community College, so the only class I could take was in acrylics. Although I enjoyed painting, I disliked the fast dry times which happened with acrylics. In class, I would take the time to mix up several colors, but when I got around to using them, they had already started to dry up. This was a very frustrating experience. Like another poster had mentioned, I've watched many of the Bob Ross videos. I also had the pleasure of watching Thomas Kinkade paint several decades ago, long before he became famous. I loved the "hidden light" his paintings included, and used that technique in my very first class project, which surprised both myself and the instructor. Currently my painting supplies are in storage, but when the time comes to pull them out and dust them off, I'll definitely be switching over to oils because of the much longer dry times. Most of the brushes I bought can also be used for oils, so I'll just need to buy the paints, and anything needed to clean up my brushes and palette knives.

[@DarrenNaylor]

Ya, watercolor just seems like something that would stress me out...haha.

[@martinlobretto]

You are right about the deeper saturation of oils when compared with acrylics. I have noticed that the oil acts like a solvent, and will saturate most surfaces even more so than water based pigments. This is obvious if one simply tries painting with oils on regular paper. One can see that the oil soaks through all the fibers of the paper, and will stain the paper more deeply than acrylics. Acrylic resin, on the other hand, is quite thick as far as binders go, and is more likely to sit on the surface. Nice video!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Great point! Grounding the canvas is as important as ever when working with oil to ensure your first layers aren’t thin 👌🏻

[@martinlobretto]

@@DarrenNaylor Yep, I agree. Have you tried traditional gesso made of rabbit skin glue and calcium carbonate? I prefer this to Liquitex gesso because it is more absorbent. I have never tried any modern oil ground, but when I have some money to spare I may try out some of those products. Traditional gesso works pretty well, though, and not too expensive; just more laborious.

[@verocoalla]

I'm about to start painting with acrylic and the only reason I didn't choose oil is because of the toxicity issue. I would love to know more about that topic so I can decide. Thank you very much for this video ☺️

[@DarrenNaylor]

Well I can happily relay that I have an entirely non-toxic oil painting setup so don't feel like you need to use harsh solvents and stuff. Oil paint itself is not harmful (just dont eat it) it's the solvents and thinners some use to clean brushes and thin paint that is bad to breath in. I use a non toxic solvent and there are also water based oil paints you can use as well. I'll make a video about this very soon, it's a common question.

[@verocoalla]

@@DarrenNaylor Thanks for your response ☺️

[@SlickOils]

I use oils, acrylic has its uses but for the stuff I do on my channel, I find oil is my medium of choice. Nice video 👍🏻

[@DarrenNaylor]

Much appreciated!

[@impish22]

great video, thanks for sharing. keep posting

[@DarrenNaylor]

I appreciate you :)

[@alexandervapnyar1030]

Have you tried interactive acrylics? A little spay and the paint becomes workable again.

[@mccaadscn4951]

Hi, I'm new to your channel and was drawn to this particular video because the acrylic/oil challenge has been on my mind for a while. I use acrylics and I like to blend but I always sense something is lacking with acrylic paints. So I guess this is the Moment! I'll check back later with a comment about 'the difference' how it feels. As you said, just by looking, in a gallery for instance, the difference is noticeable. Very useful information, thanks.

[@DarrenNaylor]

I’m glad to hear that! I love both, but they are very different and I think it’s very worth experimenting to see which gives you the desired feel/outcome. I debated over it for a long time but couldn’t quite find anyone talking about this kindve stuff so I thought I’d just make the videos myself 😅

[@jess-perna-fine-art]

You will like the blending process much better. Good luck!

[@karolnikman1600]

OIL 👍💪🇵🇱

[@funkadelichika]

I use a lot of watercolors. I occasionally use acrylics but no where near as much. I just like the ease of watercolor clean up and the cool things the water can do even if a little hard to control.

[@funkadelichika]

Iv thought about using oil recently but its not something im comfortable with. Iv used oil a handful of times MAYBE.

[@jess-perna-fine-art]

Blot them with a paper towel.

[@jess-perna-fine-art]

I used to do Martin's watercolors and but them in an ice cube tray. Try it.

[@Chrisbernier_art]

Hey man awesome video. I just started on my painting journey 5 months ago and I started with acrylics but just like you the majority of the artists that I follow and their works just blow my mind are oils. I've been wanting to switch up but #1. I feel like there are still many things I need to learn in general before moving to a more expensive medium #2. Like I mentioned the $ and #3. I guess would be my space, I paint at home and I've read that oil paints have a strong odor to them. This video eased my mind on a few things tho. Thank you. I subscribed and looking forward to your upcoming videos.

[@DarrenNaylor]

Welcome to the art world, bro! It’s a fun obsession 😅 I’m actually about to make videos on both things you mentioned in terms of price and safety with oils at home. You’ll be pretty surprised by both and not in a bad way. Much appreciated and if you have other questions along the way just lmk 🤝

[@annerigby4400]

Actually, is oil paint really more expensive? I have used acrylic and I use oil. It seems to me that I threw away an awful lot of semi-dry acrylic paint. I rarely throw away any oil paint because I can use it for days once it is out of the tube. Also, I can make changes in the paint on the canvas so I don't need to cover what was already there as you do if you're using acrylic paints, if you want to make even small tonal changes. As for smell, oil paints have a wonderful smell. It is the turps or other solvents or mediums that have a noxious smell. I only use paint - no cleaners, no medium, no solvent - and I wash my brushes once in a while with old-fashioned, non-detergent soap (Savon de Marseille). Unlike for acrylic paints, there is no need to constantly rinse and/or wash brushes.

[@DarrenNaylor]

Exactly! I literally just posted a video about this since I get asked about it alot.@@annerigby4400

[@DarrenNaylor]

Just posted the video talking about the price comparison. Hope it gives some more insight 👌

[@jasonanthonywilper]

I switched too, i much prefer the blending abilities of oil, also its thicker which is nice

[@DarrenNaylor]

That's true, the thickness wasn't something I realized I'd prefer also. It allows for more depth in the paint that i love.

[@amelhenniart]

I’ve been working with acrylics for years now and I’ve been thinking to switch to oil paints lately because all of reasons you said but unfortunately I have a limited painting space.. I work from my room 😢and I heard that oils smells very strongly

[@DarrenNaylor]

I work out of a very small studio. They do have a smell, but I don't think it's bad at all. Before I got into oil I always heard amount string smells and the dangers of using oil but now I know that's literally just referring to the solvents which I don't even use. There are several non-toxic options that are safe and don't smell so I think that's super overblown.

[@MindGymMeditations]

I do mixed media so I start with acrylic cause I have no patience and end with oil because it makes it more vibrant and creates depth

[@DarrenNaylor]

100%! The depth and vibrant colors aren't talked about enough during comparisons of the two.

[@MindGymMeditations]

@@DarrenNaylor Maybe your next video. Lol

[@sonpanchan]

I like both. If I feel like doing something cartoony or a quick study I'll use acrylics or acrylic gouache. If I want to do something more traditional snd grandiose I'll use oils. Sometimes I'll even start a painting with an acrylic underpainting and then finish it with oils which saves me up on oil colors and it's skips a lot of drying time when itbcomesbti comissions. I also like to use watercolor snd gouache when I am doing plein air paintings or just painting in my sketchbook. I guess it just reslly depends on ny mood. However I will admit that oils are unique and they are my go to when I want to do a masterpiece or a gift painting for a family member.

[@DarrenNaylor]

Completely agree! I recently did a project where I used both first the first time in the same piece. Used the acrylics for quick, less important areas and the oils for the rest. Gave it some depth and character and it helped emphasize the oil areas.

[@richatdastkey3555]

I appreciate this take on acrylics from jump. I never wanted to try them bc some of its traits are what worries me when online shopping supplies made clear. also bc oil painting is a bit mysterious to the uninitiated. even long time Bob Ross fans may not absorb what he's saying bc they just like the relaxed shoe for entertaining reasons (like ms who has seen dozens of episodes and knows diddly squat about oils lol)

[@omeaga27]

I use a sealed chamber plattet and with flow improver my acrylic paints last a month.

[@DarrenNaylor]

How'd it go?

[@omeaga27]

@@DarrenNaylor hey its great i hace been using this method for years. To bend i use several square pushes slightly wet and blend the tones together. It is a bit harder than oils but i light the quick drying of acrylics. Kind regards Stephen

[@danielclaeys7598]

I'm old school and was taught to paint in oils. I was taught that oils commander more money than acrylic. It seems that the younger generations of buyers either don't understand or don't care about this. I can paint in acrylic and with some extra effort, make it look like oil, but that seems to go against everything I was taught. Acrylic paint smells like the plastic that it is. It's fine for certain projects, beginners and kids seem to love it, but for me anyway, the total process invokes all my senses. The smells of the paint, the translucent layers of the colors, the feeling of the texture, the sounds of the mediums mixing against the palette and the brush strokes against the canvas are all in the process that I don't feel in painting in acrylic. I have never lost track of time with acrylic, but time can often stand still with a palette of oil, a canvas and a few brushes.

[@DarrenNaylor]

I've never thought of it that way but I completely agree in that working with oil does feel different during the process. Thanks for sharing!

[@jemmywuk]

While I find the benefits of oils attractive I don't think I'll be switching any time soon. I have to fit painting time around work and kids and acrylics easier cleanup and less mess and less smells from the cleaning products are in their favour. I use a fluid body line of paints now which brings them a little closer to oils for blending, though you still need to work quickly.

[@DarrenNaylor]

Makes sense!

[@antreb15]

Have you used, and if so, what is your opinion on water based oils?

[@DarrenNaylor]

Somehow I haven't but I only use non-toxic products so I don't have to use thinners (I don't want to be breathing all that in) so I haven't been in a rush to try them. I've heard great things though, maybe I'll grab some a make a video trying them out. Have you used them?

[@antreb15]

@@DarrenNaylor Thank you. I love how informative your channel is.

[@glittr_prince]

@@DarrenNaylor @antreb15 I teach oil painting at the collegiate level and for non-profits. I've had students that use water-mixable oils, and had to teach a class using them (since the studio did not have facilities to properly clean up and dispose of oils and solvents). While I found them easier to use than acrylics, they don't quite behave the same way as oils. Some of that is down to using water instead of solvents to thin them. They get sticky like acrylics, though not nearly as quickly. Other cons: they tend to be much more expensive, fewer colors are available, and a tube does not last as long as regular oils.

[@DarrenNaylor]

@@glittr_prince I watched a video once that talked about the importance of trying to leave oils in the natural state for the best result of feel and look. It made alot of sense to me so I try to use very little medium/solvent even with working with oil not and I love the look and texture. Water based oils sound really interesting but I was concerned about the same thing you mentioned in terms of their feel. I'll probably still try some just because I get asked about them here and there. Thanks for sharing!

[@rizaldyjr]

Well said! Congrats on selling your de Young painting, btw!

[@DarrenNaylor]

Thanks, brother! 🙏🏻

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

How about open acrylics?

[@DarrenNaylor]

I tried them and still have a bunch. I would say it buys you an extra 20 mins or so on the palette so it’s better but still dries fast. They also just don’t blend or move anything like oil when using them.

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

@@DarrenNaylor they dry after 4hrs atleast...touch dry i mean....blendability till 1hr atleast...however they are very transparent not buttery

[@DarrenNaylor]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 damn, I don’t know how you’re getting that much time with those. I was pretty disappointed when I used them but it was also before I insulated my studio so it did get pretty hot in there 😂

[@Keithyb_artworx]

I have an un-opened pack of oils…🤔 YIP inspired to at least open it

[@DarrenNaylor]

Funny that you mention that. Some friends gifted me with a start set of oil paint when I was about a year in to acrylics and I kept putting off trying them out...which is regret now..haha. I didn't end up trying them out for almost another year after that. So...open those up! 😅

[@jasonanthonywilper]

Do it, you will really enjoy it

[@ellau2766]

Adding oil based varnish will speed up drying time

[@DarrenNaylor]

Ya I'm actually surprised with how fast some the mediums can speed things up. My fav is the solvent free gel by Gamblin. What do you use?

[@diegoallcore]

Acrylics are good if you like to be frustrated hahaha

[@DarrenNaylor]

hahahah facts