Waiting for oil paint to dry can be one of the painĀ points of painting. Ā Waiting for the bottom layer to dry to then apply the next, or waiting for larger slash thicker sections to dry so you can transportĀ or finishĀ a painting can be frustrating. There are also many other reasons why people are constantly searching for ways toĀ make oil paints dry faster!
So this is why I have put together a list of methods I use to speed up the drying process ofĀ my oil paintings. Ā Every artist I have ever come across wants to know the secrets for how to dry oil paint faster!
So, lets answer the infamousĀ questions onĀ how to dry oil paintings quickly. Ā Oil paints, by their very nature, don’t dry with any speed at all. Ā They are very slow, and you have to be patient – it takes months for thick paint to fully dry (it doesn’t actually ‘dry’, it oxidises which is why the process is slow, read more about it here). However, thereĀ are a Ā few things you can do to speed it up.
5Ā Solutions on How to Make Oil Paints Dry Faster
ONE – Leave the painting to dry in a well ventilated open area where air circulates (a fan helps). Ā Also, paint is slow to dry in a cold environment, so a warm room is preferable. AvoidĀ extreme heat like hairdryers as this will only make the process worse!
TWO – Ā Paint using thin layers and washes which will dry reasonably quickly. Ā If you use very thick layers of paint, a ‘skin’ will form on top but the paint underneath will still be soft to touch. Ā A painting shouldn’t be varnished until it’s all completely dry which could be several months.
THREE – Under paint your canvas with acrylic paint – this dries almost instantly and then you can go on to use oil paints on top. This works very successfully and is a method I use quite often. This can also save you some money as acrylic paint is more affordable than oils!
FOUR – Certain colours dry much faster than others due to the pigments. Ā You will work out which ones as you go along (reds/oranges for example are notoriously slow) and you can avoid these if you want your painting ready quickly.
FIVE – There are various drying mediums which can be used to speed up the process, such as Liquin, and you should research which would work best for you. Ā You can also use turpentine to thin the paint for a base layer (I find using it in subsequent layers results in ‘dull’ patches of paint, so not advisable) and this will dry quickly.
I have heard of artists that bake paintings in the oven, or spray them with hairspray! However, I’m not prepared to try either due to the potential cracking issue further down the track. There is no point painting a beautiful oil painting then ruining it in the final step!
I suppose the issue is really quite simple – if you want to use oil paints because you love the colours, the vibrancy and texture, you have to accept that the lengthy drying time is all part of that process. If you are setting expectations for a gallery, exhibition or person, keep this in mind. If you explain the drying complications most people will understand!
For additional learning, tips or painting ideas, you can follow my Facebook here where I frequently post and answer questions.Ā
Do you have any of your own tricks or tips on how to speed up drying time?Ā
I leave my paintings in my conservatory with windows open this works really well and dries oils out remarkably quickly. One other tip is to face the “Backs” of canvasses towards the prominent sun as this stops the oils from drying to quickly from the front of the picture. At the peak of summer leave in only over night as the temperature during the day can often get to about 100 degrees F. 40 oC Try it!?
Thanks for that Eliot. I don’t leave paintings in direct sunlight, but that’s a really good idea drying them from the back. I shall certainly try that one.
I live in Brisbane and as it is hot most of the year round I tend to put my oil paintings I wish to dry quicker into the boot of my car, which I leave outside. Since the car is essentially a metal box with windows it gets nice and hot in there and I find my paintings dry much faster. I also of course work on multiple paintings at once so I have always got something to work on whilst something is drying. Hope this helps š
P.S – Loving your blog š
Hi Duncan, thanks for this drying tip. This is the first time I have ever heard of anyone drying their paintings in their car! But it sounds like it works well.
Hi, it’s the first time I’ve used oil paints for my ceramic vase. And it’s not drying up. I understand the time it takes to dry but is there a specific solution for vases?
I’m sorry I’m not able to help you on this one, I have no experience of painting on ceramics.
I think oil paint cures rather than dry and wonder if using UV light would cure it faster as this process is used to accelerate 2 part epoxy if you are familiar with the process. Now you need quite a bit but maybe there are places that could process that as for screen printers for example.
Hi Duncan
You’re quite right, oil paints do cure and it would be really interesting to know if UV light would make a difference. Let me know if you try it and it works.
Sara
When packing together for a show, I almost always want to add/remove something from a dry painting. Now Iāve 24 to 48 hours til must be dry time. Iāve put it/them in my car with windows cracked if warm weather or not cracked if cold and Iām depending on the heater (75 degrees) while driving. No crack or color change ever.
A good solution, glad it works for you.
Love this solution, I’m in Sydney and just tried it on impasto white, having neglected to finish in time for an exhibition! Suprise suprise!!!
Thanks and enjoy the blog
Excellent! Glad it solved your problem for you.
Try Genesis paints. You dry them with a heat gun. Fantastic product, best of both worlds just like regular oils.
Order on line. My group has been using them for 15 years.
Thanks for the tip Cheryl.
Thank you for the hints!
Using fans are trouble because they churn up dust and unwanted particles.
Thant’s very true, especially if you have pets. Dog and cat hair gets stuck to the paint and varnish.
Nandini, I have some bad news. I’m a high school art student, and last year, due to quarantine, some students who were oil painting did some experimenting when they ran out of turpentine. According to my art teacher, who had to deal with students using everything from olive oil to argan oil, your painting is likely not drying because coconut oil is not made for that purpose and doesn’t really ever dry. After a quick Google, it appears that it will harden if it gets cold, so I’m not sure if that helps. I would leave your painting alone for several months, possibly up to a year before checking on it. Personally, I feel like every kind of oil “dries” to some degree, but I wouldn’t necessarily bet on it. Also, I recommend odorless turpentine instead if you can get it where you live, it’s cheaper and easier on you and the environment. Best of luck!
I am a new artist, literally on my first painting; hence, the reason for turning to this blog while I’ve been wondering how to quicken the drying process so I can paint the ripples on the water and have found this blog to be highly educational! Thank you!
Thanks Kimberly, so glad you found it useful. All the best with your new painting.
Sara
Thanks for this info. I will let my oil painting air dry inside our cool house with ceiling fan as long as is needed. I did not know oils took longer to dry! You learn by doing and searching.
Jenn
Pleased you found the information useful. They always take longer to dry than you think they’re going to!
Sara.
I didn’t know what should I use for making the oil paint thin so I used coconut oil with it… It made it thin but it’s taking forever to dry now…like my painting is nearly dried but when you touch it with even un noticeable pressure than also it comes on your finger…so I really don’t know what to do
Sorry for terrible English….it’s not my first language..
I don’t think coconut oil will dry completely. Hope it does for you. What happened you didn’t have any oil painting mediums?
Sarel de Kock
I am from South Africa and retired so istarted my new career/hobby painting must say it use to look ag man thats easy big mistake my first painting is from a foto of my wife tell you what redo was 7 times and now complete not to bad can be better but learned a lot in the meantime about colours, shades, types of paint, the cost, the drying times
Nowhere is a method i tried, we have a small gas heater so i made a stand for thr painting put the painting backwards in the stand with the heater behind it approximate 100cm and fire it up leave for about an hour but check with a temp guage against the painting the degrees must not be moer than 25c shut down for half an hour then start again for 1 hour remove painting and leave overnight dont dry the front picture it will become dull and you cant get it right afterwords
Thak you to every body on the block some good advice around
I messed up my oil painting š I didn’t have white oil paint so I used white Acrylic, the white Acrylic is full of tiny Cracks, please help! I don’t know how to fix it. It’s such a massive painting and it’s looks great it’s just these tiny cracks I don’t know how to fix.
Hi Lucia, this is a tricky one. You could try waiting until everything is dry then paint over the cracked bits using oil paint only. Itās a hard one to fix.
Another guy already said this so it’s not original but I found out accidentally that one day in the backseat of my car is as good as six weeks in my apartment. Also it really matters how thick you paint. Obviously if you paint thin it takes less time to dry.
It makes a huge difference how thick the paint is – thin paint will dry in days, thick paint can take weeks. Have you also noticed how some colours dry faster too? Lucky you accidentally discovered the car trick for drying paintings!
I am curious about drying thick impasto oil paintings. I realize it can take up to 2 years or so to fully cure. My question is, what is the best way to store these thick paintings as they dry? To protect them from dust? Once a skin has formed, are they to be lightly covered?
Thank you in advance.
This is an interesting question. My paintings are probably not the thick impasto that you are using, but my suggestion would be to lean the painting against the wall with the back facing outwards. This way the dust doesn’t collect on the paint but the air is still circulating. You could use a small wedge of cardboard at the top to prevent marking your wall. Hope this helps.
Sara
The grate artists of the past didn’t use hair driers. Hang them outside in a shelter. This works fine. It’s better to keep the canvase back to the sunshine. Commission your work take a deposit. Paint the idea, have points. Remember art comes in many different styles. Choose the style that you like. Colour is really important morning afternoon evening and night are different. Quality is a brand thats hard to find use a pallet. Easy to frame, buy some nice frames for very little. Preferably make your own frame exhibit the work and sell from a small margin. Quality canvases are really not that expencive, stretch one onto onto another frame
All sound suggestions, thank you for your contribution Eric.
Hi!!
I tried my first dry brush aetwork and the process went well.
However, the work is starting to slightly smudge.
I wanted to know if applying fixative spray would work or the chemical agents could destroy the work??
Also, could you give me some tips on alternative methods of fixing please??
Iām a newbie and have an oil painting that my son wants to hang in his new apartment. I finished it about a month ago and a portion of it was used with a pallet knife so the paint is fairly thick. I didnāt use any mediums when I painted it. They advise to wait between 6 to 12 months before applying a varnish. Is there a product that you can recommend that would speed up the drying time? Thank you.
Steve
Hi Steve
Thanks for your email. You will probably find that your paint will dry a lot faster than 6-12 months. The surface will dry quite quickly but check the paint underneath on the thicker parts to make sure it is not still soft. I find the the best way to dry a painting is to have it in an airy, well ventilated room where it gets plenty of cross breeze. Maybe it could hang it in your son’s apartment while it’s drying, then you could briefly retrieve it to varnish when dry.
Thanks,
Sara
This is a little late since you posted this in February, but Gamvar picture varnish can be applied sooner than 6-12 months. You still have to wait for the paint to dry all the way though, but don’t have to have that super long cure time like you used to.
Thanks Darcy, that’s good to know. Thank you for the recommendation.
Sara.
I have a grumbacher Cobalt Drier that was left in a box that my brother left me. Would it help dry oil based paint? I haven’t tried it yet.
Hi Darcy, I’m not familiar with a Cobalt Drier, but interested to hear whether it works once you have tried it.
Sara
Hi there, Sara,
Thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge! I found it very useful. I painted my first oil painting last night and waiting for the paint to dry is painstaking!!! I thought Iād done something wrong lol!
I do see you recommend a cross breeze, would a fan do? Also, do oil paintings really need varnish? If so what kind?
I do have some fairly thick parts in my painting also.
Thank you!!!
Hi Jeff
Thanks for your email. Yes, waiting for oil paints to dry is a very slow process! You definitely haven’t done anything wrong. I have tried using a fan to try and dry a painting quickly and I think it did help. Re varnishing – you don’t have to varnish paintings but it does protect them and I find it gives them a nice even finish and also helps bring out the darker colours. I use a Winsor & Newton Artists Gloss Varnish which I find very good. It produces a good sheen, rather than a gloss.
Hope this is helpful.
Sara
I found oil paint dries very quick if you add a bit of burned umber. Usually dry in 2 days where other paints dry in about a week. In fact I avoid all burned umber because it dries too quick for me, usually it’s unworkable already the next day.
Thanks, that’s a handy tip. Some colours dry incredibly quickly, overnight in fact, while others, especially the reds/oranges take far longer. If the paint is very thick I find they can take weeks to dry. Oil painters have to be very patient.
Hello, thank you for your wonderful tips I wish I had found this early, Iām a first year college student in an art class and I decide for some strange reason that it was a smart idea to use oil paints to work on a project when itās the first time I ever used them, honesty I painted 3 days ago and itās still not drying and maybe I have found this alittle to late because I wasnāt looking in the right websites or something but thanks for making this. This project is due later today so Iām screwed but even so thank you.
Hi Mel, thanks for your email. Happy you found the tips on drying oils useful. Hope you project eventually dried!
Sara
i Have a dryer with a shelf that can be placed in there and whatever sets on it doesnāt tumble. I just set it for no heat air dry only. Works like a charm
Thanks Sharon, that’s an interesting way of drying I’ve not come across before. I can see how the air circulation would work well. Could be a problem for large paintings though!
Sara
Thatās an interesting tip about the burnt umber. When I first started painting in oil many years ago, we were trained to rough in the composition with a brown paint, cant remember if it was umber or sienna. Then we were supposed to add a touch of same brown paint to every mix to make the colour more natural. I also read somewhere that this was on āold masterā method. Now Iām hearing that a touch of burnt umber makes oil paint dry faster and itās all starting to make sense. Of course the old masters would want to finish as quickly as possible to get paid, duh! Of course you want under painting to dry as fast as possible. And, thatās also possibly why I canāt keep a tube of umber for long because it dries out in the tube with the lid on. I also love the tip about drying from the back. Thanks all!
Thanks for your very interesting info about burnt umber. I have never come across the ‘old master’ concept of using it to make the paintings dry faster. I must try it.
Hi I was reading his to see what tips there are to help oil paint dry quicker. I can tcall myself an artist, I’m actually a miniature painter and ventired into oils because it offered effortless wet blending that acrylics just can’t do. I’ve always started with an acrylic base and then painted in very thinned out layers and have always been getting good results with the paint drying within a day, but I found naoles yellow in particular is still sticky to the touch after 3 days? How do you manage certain colours taking a long time to dry when others around it have dried a lot quicker? Is it better to maybe add a bit of oil accelerent to it? I saw the comment about burnt umber being fast drying too but that is a outer colour I found takes a while to dry as well as the fact it dries super glossy making it hard to tell if it’s dry or not, does the gloss vary from brand to brand or is that a universal problem with certain colours? I want to increase my range of browns and was looking at Michael hardings paints, and some of those say “fast drying” and I wondered if they’d be a better option than the w&n stuff. Sorry for all the questions.
Hi Simon, it is a universal problem that some paint colours dry quicker than others. I think you just have to be patient and wait for them all to dry before proceeding. Putting more paint over already wet paint makes the process even slower. I’m not sure what’s in Michael Hardings paints that make them ‘fast drying’, I guess it’s best just to get one and test it out.
I have used oil paints for over fifty years. My question is, what do people think about the smell of oil paint? I like to work with oils, so I had to do something about the odor. (AVON) product, skin so soft is what I use now. They say It has 101 uses. It is a type of oil and smells like baby oil. Just a drop or two in the paint did it for me. It is what I keep my brushes in now. I tested the oil on a paper plate, it soaked right in. I have seen no problems with it so far.
I work with oils every day and actually don’t mind the smell (it’s the chemical smell of acrylics that I can’t handle), but that seems like a good option if it doesn’t affect the paint quality.
hi,
just a question of prepping the canvas. what do you do for this? thanks mark
Hi Mark, thanks for your email.
I use canvas that is pre-primed and you’ll find that most of what is commercially available is already primed and ready to paint on. Sometimes I undercoat my canvas in a colour (either acrylic or diluted oils) which gives it a base and then paint on top.
Hope this is helpful,
Sara
Hey! I’m not a proffesional artist, but I was using oil paints for a project of mine! I found this really helpful, so thank you a bunch!!!
Anyways, which oil paint colors dry faster??? I have used grey and black, alongside a bit of yellow. Will they dry fast? I know oil paint takes A-G-E-S to dry, but as you mentioned before, some colors dry faster than others!
Also, is there any band of oil paints that you recommend?
And, once again, thank you so much!!!
Hi, thanks for your email. You will find that the slowest colours to dry are the reds/oranges. Black and grey will dry relatively quickly. Of course it also depends on how thickly you apply the paint. I use Art Spectrum oil paints (the professional ones which have the strongest pigments, not the student range) which has a good range and are reasonably priced.
Sara
Iām a brand new beginner, but experienced in painting. I was a sign painter, screenprinter with shirts that I designed as well. Anyhoo, back to dying oil paint. Iām anxious at my age of 75, so I looked into this issue and found this. Krylon āquick dry for oil paintā. I use it and also Liquin. Good product. Burnis Hughes
Thanks Burnis, I haven’t tried Krylon, but good that you have found it useful. Good luck with your endeavours into painting.
Sara.
I’ve tried numerous methods for getting oils to dry more quickly, but the one method that really caused problems for me was when I used Krylon “Quick Dry” spray. After using the spray, the surface of the oil painting would indeed be dry to touch, but after a week, it reverts to a sticky film that doesn’t dry up. Liquin and Galkyd are also two products I’ve used extensively. Liquin can cause the color quality of oils to dull but seems to work when used in thin glazes. Galkyd really enhances the luminosity of the colors and speeds drying, but if you use too much (thin out the oils too much), it will cause crackling to the finish. I like the suggestion of placing the back of the paintings to face the sun.
Thanks for your feedback Cathy, that’s very useful. I still think that the best way to dry oil paintings is naturally which may not be the fastest but it’s probably the least problematic. If you can put them somewhere well ventilated and with a cross breeze (I dry mine in the hallway with the front door open), all the better.
Sara.
I am going to try putting my latest painting in the garage as someone suggested. I live in Arizona and it gets pretty hot in there in the summer. Thanks for all of the great ideas!
Hi Jess, you’re very welcome. Hope your paintings dry!
Sara
I am an experienced acrylic and watercolor painter and havenāt used oils in 40 years as I hated drying time. One of my college associates was Micheal Coleman, an accomplished western, landscape and wildlife artist here in US. I asked him one day what he uses to dry his paintings quickly. He would not give me his exact recipe but it does include a cobalt oxide siccative. So for what it is worth, heās definitely a professional.
Thanks Robert, it’s good to hear of new ideas.
Sara
Paint any bits you want raised textures in acrylic and rebrush when dry with thin coat of oil
Thanks for your comment. This is a great idea, you get the texture that looks like oils but eliminates months of drying time.
Sara
I have been oil painting for quite some time and have used Krylon Quick Dry For Oil Paint in between my layers. Unfortunately, just recently Krylon quick making the product, so now I am at a loss what to use. I do have Liquin, but just haven’t used it as much. Any suggestions?
Hi Kathy, Liquin is quite widely used I believe. I personally don’t use it as I tend to let my paintings dry on their own which isn’t much help to you I know. Alternatively, you could use acrylic on the under layers and oil paint on the final top layer. Standing the painting to dry in a breezy location (ie I stand my just inside my open front door which gets a good through breeze) speeds up drying time.
Sara.
Hi Sara,
I’m on my first painting with little experience. I’m waiting for the sunset to dry so I can put greenery and trees in front of it. Of course my first thought was to put it in front of the AC, which hasn’t worked, then I thought of my hair dryer which I haven’t used on it. Do you know how I can get this to dry in a matter of days?
Hi Alicia, I’ve tried the AC too, with little result and the hair dryer isn’t great either. The trick is not to use thick paint on the sunset so it dries quickly (reds and oranges dry slower than other colours as well), but leave it in an airy position and wait patiently! I often have two paintings going at once so that while I’m waiting for one I’m working on the other.
Sara.
Sara
Thanks for fab. blog
Have only used board with Gesso and am now trying canvas with Gesso base
Want to do Arum lillies with pallet knife so will be very thick
Will try car method , live West coast SouthAfrica so plenty sun
Thanks Robin, all the best with your Arum lillies, they’ll look beautiful painted with a pallet knife.
Sara
You all are right, some colors dry much slower. Particularly, Ivory Black. So, I make my own black using Burnt Sienna and Ultra Marine Blue. Work to get the large pile of color to the right edge of black and put into an empty tube. I buy large tubes of paint and move the paint in to 45 ml tubes, so have plenty of empty tubes.
I think making your own black is also preferable to tube bought black which can look very flat. A mixture of your own creation has far more depth of colour and you can alter the colours you use according to what you are painting. I also find straight black sometimes cracks.
An other thing about drying. I use water mixable oils. And like Lukas Berlin, that is Jerrysartarama’s house paint from Germany. What is interesting is that the filler is Bee’s wax. That has a small amount of solvent and when that evaporates the paint drys quite fast, except IB. This means that you do not put out a lot of paint on your palette, as it also drys fast there. I cover my palette with Saran wrap when there is some left over for the day. It lasts a little bit longer. I recently bought a closed palette that I can place in the refrigerator for up to a week. Then I can start painting almost as soon as I remove it from the refrigerator.
That’s a fantastic idea using a closed palette. Generally I just place an upside down takeaway plastic container over the top of my paint and this helps to keep it from drying out.
I use to color photographs professionally with special Marshall transparent oil paint. I learned that I could cover the leftover pallet and freeze it. Has anyone tried this with regular oil paint? Also, I did a lot of pallet knife paintings in oil and used a transparent gel in all the different piles of paint and mixed it up. It would take a couple of months to dry. I would hang it on the wall and just forget about it for a least a month.
Hi Joan, hanging paintings on the wall is the best place to let them dry, no chance of them getting damaged. Great idea!
Oh dear, oh dear. Over here in uk we robbed oils from an old unused kit to paint wooden strips to use as seed markers in garden. A present. So NOT a work of art. But realising not like acrylic, we have 12 signs with soft painted vegetables! As not art, might very gentle fan oven baking help the paint ‘go off’? Dulling, even cracking, would be ok as rustic effect desired…š¤
This all sounds very interesting! I have never put oil paints in the oven so I’m not sure what the result might be but I would love an update when you’ve done it!
I have read that acetone can be a paint thinner is this true?
I have not personally used acetone as a paint thinner so not able to comment on this.
I mix the oil paints from the tubes with the base vehicle ( similar to varnish) which the decorators merchant ( in my case Johnsons) use to mix up colours to order in the shop .I find this dries overnite and produces a good gloss finish . This method can also be used to mix up semi- transparent coats to apply multiple coats to produce depth in the painting.
Good that you are getting a nice glossy finish.
Hi Roger, this seems like a good option, especially used to build up layers of semi-transparent layers. Have you left any paintings for a long period of time to see if any cracking occurs?
Hi Ive been oil
Painting about
40 years now and oil being my main medium Ive always hared the dry time
I paint relatively thin
Nothing impasto I need to get orders out in the mail
Ive had good luck in the sun in the summer but now winter I prop wet work on the floor next to the heat vents
I can get them ‘dry enough’ to mail out telling them give them 6 good weeks to dry before framing
Ive tried to switch to water based paints but you just dont get the depth and easy blending of oil
But then i have paintings i did 20 years ago that look brand new
I use a satin spray varnish after 6 months
Hi Bonnie, that’s for your comments. I agree with your thoughts on water based paints, they do lack depth. There’s nothing like the real thing for long lasting quality.
Thank you for offering such an informative interactive blog with such good advice. Oils are quite intimidating to me but I will continue my study and research and step out and experiment with my collection.
Thanks Traci, glad you are enjoying the blog and learning something from it. Once you get a bit of experience with oils they become less intimidating. Then it becomes fun!
Thank a lot for the tips. As a beginner… it is a big help on my part
Thanks Symon, glad you are finding the information useful.
Hi…I use enamel paint on canvasses. It dries rapidly and colours can be mixed to obtain those elusive shades. I live in Southern Spain so drying is never really a problem. Airbrushing is very thin when I use these enamels so that helps the drying process too.
i let mine set for days in a room thats at 75 degres most of the time and its still not dry
I am a new aspiring artist (my Mom was an amazing watercolorist) and I love using oils as my chosen medium. Would mineral spirits be an ok option to help dry my painting quicker?