Acrylic paint is as permanent as it gets when creating a piece of artwork. Yes, while it is still wet you can manipulate it but as it quickly dries you lose control over the medium. Of course, you can always paint over it and redo the drawing, but that can be time-consuming. When it comes to oil paintings, you can never mess up. Due to its slow drying time, you can manipulate the oil paint hours after applying. For that reason, many artists prefer this medium. If you do make a mistake you can simply brush it off and try again. This is thanks to the chemical turpentine.
Turpentine is produced by the distillation of conifers, a type of tree. The name comes from the Greek word, “terebinth.” Terebinth is the name of the tree that was used as a source for resins back in the day. It is used mainly as a thinner for liquids such as paints and varnishes. According to doityourself, when mixed with beeswax or carnauba it can become an effective wax for wood furniture and surfaces. Turpentine is also found in many different cleaning solutions. When working with turpentine you want to make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area due to its strong toxic smell.
There are many advantages when creating oil paintings, especially if you are very tedious about your work. Due to the slow drying time, it allows you to spend days on each little section so you can get it just right. This could also be seen as a disadvantage for fast-paced workers. The slow drying process can make it hard to move on to the next stage. When using this medium, you should first ask yourself which version you are. The perfectionist or the fast worker, this may help you determine whether or not you enjoy this medium.
Briana Winkel 