# Oil painting Dryng time??



## newbie (May 14, 2020)

I have just started with canvas oil painting. I watch Bob Ross videos on you tube. Yesterday night I did one oil painting (wet on wet technique) . Its close to 24 hours and yet the canvas is wet. So.can you please let me know how long it takes to dry up so I can hang it on my wall.


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## Mullanphy (Apr 25, 2020)

Dry time depends on several factors such as brand of paint (amount/type of carrier, etc), how much it is thinned and what is used to do it, thickness of application, etc. A painting can take as little as one - two days or six months or more to dry. 

So, put the canvas aside in a well ventilated room with minimal dust, and check it regularly - it is a slow process that can't be rushed after the painting is complete. However, Liquin can be added to the paints (mixed on the palette) to hasten drying. 

"*Well ventilated room*" is important for two reasons. Most obvious is the odor of linseed oil will be a constant reminder that the painting is there until it has all evaporated. Good ventilation will also hasten the drying process by carrying off the evaporating oil.


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## newbie (May 14, 2020)

Thank you for the detailed information. I appreciate your help!


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## Steve Neul (Jul 28, 2020)

Unless you plan to varnish the painting I would think the drying time would be just dry to touch. It can take six months for an oil painting to dry enough to put a clear coating over it but I don't see any reason the paint couldn't fully cure on the wall.


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## Arduy (May 31, 2020)

Hello newbie, I always put a final varnish on my oil paintings. I let them dry like Mullanphy indicates in his reply (excellent advice), for a minimum of six months before applying a final varnish. I really quite never dilute the oil paints that I use, unless they are too dense, and if I do, I use linseed oil, which (I think) lengthens the drying time of the oil paint even more. But then again, when I was young, I wasn't so strict: (in the 80s) I used to final varnish my paintings with Damar varnish when they were touch dry, and still now those paintings are in perfect shape.


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## Richardson111508 (Aug 15, 2020)

Newbie, I am new to this as well and have just painted my first few pieces. The first painting was done about two weeks ago using the same wet on wet method. It is still not dry to the touch, and I would say the layers were not very thick. By the way, if you like Bob Ross, you should check out Bill Alexander on YouTube!


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## Steve Neul (Jul 28, 2020)

Two weeks is a long time for the paint to still be wet to touch. I don't understand even wet over wet it could take that long. I did a painting yesterday and more than 90% dry to touch now. There was just a few spots where I globed the paint on that is still wet. If I leave paint on a palette from one weekend to the next the paint is hard. I had some paint that was more than 10 years old. It was thick and difficult to use but worked alright. I just threw it out because it was too much work to moisten. 

I'm more of a house painter than an art painter. Usually when a paint doesn't dry it's caused by a chemical reaction to something on the surface. If you are coating your canvas with a gesso or something you might make sure the two are compatible.


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