Acrylic and oil paints. Which one should I use and what’s the difference?

One of the most common questions I receive as an art teacher is, “What is the difference between oils and acrylic paint?” Here is the short answer: acrylics are water based, dry fast, and are cheap and forgiving, which makes them the best choice for beginners. Oils dry slowly, blend beautifully, and give your paintings a depth that acrylics struggle to match, but they ask for more patience, more planning, and a little more money.

To preface, I prefer to use oil paints when creating my own artwork. The luscious pigments and slow drying time are what I love about oils. But they are very different paints with different properties, and depending on your personality, and sometimes even your mood, you may find you prefer one over the other.

When teaching, I start students off with acrylics because they are much more forgiving than oil paints. With acrylics you can practice color mixing, work in layers quickly, and simply paint over anything that goes wrong. Once students have mastered those skills, I teach them oils. I like my students to get a good understanding of a variety of art mediums, because we are all different and we all end up loving different ones. I started painting with oils when I was ten, and I have started students on oils as young as eleven.

Acrylic vs oil paint at a glance

The six big differences between acrylic and oil paint

1. Drying time

This is the defining difference. Oil paints dry slowly, over days or even weeks, which lets you work on a piece for an extended period, blending colors and building intricate details without any rush. Acrylics dry in minutes, which is great for layering quickly and finishing a painting in one sitting.

For beginners, that slow oil drying time is a real learning curve. A beginner is still learning how to paint in layers and how to mix colors, and adding a wet surface that stays wet for a week makes it much harder not to mess up the layers underneath. That is exactly why I teach acrylics first.

2. Mediums and solvents

Acrylics are water based. You mix them with water and wash your brush in water. That is the whole story, and it is a lovely story if you are painting at the kitchen table with kids.

Oils need a solvent to thin the paint and clean the brushes, traditionally turpentine or mineral spirits, plus a medium like linseed oil to change how the paint flows. It is not difficult, but it is more to buy and more to learn. Further down I cover the eco friendly options I recommend so you can skip the fumes entirely.

3. Layering and blending

Oils are unmatched for blending. Because the paint stays wet, you can create seamless transitions and soft edges long after the paint hits the canvas. Acrylics reward a different rhythm: layer fast, build quickly, and get your blending done before the paint sets.

4. Surface and texture

Oil paints are known for their rich, textured finish. You can build up layers that give a real sense of depth on the canvas. Acrylics adapt to almost any surface, canvas, paper, or wood, and their final texture depends on your technique and the mediums you add.

5. Color shift

Oil colors stay true as they dry. Acrylics can dry slightly darker than they look when wet, so keep that in mind when you mix, and test a stroke if an exact match matters.

6. Durability

Oil paintings are famously durable, and the slow drying process helps reduce cracking over time. Acrylics are flexible too, but fast drying can cause cracking if the paint is applied badly or the surface flexes. A decent canvas and not overloading single layers solves most of it.

What do acrylics and oils actually cost?

Here is what I tell students and parents who ask what to buy.

For acrylics, I recommend Daler Rowney or Liquitex. A 12 tube Liquitex Basics set is usually around $20 to $25, and Daler Rowney student sets sit in a similar range. For oils, start with student quality Winsor and Newton, their Winton range. The 10 tube Winton starter set lists around $75 but sells for closer to $52 at discount art retailers.

Whichever set you choose, make sure it includes the nine colors you need to practice mixing, or at least something close. I explain exactly which nine and why in my color mixing guide. Two things not to waste money on: do not buy loads of extra colors, because you will mix almost everything from the nine, and do not buy the tiniest tubes, because you will run out mid painting and start rationing paint, which ruins how you paint.

A few cost differences between the two mediums worth knowing:

Oils go further per tube, but need extras

You use less oil paint per painting, so a tube lasts longer. But you also need to buy a thinner and a medium, which acrylics simply do not need. With acrylics, water does both jobs for free.

Palettes

With acrylics you can use any palette and wash it in the sink, or buy a stay wet palette that keeps the paint workable between sessions. With oils you should use a disposable palette, because you cannot wash oil paint off with water. A nice trick: cover your oil palette with plastic and keep it in the freezer between sessions. It slows the drying right down, since the paint is oil based and takes much longer to set anyway.

An easel is worth it for both

If you invest in one thing beyond paint, make it a tabletop or standing easel. When your painting is upright and slanted you can actually see what you are doing, and your painting improves for it.

Which brushes should you buy?

For acrylics, any good quality brushes work. Royal and Langnickel and Daler Rowney are good to start out with. Get a medium flat, a few thin rounds, and a couple of bigger rounds, then see which ones you keep coming back to before investing in more expensive brushes.

For oils, the hairs matter more. You want brushes that are not too soft: flick the hairs with your fingers, and if they spring back easily the brush will struggle to pick up and push oil paint. Stiffer hog hair brushes are the classic choice, and Princeton makes excellent ones, particularly their Aspen line. If you only buy three oil brushes, get a filbert for soft blending, a round for details, and an angle bright for blocking in shapes. That trio covers most of what a beginner needs, and it is better to start with three good brushes than a drawer full of sizes you never touch.

Cleanup and safety, especially with kids

Acrylic cleanup is easy. Throw out the palette, or keep it if it is a stay wet one, and wash your brushes with soap and water. Done.

Oil cleanup takes a few more minutes. In my studio we cover the disposable palette with plastic and keep it for next week, or tear off the used sheet and throw it out if most of the paint is gone. Brushes get washed in thinner first, then dishwashing soap and water in the sink, dried with a rag, and left standing bristles up until next time.

About solvents: you do not need harsh turpentine anymore. I recommend eco friendly thinners, which are healthier and do not fill your room with fumes. Chelsea Classical Studio makes a lavender spike oil solvent that is certified non toxic, and it is the same type of solvent Renaissance painters used. Gamblin’s Gamsol is another popular lower toxicity option, though you should still ventilate with any solvent. Whatever you use, paint in a well ventilated space.

Parents often ask if there is a safety age for oils. For me it is less about safety and more about readiness. Oil paint is more expensive, it stays wet for days, and a child needs to understand how to work with it without making a mess of the painting or the table. I have started students on oils at eleven, and I started at ten. If your child has mastered acrylics and can handle their materials responsibly, they are probably ready.

The most common mistakes beginners make

With acrylics: not enough paint

For some reason beginners are scared of paint. I constantly have to tell students to load up their brush. With acrylics especially, you need enough paint on the canvas to blend other colors into it before it dries. Thin, scratchy layers dry before you can do anything with them. And do not be scared of mistakes either. With acrylics you can always paint over it and fix it, so there is truly no reason to hold back.

With oils: too much paint, too fast

Oils are the opposite. Pile on too much paint at once and try to blend, and everything turns to mush and mud. Oils ask you to think in layers: know how much paint to put down, know when to stop, wait for the layer to dry, then come back. Beginners often do not understand how layers work at first, but once I guide them through it they see how much depth layering gives a painting. Rushing all the paint on at once is just frustrating, because it all blends together and you never get the colors you wanted. Be patient and build slowly while your skills grow.

With both: too much white, and ignoring values

Beginners reach for white to lighten everything, and it flattens the painting. It is usually better to lighten with a lighter value color instead, which I explain in What’s with the white?. And before you call any painting finished, check your values. Getting light and dark right matters more than any color choice, and it is the one thing that will transform your paintings.

So which should you buy first?

Buy acrylics. They are cheaper, more forgiving, and you get results faster. Once you have mastered color mixing, value, saturation, and the process of painting in layers, then move on to oils. If you want to learn all of that step by step, that is exactly what my beginner’s course walks you through.

People think oil is hard and annoying, but it is really not. Once you know how to paint, oils are easy to get used to, and because they take longer to dry you actually have more time to work. There is a learning curve, but the end result is worth it. I love oils for the depth they create.

In the end it depends on how you like to paint. If you want a quick painting or a study, use acrylics. If you want something with more depth that you can work on over a period of time, use oils. Most of my students end up loving oils once they can mix colors, use a palette effectively, and blend, because they see the quality an oil painting has. But I had one student who found the switch to oils too hard and stayed with acrylics, and that is completely fine. The goal is to learn all the mediums so you can choose what you enjoy.

This is exactly how I teach in my online art courses: acrylics first, fundamentals until they stick, then oils for the students who want that depth.

Acrylic vs oil paint FAQ

Is acrylic paint oil based?

No. Acrylic paint is water based. The pigment sits in an acrylic polymer that dissolves in water, which is why you can thin it and wash your brushes with plain water. Oil paint uses a drying oil, usually linseed, which is why it needs a solvent for cleanup.

Which is easier for beginners, acrylic or oil?

Acrylic. It is cheaper, dries fast, cleans up with water, and lets you paint over mistakes instantly. I teach every student acrylics first and move them to oils once their color mixing and layering are solid.

Can you paint oils over acrylics?

Yes, oil over dry acrylic works well, and many artists underpaint in acrylic to save time. Never do the reverse. Acrylic will not bond properly over oil paint and can peel.

Do you need turpentine to paint with oils?

No. Eco friendly solvents like Chelsea Classical Studio’s lavender spike oil are certified non toxic, and odorless mineral spirits like Gamsol are far gentler than turpentine. Just keep the room ventilated whichever you choose.

What age can a child start oil painting?

It depends on the child, not a rule book. I have started students on oils at eleven, and I began at ten. The real test is whether they have mastered acrylics and can handle slow drying, more expensive materials with care.

Conclusion

The choice between oil and acrylic paints is a personal one. Whether you prefer the slow, contemplative dance of oils or the quick, dynamic strokes of acrylics, each medium offers its own challenges and rewards. Start with acrylics, learn your fundamentals, and let oils be the reward waiting for you on the other side. So, which one will you try?

Ready to learn to the fundamental skills of art and how to paint with acrylics so you can move on to oils? Join my beginner’s course.

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