Painters are generally told to use acrylic paints, but they may not be always good advice. And while there is a sure prestige usually related with oil paintings, it really does not matter if you use one or the other. Oil paints have stayed alive for hundreds of years, so are known for its enduring quality. They do tend to stain after some age, something that acrylics do not appear to do, although acrylics have not been around long sufficient for us to really be familiar with. When it comes to color, oil paints have more color in them, allowing richer, brighter colors. Acrylics might also grow dim slightly as they dry, while oil paints do not.

The chief differentiation between oils and acrylics is their drying time. Acrylic paint would dry within an hour, sometimes within fifteen minutes itself. Oil paints would stay wet for days or weeks together, depending upon the dampness and temperature. The drying time as well influences other features of painting. Mixing acrylics is trickier than mixing oils, merely because the acrylics are already started to dry. With oils you could mix colors for days on finish, producing delicate color variations, which you would not have time to generate with acrylics.

You'll as well require cleaning your brushes rapidly after finishing painting with acrylics, and have to wait too long and the bristles would be full of dried paint. On the other hand, clean-up with natural old water is a snap compared to oil paintings, where you would require using Turpentine or Mineral Spirits (both toxic) to clean your brushes and hands. Acrylic paints are as well cheaper than oils, so for students or freelance, it's much easier on the pocketbook. They're also a bit more adaptable than oils. You could adulterate acrylic paint with water and use it in an completely different way, almost like watercolors.