Are you thinking about getting into painting, but aren’t sure which type of paint you should begin with? Which is better for beginners, watercolors or oil paints?
There are many things to consider when choosing which type of paint is best for beginning artists. You will need to think about paint consistency, color vibrancy, drying times, prices, caring for brushes, and even safety hazards.
Another thing you will need to consider is whether you wish to work with water-based paints or oil-based paints. There are advantages and disadvantages to working with both types.
These are all things I am going to discuss with you today in this post. You will learn about these factors and a whole lot more.
By the end of this post, you should have enough information to allow you to make the right decision so you can get started in the wonderful world of painting.
If you are ready, let’s get started.
Oil Paint and Watercolor Paint Comparison
| Factors | Oil Paint | Watercolor Paint |
|---|---|---|
| Drying time | Several hours or days to be dry to the touch, several weeks to months to cure | Single layers dry in about 10 minutes, and paintings with many layers can be dry within an hour |
| Supplies needed | Paints, palette, many brushes, canvases, mediums, paint thinners, etc. | Paints, watercolor paper, one or two brushes, water |
| Mixing colors | Limited color palette, but mixing colors is easy | Wide range of colors, but mixing colors is more difficult |
| Color vibrancy | Paint is thick and colors are vibrant | Paint is much thinner and several layers are needed for color vibrancy |
| Fixing mistakes | Paint new layers to fix mistakes | Easy to fix when wet, but dry paint can’t be fixed |
| Price | Upwards of $25 | Can cost $10 or less |
What are Oil Paints?
Oil paints are made with colored pigments and oil. In most cases, the oil used to create oil paints is linseed oil, but nut oils such as walnut oil can also be used, as well as poppy oil.
This type of paint is thicker than acrylics and watercolors and is ideal for impasto painting. When the paint dries, you will notice that the finish is quite hard, which will help to preserve the painting for many years to come.
One of the best things about oil paints is that, unlike watercolors and acrylics, oils do not absorb into the canvas (at least not much). The paint stays on top, and you will find that the colors are quite vibrant because of this, no matter how old the painting is.
Keep in mind that even though the oil paint will not absorb into the canvas, you still need to prime the canvas before you can begin painting. Some of the paint may be absorbed by the canvas, and priming will prevent this from happening.
A quality oil painting can hold up for hundreds of years. Just look at some of the classic paintings from artists such as DaVinci, which have been in existence for several centuries.
You aren’t limited to only painting on canvas when you work with oil paints. These paints are ideal for many types of surfaces, including wood, glass, and metal.
In addition to a base, oil, and pigments, some oil paints are also made with solvents. These solvents will add many things to the paint, such as sheen, and they make the paint more durable. Paintings will be more scratch-resistant, and the paint will not crack or shrink, even after many years.
The base is what gives oil paint its body, and it is the main ingredient in oil paint. Typically, the oil paint base can be white or red lead, iron oxide, aluminum powder, copper or bronze powder, or zinc oxide.
The oil in oil paint is known as the “vehicle”, and it helps to keep the pigments and base soluble. The oils allow the paint to spread nicely across the canvas or whatever surface you are painting on.
Some oil paints also contain thinners and driers. Thinners help to make the paint spread across the canvas better. Driers help to speed up the drying time, which in the case of oil paint is several days to weeks to even months.
It is a good idea to work in a well-ventilated area when using oil paints. The paints, as well as pain thinners and other mediums, often give off harsh fumes, and they can also be quite flammable.
Pros and Cons of Oil Paints
Pros
- Doesn’t seep into the canvas as much as other types of paint
- Paintings can last for hundreds of years
- Colors are bright and vibrantSome paints contain mediums that improve consistency and speed up drying time
Cons
- Oil paintings take a long time to dry, and even longer to cure
- Safety precautions must be taken when working with oil paints
- A good set of oil paints can be quite costly
What are Watercolors?
Watercolors, like oil paints, contain pigments, but rather than have an oil binder they contain a water-soluble binder. Usually, this binder is gum Arabic.
There are three different types of watercolor paints you can use: pan paints (the most common and most well-known), tube paints, and liquids that come in bottles and are ready to use.
Watercolor paints are often the first paints anyone uses. I’m sure you remember using them when you were a child. They are commonly used in schools because cleanup is faster and easier than it is with other types of paint.
Watercolor is a popular medium for beginner artists. For starters, it is a lot cheaper to buy a set of 12 watercolor pan paints than it is to buy acrylic or oil paints.
Don’t let yourself think that because watercolors are great for children that they are only for children. Many great artists have created some amazing works of art using watercolor paints, and you can too.
When I got back into painting, my first paintings were done with watercolors. This allowed me to get a feel for working with paint again, and to learn how to control paintbrushes.
You can use watercolors for mixed media pieces. For example, watercolors can be used to create backgrounds, such as gradient washes. Once the background is in place, other mediums such as oils or acrylics can be used to add the details to a painting.
One of the biggest drawbacks to using watercolors is that they can be difficult to blend. Tube paints and liquid watercolors are easier to blend because they can be blended on a palette.
You can also blend pan paints on a palette, but it is much more difficult and time-consuming.
If you make a mistake while working with watercolors, it is easy to fix it while the paint is still wet. You can lift paint from the paper by using a clean brush that has been dipped in water.
If the paint has dried, you are pretty much stuck with what you have, because you can’t fix a mistake after watercolors are dry.
Pros and Cons of Watercolors
Pros
- Less expensive than oil paints
- Easy to correct mistakes while the paint is still wet
- Can be used for mixed-media projects
- Dry pan paints can easily be reactivated with a bit of water
- Drying time is faster than it is for oil paints
Cons
- You can’t correct mistakes after the paint has dried
- Some watercolors tend to fade over time
- Some techniques can be difficult to master
Conclusion
When it comes to deciding which type of paint is better for beginners, oils or watercolors, it depends on many factors. On one hand, oil paint is easier to use because it is easier to manipulate and you can paint layers over mistakes.
On the other hand, watercolors are a lot more convenient to use, and it is easier to clean up after working with watercolors.
Ultimately, both types of paint are good for beginners. It is up to you to decide which one you want to start working with.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!