Oil thinner never totally dries.

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**OLD PAINTER**

So, im pretty new to oil washes. That said i think i understand the basic concept. Im using davinci (sp?) thinner to create the washes. Everything works like it should exept that days later the heavier parts of the washes (in this case the hatch grooves on a knight titan) dont seem to be dry.

Is this normal?

**chaos0xomega**

I believe thats oil painting 101, oil paint never dries, thats why art museums are so finicky about people getting near oil paintings.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

chaos0xomega wrote:
I believe thats oil painting 101, oil paint never dries, thats why art museums are so finicky about people getting near oil paintings.

Oil paints do indeed dry, typically within three to five days depending on their oil content (this various with color). This can also change depending on any additives to the paint and the thickness of the layer itself. With thicker layers of oil paint, it may be dry to the touch after a couple of hours but still drying under the surface. Oil paint thinned with white spirit is considered 'lean' and will dry faster than oil straight from the tube, which is considered 'fat' and dries much slower.

Museums keep people away from oil paintings because they are valuable and fragile.

OP: Chances are what you are experiencing is normal, because as you know oil paint takes some time to dry. Typically, when I use oils for washes, filters, and weathering techniques (all of which use very thin layers of oil paint), I allow them to dry for at least twenty-four hours and I typically don't have any issues. How thick of a layer of paint are you leaving in the recesses?

**Lord Derp**

Technically, oil paints don't dry. The fat oxidizes and converts into a solid. Which can take a while. Should be a few days (as previously mentioned) at most, since you're likely not globbing it on straight from the tube. Thick impasto paintings can take months to fully cure.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

Lord Derp wrote:
Technically, oil paints don't dry. The fat oxidizes and converts into a solid.

The oxidization of oil paints, for all intents and purposes, is "drying." Granted, it isn't the same process as what is seen in watercolor or acrylics (which is evaporation) since oil paints polymerise into a dry semisold, it's still simply referred to as "drying."

**Lord Derp**

Hence the use of the word "technically."

**Thairne**

What you can do to shorten the drying time is to place the oil paint on some kitchen roll. This will absorb some of the (excess) oil and make it dry/oxidize faster.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

Lord Derp wrote:
Hence the use of the word "technically."

Understood. However, the process of oil paints not "technically drying" is still called "drying."

Thairne wrote:
What you can do to shorten the drying time is to place the oil paint on some kitchen roll. This will absorb some of the (excess) oil and make it dry/oxidize faster.

Yes, that can work as well (though we call them paper towels in the States). I prefer to use a piece of cardboard to leech linseed oil just because it makes it easier to handle as opposed to a piece of paper towel.

**doktor_g**

I'd like to see some pics of your oil wash... please.

**OLD PAINTER**

Firstly its mona lisa mineral spirits (oops my memorys a bit off). Secondly, ive never done much in yellow so im pushing myself here. Some of the black just refuses to clean up so i'll have to bw more careful with that in the future.

As requested, heres a pic, amd thanks for all your replies!

**the_Armyman**

I've had the same issue with oil washes. Especially in deeper seams and grill detail, it's still remained wet after several days. It's a bit frustrating and really stalls the momentum on a project. It might help to try and speed up the process by putting the part near a heat vent. I would imagine that warm flowing air could only help. The obvious caution of not getting it so hot that it deforms the plastic/resin applies here.

**Smacks**

Oil paints can take a very long time to dry (at least dry enough to be able to paint over with something like acrylic). For a large painting it can take 6 month to a year.

So yeah, what you describe is fairly normal. I would give it a few weeks at least before you try to paint or varnish over it. (with non-oils)

You can speed up the drying time of oils by using resin medium. (Not entirely sure how compatible that would be with a wash).

**Meph**

More thinner, less paint. A good mix ratio would be 1:8 to 1:10.
And it also seems best to use odourless turpentine. In essence, this can be considered thinner, but there is a difference. i've been using quite a few brands of odourless thinner and never, ever had any drying issues. Touch-dry after a short while, dried after an overnighter.

And then I bought a little bottle from an artsy brand and it was labeled 'medium thinner'. Now, it works fine as a thinning medium, and the consitency of mixes with it are just fine, but it does dry a loooot slower with a slightly different shine.

**darefsky (Flight Medic Paints)**

Well I'll throw my two cents in here...

I use W&N oils and I thin them about 1:10 with oderles mineral spirits. My "dry times" are about 24 hours on minis. I then coat with gloss varnish before applying the next layer of paint.