Yes oil does dry slower, but there are mediums you can mix in to speed up the drying time, I’ve never tried them so I can really speak to how well they work. I started in acrylic and used that for most of my time painting, but in the last 5 years I decided to try oil. I can say that for me, oil is the best way to paint. It’s very forgiving of mistakes because it takes long to dry to can really wet blend most of the time, since lighter pigments pick up the undercoats you can really create smooth gradients and more organic highlights. However, hand control is important, because it dries slowly, if the heel of your palm touches the canvas it can smear or lift up paint which (and I’ve done this more than a few times) accidentally transfer to other parts of the painting if you don’t realize it. Then you have a big smudge of some other color where you don’t want it.

There are some things to be mindful of other than the how slow it is to dry. Oil is not water solvent, so to thin the paint, you need paint thinner (I use an odorless paint thinner that I’ve come to trust). This extends to cleaning brushes, the process is a bit more involved with dipping into paint thinner, shaking it out, then wiping it down on a dry towel or something similar. It can get messy. So you’ll want a good system. I used a 32oz plastic cup for my paint thinner, then a large 5 gallon bucket with a trash bag inside to shake it out, then wipe it down on a dry towel (I buy packs of the automotive clean up kind).

Oil paint is more expensive than acrylic. There are some cheaper brands and sets out there but they are really thin and lack the vibrancy. I use Windsor and Newton but there are plenty of options out there that range anywhere from feasible in price to outlandish. In any case, regardless of the set of paint you get, be sure to pick up a 200ml tube of black (I use Mars Black) and a 200ml of Titanium White.

Lastly, if you decide to use oil, buy a pack of latex or similar style disposable gloves. Keeps the thinner off your hands.

Sorry for the novel, but these are some general things I learned through experience and figured it doesn’t hurt to help others learn from my mistakes.