Why Oil Paint Still Wins in 2025

Every few years, someone declares oil paint dead. Acrylics are faster. Digital is infinitely undoable. And yet — oil persists.

The Case for Slow

Oil dries slowly. That's the feature, not the bug. The extended working time lets you blend, scrape, glaze, and reconsider. It rewards the painter who thinks in layers.

Acrylics lock you in. Digital lets you ctrl+Z your way out of decisions. Oil forces commitment — but slowly, kindly.

The Surface

Nothing catches light like oil on linen. The paint film, once cured, has a depth that print and screen can't reproduce. Collectors know this. That's why originals hold value.

The Ritual

There's something about setting up a palette — laying out titanium white, raw umber, cadmium yellow — that shifts your mental state. Oil painting has a ceremony to it. That ceremony is part of the work.

The Verdict

Use whatever medium fits the work. But if you've never given oil a serious run, start with a limited palette (white, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue) and one good brush. You'll understand the persistence within a week.