What Kind of Paint?

Long ago, when I began painting, there were only two kinds of paint that I knew of, oil and watercolor. Other kinds existed, including gouache and a new kind called acrylic, but oil paint had been the standard for fine art for centuries. There are actually even more kinds of paint, including casein, and depending on how you view them, pastel is also considered painting. Watercolor was used by children and sometimes by oil painters like John Sargent when they went on vacations. So it should not be surprising that someone who first painted more than a half century ago would use oils. 

"The Large Sod (after Durer)," watercolor

Although I settled on oil paint as my primary medium long ago, it has been important to me to explore other mediums of visual expression. Over the years my explorations have included pastel, watercolor, casein, gouache, acrylics, oils (even water-mixables), and of course digital. In the end my interest has always circled back to oil paint. Actually, experience with each differing kind of paint helped form my oil paintings. Watercolor is transparent, for example, and that imposes significant demands, not the least of which is planning, and patience. Gouache dries quickly but otherwise handles similarly to oil paint and it goes utterly dead if overworked. Gouache was once more widely used because it dries matte and photographs well. Working with gouache imposes a need for planning too, plus quick but sure decisions during painting, especially careful and limited brush strokes. Each of those demands is also useful in making oil paintings.

"Head Study," acrylic on paper

Acrylics are probably the most versatile kind of paints we have. Thinned, they can be used almost like watercolors but with the bonus of a durable paint film. Used in a thicker preparation they handle much like oils and dry very fast (a benefit for some, a curse to others) but open time can be extended with the appropriate additive. When I was beginning to paint figures the studio where we met prohibited solvents, making acrylics or other water media the only choices. I painted many figure and head studies in acrylics. 

"Egon Schiele on His Deathbed," pastel

Another medium that's often considered painting is pastel. Unlike all of the others, though, pastel is generally a dry medium that involves considerably more drawing. Pastel masters like Degas made their paintings by layering one color over another, often by hatching. Pastel taught me layering and reinforced hatching and color skills. But pastel has yet to capture enough of my interest, though I've done a few dozen pastels in my career.

Despite experience with all kinds of paint, oils remain my choice. Foremost, oil paintings are widely considered the most desirable. Oil paintings sell for higher prices and are more collected than other sorts. Acrylic paintings are now selling well, too, but after a lifetime, oils are still my choice.