Which mediums will help my oil paint dry faster?

If used straight out of the tube, oil paints can be slow drying. However, if mixed with an alkyd medium such as Winsor & Newton Liquin Original, paintings dry in less than twenty-four hours.

Griffin Alkyds are an even speedier alternative, becoming touch dry within hours, and they’re mixable with regular oil paints. If you’d rather stick to oils but still want an increase in drying times, try using Winton Oil Paints. These paints have dryers already mixed in with them, resulting in them drying faster than most Artist Quality Oil colours.

What is the difference between alkyd and oil mediums?

Most oil painting mediums can be broken down into two categories: alkyds – which are synthetic and fast drying, and oils – which are created from natural ingredients and are slower drying.

Alkyd and oils sit almost on the opposite ends of the spectrum, so trying each separately is a good way to give you a feel for the qualities of each family of mediums. You can use these mediums together, using the alkyd underneath the oil via a process of layering. If in doubt, get yourself a bottle of Liquin Original and Refined Linseed Oil.