Why and How Do Painters Combine Oil and Acrylic Paints?
In brief: Oil paints and acrylic paints should not be mixed while wet, but they can be combined by following two basic rules: paint with oil paints over a completely dry acrylic layer, and preferably avoid using acrylic over oil. Acrylics are used for quick underpainting layers and texture, while oil paints add warmth, gloss, and depth as a finishing touch. In this article, we explain why painters favor this combination and how to use it correctly.
You may have heard that you should not combine acrylics and oils on the same canvas. In fact, it is not that combining them is unsuitable, but you should never paint with or mix fresh acrylic paints, which are water-based, and oil paints, which are oil-based and thinned with linseed oil and turpentine, at the same time. Because they dry differently and at different rates, this can cause the layers to crack and peel.
However, you can combine these two types of paints (and painting products with these bases in general) by following certain rules.
The first and most important rule is: you can paint with oil paints over acrylic paints, but only over completely dry acrylic layers.
The second and equally important rule is: avoid painting with acrylic paints over oil paints. If it is absolutely necessary, apply them over oil layers that have been drying for at least 6 months, and use them only on very small areas.
Following this process will ensure your artwork lasts. The rest is a matter of your artistic sensibility.
Why Do Painters Combine Oil Paints and Acrylic Paints?
Painters combine oil paints and acrylic paints because acrylic paints dry quickly, so they use them for underpainting layers, while oil paints add fullness, warmth, and gloss, so they use them as a finishing touch on a painting.
Artists who want to create texture and a raised effect in their paintings often use acrylic paints for the first layers. Layers made with acrylic paints dry in as little as one day, while oil paints can take up to a week to set, even just on the surface. On the other hand, applying a glaze of oil paint over this rich texture (fluid paint thinned with plenty of linseed oil and turpentine) adds a gloss and depth that cannot be achieved with acrylic paints.
How to Combine Oil and Acrylic Paints
As mentioned, the safest approach is to use acrylic paints for the first layers. Once they are completely dry, you can apply oil paints over them however you like, using fluid or thick paint, a palette knife, or a brush. You can also get special, highly textured results quickly by combining acrylic mediums with oil paints. The same rule applies here: work with acrylic products first, wait for them to dry thoroughly, then add as many layers of oil paint as you like. Here are a few ideas for using this combination.
Rustic Effect with a Palette Knife
Use a palette knife to apply acrylic medium, tapping it to create a rough surface. Once the medium is dry, use a brush or palette knife to apply thick paint and create a rustic effect, or apply very diluted oil paint.
Texture with Sand and Mineral Powders
Add sand, marble dust, or one of the mineral powders to acrylic medium. You’ll get a paste that you can apply to canvas, cardboard, or heavyweight paper with a palette knife, shaping recognizable forms such as leaves or flower petals, or abstract shapes. You can also work the surface with a brush and thick paint, or apply transparent layers of paint and let the pigment flow into the indentations to create subtle gradients.
Creating a Grid and Imprinting Objects
Apply a layer of medium 1 to 2 mm thick, then use a comb, plastic fork, or similar craft tools to create a grid. You can also press various objects, such as mesh, into the acrylic medium. Smooth some areas with a palette knife to create a contrast between flat and carved surfaces, then emphasize these differences with a layer of oil paint.
Once the acrylic medium is completely dry, you can apply oil paints over it, using thick paint and a dry brush to work across the raised texture, or using paint thinned with linseed oil and a few drops of turpentine until it is completely fluid. You can add paint to the acrylic medium so it is not transparent and has a particular shade. This lets you achieve the desired effect much faster when you apply the oil paint later.
What You Need to Combine Oil and Acrylic Paints
- Acrylic paints — for quick-drying underlayers and texture (acrylic paints)
- Oil paints — for warmth, gloss, and transparent finishing layers (oil paints)
- Structural pastes and gels / acrylic mediums — for raised texture and effects (effect pastes and gels, acrylic mediums)
- Palette knives and painting knives — for applying paste and creating rustic effects (palette knives and painting knives)
- Brushes — for glazes and dry-brushing over texture (brushes)
- Canvas — a firm surface that can take both acrylic and oil paints (canvases)
- Linseed oil and turpentine — for thinning oil paint to make a glaze
Frequently Asked Questions
Can oil and acrylic paints be mixed?
No, not while they are still wet. Acrylic paints are thinned with water and dry quickly, while oil paints are oil-based and dry slowly. That is why mixing wet layers leads to cracking and flaking. However, they can be combined in layers by following the correct order.
Can you paint with oil paint over acrylic?
Yes, that is the recommended order. Paint with oil paints only over a completely dry acrylic layer. Acrylic dries in as little as one day, so you can quickly create a surface for applying the final oil layers.
Can you paint with acrylic paints over oil paints?
Avoid doing this. If it is absolutely necessary, work only over oil layers that have dried for at least 6 months, and only on very small areas. Otherwise, acrylic will not adhere well to the oily surface.
Why do artists combine these two types of paints?
To bring together the best of both: the drying speed and texture of acrylic in the lower layers, and the warmth, richness, and gloss of oil paints as the finishing touch. A transparent layer of oil paint over a textured acrylic layer adds depth that cannot be achieved with acrylics.
How do you create texture before painting with oil?
Apply acrylic medium or modeling paste with a palette knife, add sand or mineral powder for relief, and create patterns with a comb or press in mesh. Once everything is completely dry, paint over it with oil paint, using thick paint and a dry brush over the relief, or a thinned transparent layer so the pigment settles into the grooves.
Read more from our blog
- Oil paints: A complete guide for beginners
- How to paint with acrylic paints: Benefits, tips, and tricks
- What are acrylic modeling pastes and what are they used for?
- Have you heard of water-mixable oil paints?
Combine the speed of acrylic with the gloss of oil
Use acrylic for the surface and texture, and oil for warm tones and depth. Just remember: apply acrylic first, then add oil paint on top once it is completely dry. Experiment with a palette knife, pastes, and transparent layers.
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