I have an oil painting to bring to school but it's not quite dry yet. Is there any way to speed up the process? Would a hair dryer work?
2006-09-10 16:18:23 · 12 answers · asked by ntheboy1986 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Painting
The binder in oil paint is linseed oil, which dries through oxidation, NOT by evaporation like water-based paints. This means oxygen must reach into the depth of the paint in order for it to dry. If your paint layers are thick, this could take months.
If you use a hair dryer or other heat source, it will probably damage the painting - most likely by accellerating the drying of the top layer but not the underlying layer - which will make cracks in the paint surface.
To transport a wet oil painting, insert a push-pin into each corner on the painting surface, close to the edge. Place a stiff board such as foamcore or a canvas panel the same size against the pins and wrap the corners together with masking tape. Remove the board & pins when it arrives. Any damage caused by the pins will be covered by framing.
You can also buy canvas clips at an art supply store, used to transport 2 canvases face-to-face without their surfaces touching.
2006-09-11 14:43:25 · answer #1 · answered by joyfulpaints 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A hair dryer will work fine for watercolor and acrylic. I suspect you would wear one out before you would get an oil painting dry. You may want to try Liquin, or some other alkyd-based medium mixed in with your paint. Using medium, you can get them dry to the touch in about 10-12 hours or less depending how thick your impasto is. Alkyd paint has all the same properties as oil-based paint. It is workable for a couple hours after you paint and dries overnight.
Water soluble oil has a slightly faster drying time than traditional oils, but your best bet is alkyd.
2006-09-13 06:31:04 · answer #2 · answered by wklev 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fastest Hair Dryer
2016-10-03 11:49:18 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A better solution would be to prop it up against a chair, as upright as possible, about three feet away from a wall furnace. I've done this many a time to speed up the drying process and it's never hurt the paint. Of course, this doesn't work it you don't have a gas wall heater.
However, a radiator-type electric heater would probably work, too. Even a bathroom wall heater would probably work. Just keep it far enough away from the heater. You do not want the canvas or paint getting hot. You just want it to get warm. Three feet away should do the trick.
2006-09-10 17:01:22 · answer #4 · answered by Doc Watson 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've tried hair dryers as well as fans and I found that they blew dust around and didn't dry it well. If your paint is thick it's really not a good idea.
I'm now perfectly happy with using different quick drying mediums.
2006-09-12 16:11:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It takes about a month for the paint to dry completely. Take it to school wet.Im studying Fine Art, and i usually just take a wet project to class when it gets scored, it shouldnt make a difference.Your teacher wont touch it!
2006-09-10 20:11:21 · answer #6 · answered by HumbleOpinion 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oil paints are weird. If you dry them too fast when they were applied thickly, you run the risk of drying just the top layer and sealing the still-wet paint in underneath where it may never dry.
2006-09-10 16:59:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you paint on canvas, I suggest you use the dryer o the other side of the canvas, so you don't create a pocket of wet paint.
2006-09-11 16:37:49 · answer #8 · answered by Astrid Nannerl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can put it under a light source, like a lamp, to make it dry faster.
2006-09-11 07:36:13 · answer #9 · answered by Whitney K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could if you really wanted to... but it's not a good idea because it'll mess up the oils and make the texture different.
2006-09-10 16:22:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋