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How to Make Oil Paintings Dry Faster

The smooth consistency of oil paints offers ease of control for shading and blending on canvas. However, painting with oils can be inconvenient because of the slow drying time. Typically, you can only paint small sections at a time, leaving them to dry, before proceeding to the next section. There are steps that you can take to speed up the process, making your layers dry faster, so you can maintain continuity.

Things You'll Need

  • Linseed oil
  • Paint palette
  • Palette knife
  • Paintbrush
  • Alkyd medium
  • Fan
  • Lamp
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add linseed oil to your oil paints. Linseed oil thins the paint allowing it to dry more quickly. Mix a very small amount of linseed oil -- such as a drop for a quarter-sized dollop of paint -- into the paint, using a palette knife. Paint will spread more smoothly and the colors will be more intense, so experiment with the amount of linseed oil you use.

    • 2

      Dip your paintbrush into alkyd medium, and then dip the brush in the oil paint. Alkyd medium thins the paint, which makes it spread easily on the canvas and speeds the drying process.

    • 3

      Brush the oil paint onto the canvas in thin layers. Allow each layer to dry thoroughly. Drying times vary, but expect several hours in-between layers, at least. Avoid adding thick layers of paint, which take much longer to dry.

    • 4

      Place a fan in front of the painting. Only point a fan at your painting if it is in an area that is free from excess dust and debris.

    • 5

      Place a lamp, with the shade-off, at least one-foot away from the painting. The heat from the lamp will decrease moisture and reduce the drying time.

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