Drying Time?

Question

Before I begin learning to paint with oil and/or acrylic, does anyone know the real drying times? Books I've read (acrylic) say fast, pretty fast, really fast and so on.
Thanks,

Answer 1

Depending on the humidity in the atmosphere and the mediums you use, drying times vary for both oil and acrylic.

Acrylics dry by evaporation of water. Some retarding mediums give you up to half an hour to work with your paint before it dries. Straight from the tube, they can dry within 2 minutes. Adding water actually speeds drying.

With oils, the use of alkyd mediums speed drying time to about 6 to 12 hours. Linseed oil slows the process to 4 days or more. The addition of turpentine/solvent speeds drying as well, but thins the oils and makes them appear flat.

Answer 2

When I paint with acrylic paint the drying times can vary from a few minutes to about 45 minutes. If the acrylic paint is applied thinly the drying time could be just a few minutes. If you put down a really thick layer of paint it could take 45 minutes for it to dry. I myself use a hair dryer on my acrylic paintings to speed the drying process. You will have to just play around and see how your layers of paint take to dry. Also if you add a retarder that will really make the paint dry slower. One time I used a retarder and let it dry for a week and the applied a varnish to it and the paint was not cured. That caused the black paint to get picked up and moved into lighter areas.

I like my paint to dry fast so after using the hair dryer to heat the acrylic paint I also have a small fan to cool the canvas down so I can apply more paint that won't dry too fast.

Answer 3

I am an acrylic painter....They dry real fast. .Acrylics takes just a matter of minutes to dry. Takes a little longer to air dry if a medium is used. Oil takes forever, weeks months I understand and i hate the smell. Elaine.