Artists have worked in oil for centuries, and it’s stayed one of the most loved mediums for a reason - the richness and depth are hard to get any other way.
Oil paint dries slowly, unlike acrylic, which means an artist can build a painting up gradually, layer by layer. Each new layer sits on top of the last and interacts with it, and that’s really where the depth comes from.
Texture is a big part of it too. Applied thickly, oil paint holds visible brushstrokes on the canvas - marks that carry the artist’s hand and shift depending on how the light in the room hits them.
That’s a big part of why oil paintings feel so alive in a space. As the light changes through the day, the colours and texture shift with it, so the piece looks slightly different every time you look at it.
An oil painting keeps changing long after the last brushstroke. The layers, texture and colour give it a presence that brings warmth into whatever room it’s in.
Read more: How long does an oil painting last?, or browse JAN’s available paintings.