Acrylic Paint vs Oil Paint: Choose the Best Medium for Your Schedule

December 10, 2025

Written by: The Art Noise Team

The Art Noise Team shares practical guides on art materials, studio workflow, and techniques, written for working artists and beginners alike. Our content is grounded in day-to-day conversations with artists in Kingston, Ontario, and focuses on helping you choose supplies with confidence.

Acrylic and oil paint behave differently in ways that matter for real life, drying time, blending window, layering speed, and cleanup.
This guide compares both media, then gives a quick decision plan and minimal starter kits so you can start painting today with fewer surprises.

Oil Colours Acrylic Gel Mediums

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Acrylic vs oil paint, what changes your workflow the most

What “dry” means in each medium

Acrylic paint “dries” as water (and other volatiles) leave the paint film, then the binder forms a stable layer. Oil paint “dries” through a slower chemical process driven by oxygen, which is why it can stay workable much longer and still feel tacky later.

If your primary goal is productivity, this difference matters more than almost anything else: acrylic supports faster layering and shorter sessions, oil supports longer blending and fewer hard edges in a single sitting.

The practical differences (in plain language)

Session length: Acrylic is often easiest for 20–90 minute sessions. Oil is often easiest for 1–4 hour sessions where you want a longer blending window.
Layer speed: Acrylic can usually take additional layers sooner. Oil usually rewards patience, especially if you are building multiple layers.
Cleanup: Acrylic cleanup is typically simpler, oil cleanup often involves solvent and careful handling, especially in a small space.
Surface prep: Both benefit from a properly primed surface, for example using gesso when appropriate.

If you want to browse options as you read, start with Painting Supplies, then jump to High Viscosity Acrylic Paint for a classic “brushstroke” acrylic feel, or Oil Colours if you are leaning toward oils.

Shop Painting Supplies

A 10-minute decision plan (with time, budget, and constraints)

Use this quick plan to choose a medium for your next 2 weeks, then reassess after you have finished 2–4 small studies.

Pick your real session length: If you can reliably paint in 30–60 minutes, start with acrylic. If you can reliably paint in 2+ hours and want slow blending, consider oil.
Choose your space constraint: If you paint at a kitchen table or shared room, acrylic is usually the simpler default. If you have a dedicated, ventilated space and can store materials safely, oil becomes more practical.
Set a starter budget range (CAD): For acrylic, plan roughly $60–$150 for paint, a surface, and 1–2 brushes. For oil, plan roughly $90–$220 because you may add medium and solvent. Check current prices before you commit to a large set.
Decide what you want to practise: If you want crisp layers, graphic shapes, and fast iteration, lean acrylic. If you want wet blending, soft edges, and longer transitions, lean oil.
Commit to one small format: Choose 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10) or smaller for your first studies. You should see faster learning and fewer unfinished canvases.
Run a simple 2-week test: Do 4 studies, each capped at 45–90 minutes. Take a photo at the end of each session so you can compare progress without guessing.

Make it easier (busy-person options)

If acrylic dries too fast, switch to thinner layers and do two shorter passes instead of one long blending pass.
If oils feel too slow, try a faster-drying oil medium such as an alkyd medium (and keep layers modest).
If your space is tight, use smaller surfaces from Substrates so drying and storage are simpler.
If brush cleaning is a barrier, keep a dedicated “dark brush” and “light brush” for a session, then clean once at the end.
If you feel stuck choosing colours, start with a limited palette set and paint the same subject twice, once with each medium.

What you actually need to start (minimal kits + a checklist)

Minimal acrylic kit

Paint: Choose a body you like, for example High Viscosity Acrylic Paint for texture, or Liquid Acrylics for smoother coverage.
Surface: Start with a small canvas or panel from Substrates.
Brushes and tools: One flat and one round from Acrylic Brushes, plus optional Palette Knives for mixing.
Optional medium: Browse Acrylic Mediums when you know what you want to change (gloss, thickness, glazing, texture), not before.

Minimal oil kit

Paint: Start with 4–6 colours from Oil Colours.
Medium and cleanup: Browse Oil Mediums and choose one medium only at first. If you use solvent, keep it capped and use the smallest practical amount.
Brushes and tools: One bristle brush and one softer brush from Oil Brushes, plus a mixing tool from Painting Accessories.
Surface prep: If you are prepping raw canvas or board, use an appropriate primer such as gesso before painting.

One checklist to prevent “I quit because setup is annoying”

Set a timer for your session length (even 25 minutes counts).
Pre-open and lay out only what you will use, then put everything else away.
Do a 60-second swatch test on scrap to see how the paint is behaving today.
Keep a dedicated rag or paper towel stack nearby, it saves more time than you think.
End every session with a 2-minute reset, cap paint, wipe the palette edge, and write one sentence about what to do next time.

If you are ordering supplies online, review Art Noise shipping details before you build a larger kit.

Troubleshooting, switching media, and a simple next step

Fast fixes for common problems

“My acrylics dry too fast to blend”: Work in smaller sections, pre-mix two or three transition colours, and use a slightly damp brush (not wet). Avoid flooding the surface with water, it can weaken coverage.
“My acrylic layer looks streaky”: Do two thin coats instead of one thick coat, you should see a more even film after the second pass.
“My oils stay tacky for days”: Paint thinner layers, reduce medium, and give it more time between layers. If you need a faster turnaround, an alkyd medium can help, but keep your process consistent.
“My colours look muddy”: Limit your palette for 2 weeks, and clean your brush between warm and cool mixes.
“I hate cleanup”: For acrylic, clean immediately with water. For oil, wipe paint out thoroughly before using any solvent, and keep containers closed.
“I want to switch from acrylic to oil (or vice versa)”: In general, do not paint acrylic on top of oil. If you want to combine, a common approach is acrylic underpainting, then oil on top, but do careful tests and let layers cure appropriately.

A practical next step you can do this week

Pick one subject (a mug, a leaf, a simple portrait photo) and paint it twice: one 45-minute study in acrylic and one 90-minute study in oil. You will learn more from that comparison than from reading another dozen “which is better” lists.

If you want guided structure, browse Classes and Workshops or start with Art Classes in Kingston to see what is currently running.