UNDERSTANDING THE DYING TIMES FOR OIL PAINT
Traditional oil paints are bound with drying oils. This is what gives them their unique working properties and makes them much slower drying than water-based media. A drying oil is a vegetable oil which dries by oxidation (explanation below) and there are many types including poppy seed oil and safflower oil amongst others. Linseed oil is the one used in the majority of oil paints because it dries to the most durable film.
