For most of my career as an artist, oil paint has been my preferred medium. While I have recently spent time experimenting with acrylics and exploring their unique advantages, I have decided to shift my focus back to working primarily in oil paint for my finished works.
This decision is not a criticism of acrylic paint. In fact, acrylics offer many benefits that make them an excellent medium for artists. Their fast drying times, versatility, durability, and ease of use have made them a favorite among many contemporary painters. During my recent exploration of acrylics, I found several aspects of the medium that I genuinely enjoyed and will continue to utilize in my creative process.
However, after spending considerable time working with both materials, I have come to realize that the qualities I value most in a finished painting are best achieved through oil paint.
The Appeal of Acrylic Paint
One of the most obvious advantages of acrylic paint is speed.
Acrylics dry remarkably fast. A layer that might take days or even weeks to dry in oil can often be ready for additional work within minutes or hours when painted in acrylic. For artists working on deadlines or producing a large volume of work, this can be an enormous advantage.
I found the fast drying characteristics particularly useful when creating sketches, studies, underpaintings, and exploratory works. The ability to quickly establish composition, value relationships, and color structures allows ideas to develop rapidly without waiting for paint to cure.
Acrylics are also extremely forgiving. Corrections can be made quickly, layers can be built rapidly, and paintings can often move from concept to completion in a fraction of the time required when working in oil.
For these reasons, I will continue to incorporate acrylic paint into certain aspects of my studio practice. Underpaintings, preliminary studies, compositional sketches, and experimental works can all benefit from the efficiency and flexibility that acrylics provide.
Why Oil Paint Continues to Draw Me Back
Despite the many practical advantages of acrylics, there has always been something about oil paint that feels fundamentally different to me.
The first thing I notice is the handling quality.
Oil paint moves across a surface in a way that feels natural and responsive. It remains workable for extended periods, allowing colors to blend seamlessly and transitions to develop gradually. Rather than racing against the clock before the paint dries, I can spend time manipulating passages, adjusting edges, and refining forms.
This slower pace aligns closely with how I prefer to paint.
Many of my works evolve through multiple sessions. I often revisit areas repeatedly, making subtle adjustments as a painting develops. Oil paint supports this process beautifully because it allows for continuous refinement without sacrificing the richness of the surface.
The blending characteristics alone are enough to keep drawing me back to the medium. Soft transitions, subtle shifts in color, and complex interactions between layers are often easier to achieve with oil paint than with acrylics.
While acrylic mediums have improved dramatically over the years and can mimic some oil-like properties, I still find that nothing truly replicates the natural working qualities of traditional oils.
The Beauty of Brushwork
One of the defining characteristics of my work is the visible presence of the artist’s hand.
I enjoy paintings that reveal their construction. Brush marks, palette knife work, layered textures, and evidence of decision-making are all important elements within my paintings.
Oil paint excels in this area.
The medium naturally retains brushwork in a way that I find difficult to achieve with acrylics. Strokes remain visible. Edges remain expressive. Surface variations create a sense of depth and movement that continues to reveal itself over time.
When viewing a painting from a distance, the composition may be what initially captures attention. However, as viewers move closer, the physical texture of the paint begins to tell another story.
Individual brush marks become visible. Layers emerge. Surface variations catch changing light throughout the day.
These qualities contribute to a painting’s presence and character.
For me, this physicality is an important part of what makes an original artwork unique.
Texture Matters
Texture has always played an important role in my work, particularly within my abstract paintings.
Many of my abstract pieces are built through numerous layers of paint, often applied heavily with brushes and palette knives. Some passages develop substantial surface relief, creating areas where paint physically rises from the canvas.
These built-up layers create visual complexity that cannot be fully appreciated through photographs alone.
Oil paint is exceptionally well suited to this type of approach.
Its ability to maintain body and structure allows for the creation of rich impasto surfaces that remain stable over time. Thick passages can hold their shape, preserve expressive marks, and create subtle shadows that contribute to the overall visual experience.
While acrylics can certainly be used to create texture, I find that oil paint provides a depth and richness that I personally prefer.
There is a tactile quality to oil paintings that continues to fascinate me as both an artist and a collector of art.
Returning My Figurative Work to Oil
Another significant decision I have made is to revisit my original line-and-wash figurative paintings and recreate them in oil.
The original acrylic versions allowed me to explore the concept quickly and establish the visual language of the series. However, as I spent more time living with these works, I increasingly found myself imagining how they would appear if executed in oil.
The answer became clear.
I simply prefer the final appearance of oil paint.
The subtle richness of the surface, the depth of color, the softness of transitions, and the handling characteristics all align more closely with my artistic vision.
As a result, I have decided to reinterpret these works using oil paint as the primary medium.
This is not about correcting mistakes or abandoning previous work. Rather, it represents a natural evolution of the series and a deeper commitment to the aesthetic qualities that resonate most strongly with me.
Artists often revisit themes, compositions, and ideas throughout their careers. Returning to these works in oil feels like an extension of that tradition.
The Value of Slowing Down
In today’s world, speed is often celebrated.
Artists are frequently encouraged to produce more work, post more content, and maintain a constant pace of output. There can be pressure to complete paintings quickly and move on to the next project.
Oil paint naturally resists this mentality.
The medium demands patience.
Layers require time to dry. Adjustments require consideration. Complex surfaces develop gradually rather than instantly.
At first glance, these characteristics may seem like disadvantages.
For me, however, they have become part of the appeal.
The slower pace encourages reflection. It allows paintings to evolve organically over time. It creates opportunities for discovery that might otherwise be missed in a faster process.
Some of my favorite paintings have emerged through months—or even years—of revision, experimentation, and refinement.
Oil paint supports this long-term relationship between artist and artwork.
Looking Ahead
Moving forward, the majority of my finished works will be created in oil paint.
Acrylics will continue to play an important supporting role in my studio practice, particularly for underpaintings, studies, and preparatory work. Their speed and convenience remain valuable tools within my process.
However, when it comes to creating finalized paintings, I find myself continually drawn back to oil.
The richness of the surface, the ability to blend and manipulate color, the preservation of brushwork, the depth of texture, and the overall visual presence of the finished work all contribute to a result that I believe is unmatched.
Every artist eventually discovers the materials that best align with their vision.
For me, oil paint remains that medium.
While experimentation is an essential part of artistic growth, it often serves another important purpose: confirming what we already knew deep down. My recent exploration of acrylics has been valuable and informative, but it has also reinforced my appreciation for oil paint and the unique qualities it brings to a finished work of art.
Sometimes moving forward means returning to the materials that have always felt like home.
For me, that home is oil paint.
– Blair
