Can You Paint Oil Over Acrylic?


Films of oil and acrylic paints are compatible with the paint because they are relatively thick and will separate from the surface to be painted. They are oil-based and smooth and shiny, while the latex paint has a rubbery surface. Of course, if you prefer, you can also use chemical or solvent based paint instead of oil paint. There are also safer products, such as natural oil paints, that can be used in place of turpentine and other paint and thinner removers.

Acrylics are incompatible with oil paints. So if oil paint is applied over an acrylic surface, then the oil will slough off easily. This effect may be mitigated somewhat by applying an adhesive primer to the acrylic surface before the oil. Using a hard substrate may help as well.

Using water-based or acrylic paint over oil paint can cause flaking or chipping because these formulas do not adhere well to the naturally shiny surface of oil paint. Therefore, an oil-based primer should be applied over any oil-based topcoat, and a water-based paint should also be used as a topcoat.

Begin with an Oil-based Primer

The oil-based primer can be applied to walls, untreated wood, bathrooms and furniture. To prevent flaking and chipping during the drying and curing phase, use an adhesive primer designed to adhere to glossy and other difficult to paint surfaces over the old oil layer for optimal paint adhesion.

Using a brush, roller or spray gun, apply at least two coats of high quality water-based acrylic or latex paint (such as Glidden Premium, available from The Home Depot) to the primed surface, allowing it to dry completely as indicated. products between layers. DO NOT paint with acrylic on a primed canvas, so be prepared to set the acrylic aside.

Due to the different flexibility between the layers, it is still not recommended to paint thick acrylic paste layers. You can also use clear glaze or very thick and stacked paint for very thin work, but the actual surface quality of acrylic is still flexible, which means your paint will not crack over time. Many professional artists start with an acrylic primer, let it dry, and then apply paint on the acrylic. Some artists started painting with acrylic resins, because they dries faster, so they finished painting with oil.

Oil Paints Take Longer to Dry

Since oil paints stay moisturized much longer than acrylic paints, this gives you the opportunity to start painting, then return the next day and continue where you left off. The paint on the canvas is still moist and flexible, so you can still mix colors on the canvas. If you try to achieve the same effect with oil, the outer surface will feel dry to the touch, while the inner paint will remain damp. When using water-based substrates such as acrylic, the surface must be free of oil and grease.

Not only does this apply to oil paintings on acrylic paints, but if you paint on oil primers, this can also be a problem. If you want to protect your paintings from damage, we recommend that you buy oil paints. Avoid super absorbent surfaces or reduce water absorption before applying oil. When painting, make sure that the bottom layer is dry, so that the upper layer of paint will not move after it has dried.

Multi-layered oil painting on acrylic creates a new perspective in painting. A thin coat of Fluid Matte Medium can be applied to a glossy acrylic base to create an oil paint dent. Since the adhesion of oils to acrylics is purely mechanical, they develop maximum adhesion when applied to matte and serrated surfaces. Our long term tests show that adhesion is rarely a problem when used with oils on a wide range of acrylic products.

Use a Hard Substrate for Painting Oil over Acrylic

If you’re worried about the varying flexibility of acrylic and oil paints after they dry – acrylic stays flexible, oil dries less and more – consider painting on a rigid substrate like hardboard rather than flexible like canvas. Although oils become brittle over time, acrylics remain flexible for decades. The top layer of acrylic is relatively more controllable than the oil layer, which hardens over time. Art experts agree that these two effects can cause uneven adhesion of acrylic and oil surfaces.

Since acrylic dries very quickly, the transfer and drying process is completed long before the oil touches the surface. This drying affects the paint and causes the surface to slide slightly below the acrylic, which dries much faster. Artists advise against doing this, as the oils under the acrylic begin to dry out. To get around this, you must “oil the area of ​​the painting you are working on.

When painting layers with oil, it is important to let the bottom layer dry completely before adding a new one. The liquids will make the paint workable so you can add more color or layers. Once the acrylic paint is dry, you can safely paint it with oil paints.

And paint directly on an acrylic primer without any problems. Some people like the idea of ​​letting the first wash dry when they come back to paint over. Applying a slower oil paint to a quick dry acrylic paint is not a problem as long as the acrylic paint is completely dry and cured. Another important tip to remember is that the oils are completely dry about six months after you finish painting.

Final Words on Oil & Acrylic Paint

Oils allow longer use for painting, but take up to six months to dry. Below you will find tips for using any paint you like over your oil paint. Okay, there is a lot to learn, but once you figure out which paint is best for your style, oil or acrylic, you can just go ahead and create masterpieces. Ideally, the artist should try both acrylic and oil, and then choose which paint works best for him.

If you like the idea of ​​using a palette knife and creating thick mixed paintings, acrylic may be the right choice for you. Using acrylics can also improve your color mixing and mixing technique, making your paints move like oil. If you add more acrylic resins as a carrier (fast drying medium, fluid) to the paint, the color change will be even greater. On the other hand, acrylic paints are quite difficult to achieve such an attractive layering effect, as they dry quickly, and layers located on top of each other will reflect only the traces and strokes lying below.

When you draw portraits with so many layers, shadows and details, acrylic will dry out very quickly. Other things like water can even affect the acrylic, it won’t affect the paint until the paint cracks or something else. Since water and oil will not mix, be careful when drawing. Oil paints may take several weeks to dry completely… Bright colors and durability are two characteristics of oil paints… As oil paints oxidize, they solidify much slower than other colors.

Gene Botkin

Hello, I'm Gene. My family belonged to the aristocracy of Old Russia, and I created this site to re-establish a familial connection with them. My aims are to generate interest in aristocratic virtues, such as beauty, honor, and loyalty, and to spread Russian culture.

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