Learn a few tips to make oil paint dry faster.
Acrylic paints dry through evaporation, which is a faster process than oil paints. Oil paints dry slowly through oxidation, which means that the oils interact with oxygen and the paint hardens. While it isn't possible to make oil paints dry immediately, there are a number of different things you can do to help accelerate the drying process.
Instructions
1. Prepare the canvas with glue-chalk gesso. Gesso, which is a white paint base with various fillers made to prepare a canvas for painting, absorbs some of the oil, allowing the canvas to dry faster.
2. Use thin layers of paint, about the thickness of wall paint. Less paint on the canvass means less drying time.
3. Choose linseed oil paints. Linseed oil paints dry faster than walnut oil, saffron or poppy oil paints.
4. Add a tiny amount of thinner to the oil paint. Thinning the paint makes it absorb more oxygen which makes it dry faster.
5. Lower the humidity level where the painting is being stored. High humidity levels delay the drying process. Use air conditioning, a dehumidifier or a fan to control the humidity.
6. Use a drying medium. Art supply stores offer a variety of drying mediums that help speed the drying process. Read the manufacturer's directions carefully. Some are added to the oil paints while others are applied to the canvas prior to painting.
