The Difference Between Acrylic And Oil Painting

If you are new to art, or perhaps have found yourself with the time to take up a new hobby, then you will soon find that the world of painting is probably more diverse and wide-ranging than you might have imagined!

On first starting out, you have to decide which kind of painting you would like to experiment with, and for many people, this usually comes down to a choice between acrylic and oil.

Here at the Sunshine Coast Art And Framing Gallery, we like to think of ourselves as a one stop shop for art supplies on the Sunshine Coast as well as being a wealth of art-based knowledge and advice, so allow us to help you out with working out which style might be best for you to try. Here are some of the key differences between acrylic and oil painting.

• If speed of painting is a consideration for you, then it is important to know that acrylics can be used on pretty much any canvas, and will dry extremely quickly,. On the other hand, oils will take a lot longer to produce a completely finished piece. You will find that you need to leave an oil painting for much longer before it dries thoroughly.

• With acrylics, you are able to achieve crisp lines in your work, whilst with oils it is much more about blending colours into one another to create a more ‘mixed’ effect. Which one you choose depends on the style that you are aiming for.

• In terms of colour authenticity, what you see on the palate is essentially what you are going to get with acrylics. You need to be more careful with oils, however, as they can tend to dry into slightly different shades compared to when you first started on your canvas.

• If you only have a small room or space in which to work, then acrylics might be the way to go because they have no smell and are non-toxic. Oils require much more ventilation, and some artists have been known to be consumed by the fumes in confinement!

Come to us for your art supplies on the Sunshine Coast and you’ll be able to choose between quality oil paints and quality acrylics. When your artwork is complete, come back to us here at Sunshine Coast Art & Framing Gallery to provide that important finishing touch to your painting. Call us anytime. We look forward to hearing from you!