What are the differences between oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints?

Answer 1

Very basic, oil and water...

Answer 2

The basic difference is, of course, that they are made from different materials. But artistically, the differences are much greater than their mere physical capacities. Watercolour is the most delicate of the three. And, because the colours are water-soluble, they may not be painted over each other, as this results only in a blurring the image and producing a muddy colour. Water colour might be likened to sketching. There is a freshness and an immediacy to it, and you can not go back and re-do it.
Oil is a traditional painting medium. The old masters worked in oil, and oil remains popular today. The oil paints can over overlayered -- this is a popular technique when painting sky, water, or shadows -- to paint an underlayer, which may be contrasting, or which may suggest details, and then paint over it with a different colour. This gives a very lively result. While the viewer can not see the undercolour, it does affect the texture and tone of the picture. This is especially true in portraiture, where the undercolours affect the appearance of skin tones.
Where watercolour is muted, oils are quite lively, but nowhere near as alive as the acrylic paints. These have a glossy finish, and are most popular with modern style art. Portraiture is seldom done in acrylics, as the hard, shiny finish doesn't replicate the skin tones as well as oil paints do.
Modern art, which so often relies on the hard edge for effect, is perfectly suited to acrylic paints. Underpainting has no effect in acrylics but the intensity of colour which can be achieved in acrylics is matched by no other paint.
Hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

They are used from different materials and pigments. They also have different purposes. Oils are oil-based, durable, but take a long time to dry. This is good for mixing and blending in paintings, but not quick drying. Acrylic have some "plastic" in them. Acrylics are good for painting canvas or clothing (it can be washed and dried). Watercolors are water based. When painting with watercolors, the color of the paper shows through because the paint, if thin enough, is transparent in places. As an artist, it's your personal preference of technique.

Answer 4

Acrylic is a water-based paint, more opaque and slower drying than a watercolor. Many artists are using this medium rather than oil because it is faster drying than oil and does not require solvents for diluting or clean-up. The finished surface of acrylics is also non-porous. A disadvantage to acrylic is it will crack if subjected to below freezing conditions so care in winter should be considered. There is a recent trend of underpainting oil paintings with acrylics. Acrylics do not have the luminosity that oils create.

Oil is the "old master's" medium. It is the slowest drying of the three main mediums and it is considered not fully "cured" enough to varnish and seal for a longer period of time than acrylics. The luminosity and depth of color, the given longevity of oil, and the blending ability of oil are what make this medium my favorite. When I work with oils, there seems to be a magical quality that allows oils to bring out aspects and liveliness in my paintings.

Watercolors are purely waterbased and can only be painted with using water. Blending isn't easy and drying times can vary.

Answer 5

The differences begin with how the pigment reaches the medium. Water based paints can be thinned with water and use its wetness to be able to apply a spread the color. Water colors and acrylics do this.

Water color is different from either of the other two in that the pigment is applied in thin, transparent layers, with shading and tone built up a bit at a time. The lighter parts are usually the paper showing through in varying amounts. Watercolors also remain water soluable even after the pigment dries.

Oils and Acrylics, on the other hand are usually applied in more opaque, thicker applications. This is not always true, but usually, with these pigments, the canvass is usually completely covered and hidden.

Acrylics can be thinned with water, and even cleaned up with water before the pigment is dry. Once dry, water will not effect the paint in any way. Oils use oil based thinners and are cleaned up with oil bases solvents, such as turpentine.

Oils can be applied in transparent layers, using thinners such as linseed oil. Some of the great masters in previous centuries acheived dramatic, realistic effects using this technique. They realized that natural human skin was not a solid opaque color, but rather, translucent, reflecting light from the surface and from skin layers deeper.

I loved working in oils and acrylics. I simply HATED working in water color. But I truely envy someone with the masterful control of watercolor. In more recent years, when I still work away from my computer, I get great water color-like results from professional color markers. Also, zero clean up time and effort. Snap the cap and I'm done!

Answer 6

I think you have been given a lot of good answers. They all speak of the breakdown in paint composition and painting techniques.

I offer you this.

Oil painting is by far the most complex form of painting. It requires that you control not only your knife and your brush but your layering and stacking of paint as well. It is time consuming and expensive. But, it is the only sure fire way to achieve both depth and texture in your portraits or landscapes. If you like that smokey look in your paintings you will need to go this route which means painting on carvas or or wood. It also means learning how to lacquer and seal you paintings.

Cost is the primary reason more painters go Acrylic over Oil painting. The problem with Acrylic painting is a lack of depth. You can acheive texture through brush stroke techniques, but; depth will require a lot of precise stacking techniques and brosh stroke techiques. More likely then not you will choose to forgoe those techniques and focus on th the opaque almost cartoonlike qualities to the paint. This makes Acrylics perfect for modern art and graphic art. It also works with most mediums, paper, plastic, wood, canvas, brick whatever. It is just not a very romantic style of painting.

For true romance you have to go water color. Here we are talking fine quality paper. The better the paper the better the painting. However, you will have to be exact in using watercolors. The colors are softer than other sorts of paint. They also run if you are not perfect with you loading of your brush. And that is another thing, Your brushes have to be perfect in shape and size. This is the one where you either get it right or wrong in the preparation. You can't beat it for it's sensuality.

But it is up to you. You can not expect t be proficient in all three. Look at your sketching abilities and and that should tell you which type of painting fits the feeling you are trying to bring out in you images.

Answer 7

All paints start with pigment, the difference between paints is in the carrier. With oil paints the pigment is suspended in oil. Oil paints can take 100 years to be completely dry! Oil paints clean up with turpentine and may be thinned with Linseed Oil. Acrylic Paints are pigments suspected in a plastic based carrier which can be thinned and cleaned up with water prior to drying. As for drying acrylic paints dry fairly quickly. Watercolors are pigments suspended un gum arabic. They are the only paints that can be lifted after they are dry. Watercolors come in two varieties opaque and translucent.

Answer 8

Oil paints take a week or so to dry, and the colors mix better and stay bright for a years and years. The acrylics dry quickly, and are harder to change mistakes than oil paints. I don't know very much about water colors, but I do know that they wash right of the paper. And by the way oils are more $$ cause you have to by the canvas and the oil to clean your brushes and the paint is more $$ too.

Answer 9

Oil paint is thick, and almost gives off a glow. Often times it has a shiny finish. You need oils to clean the brushes.
Acrylic paint isn't as thick as oil, but it is so much easier to clean.
Watercolor is hard to use. When painting you must start with the light colors and shades and layer the darker ones, rather than highlighting ares later like you would with acrylic. If you try to paint over watercolor with more watercolor too many times you almost always get a muddy look. You should always wait for one piece of a watercolor painting to dry before starting another piece on the same paper.

Answer 10

OIL Paint= Pigment made with oil base. The science of mixing this type of paint is really worth reading about. Old Maters had to use what ever was available in their Region, or traveled to obtain the "new" pigment, techniques,brushes and other nessesitys for the paintings they produced. So this is an example of starting from scratch. Certain Oil(s), worked better had more appeal and lasted longer. Along with drying quick, and pleasing the people who commissioned the art work, the art of making Oil Paint, has revolved to what it is today. Found in a tube. There are no limitations to this Medium with the silky "slip" that can be altered untill your hearts desire says so.Sufficiant Drying time is required for this type of paint
ACRILIC PAINT=While being a water base paint, it has natual pigment. But also contains synthetic material which makes it dry very fast. This type of paint is sometimes prefered by some Artist. It's an aquired taste, because you will end up with a lumpy, or highly textured piece of artwork if you don't have an exact plan layed out. Some Art work seen today have Great Texture(s) to them, and the Artist wanted to achieve this. You call this Dementional Art. It's great for snow scenes!
WATER COLOR= This is an easy one. It's Pigment(color), mixed with water. Starting out with water color is one way of understanding HOW color works.You can mix the colors ontop of each other and achieve intensity and hue. The Basic Color Wheel, of primary colors Red/Green, Blue/Yellow, can be mixed to to explore all the possibilties of any shade. This applies to the Neon Colors too.This is the best way for any aspireing Artist to start out.

Answer 11

Oil paints have some kind of fast drying oil. You can't clean your hands or brushes, unless you use paint remover, or even nail polish remover. Water color paints, have no oil. You can clean your hands with soap and water. Acrylic is similar to oil paint in texture, but like with water color paints, you can clean your hands and brushes with soap and water- in the case your brushes, just water. water color paints are generally so thin, that you can almost see through them, when they're wet. nd you have to wet the brush, before you can get the paint on. But with acrylics and oil paints, you can wet the brush or not. But acrylics are less messy. With oil paint and acrylic there is a tendency to some times want to use too much paint, or even not enough. In some cities, the best and easiest place to get them is Michael's art supply or some times Joann's Fabrics store. Or another craft supply store.