A common misconception is that water-mixable oil paints are water-based. Rather they are water-soluble, which means they can be washed away with water without need for solvents such as white spirits. They are just like regular oil paints, except that they are made with an emulsifier that enables the oil paints to be thinned with water and to be cleaned using only water.

Let’s begin with the benefits of water-mixable oil paints:

Less fumes – this is one of the main benefits of water-mixable oil paints and this is what makes them such a perfect fit for the classroom/studio setting.

Don’t require white spirit –  You can remove the smell of white spirit out of your workspace. Not only making your space more pleasant but also ensuring that no allergies are triggered. They are also more friendly for the environment because you aren’t needing to pour solvents down the drain in order to clean your equipment.

Budget saving – You will save on additional mediums and solvents for thinning and cleaning. More on the actual cost of the paint later in the article.

Saves brushes – strong solvents like turpentine and white spirits are harder on brushes than water. Whereas, if you are washing the brushes with soap and water it keeps bristles supple.

Quicker drying time – the water-mixable oil paints are dry within 1-5 days depending on the thickness of the layers of paint applied to a piece of work and even quicker when mixed with water. This is ideal in a classroom situation as it means that students can have work finished quicker.

Layering colours – Because the paint dries quickly this makes the layering process quicker and easier.

Although manufacturers say it’s safe to intermix these paints with other media (watercolour, acrylic, alkyd), however this would alter the properties such as drying time etc.

Things to consider with water-mixable oil paints – 

• Water-mixable oils do not have the same glossy finish of traditional oils, but a final varnish can be added to replicate this look.
• Water-mixable oils tend to dry darker than they appear when wet, which is important to take into consideration while working on a painting.
• Water-mixable oils may not appear as opaque and vibrant as traditional oils when thinned with a lot of water.
• Too much oil can cause paint to be unstable and too much water or medium can cause water mixable paint to crack as it dries; similar issues can occur with traditional oils as well.

So, to conclude water-mixable oil paints are a good alternative and have a number of benefits such as drying quicker, being safer and making the studio or classroom environment healthier.

Costs and brand options:

We offer 2 brands of water-mixable oil paints:

Winsor and Newton Artisan & Daler Rowney Georgian Water-Mixable

The cost of these compared with traditional oil paints –

*These prices are correct of 3/23

As a standalone product the water mixable variants are more expensive however, once you have factored in that they don’t require any extra mediums to clean up, then water mixable can bring in savings. Also, no price can be put on having a safe and healthy environment for your students.

**Top tip - Linseed oil works wonders for reviving dried water-mixable oils on your palette.**

Tips:

•  When using water-mixable oils, you should paint fat over lean, just like with traditional oils.
• Paint texture and viscosity can vary greatly across brands, but a couple of drops of oil can make thicker water mixable oils indistinguishable from traditional oil paints. If a paint is too sticky or thick straight out of the tube, just add a 1-2 drops of linseed oil at a time, until you achieve the consistency you desire.
• Water-mixable oils work well for impasto and result in a nice thick texture when applied with a palette knife—just like traditional oils.
• You may also use water-mixable compatible mediums to thin the paint or change its viscosity.

I trust this article helps to gain a bit more of an insight into solvent free, water-soluble oil paints, and answers a few questions/ concerns as to their quality.