Artist Problems - Oil vs Acrylic vs Watercolor

Today’s Artist Problem is really an in-depth review of 3 of the most commonly used artist paints.  We talk pros, we talk cons, and hopefully help you make an informed decision about what medium to get started painting in or what medium you might want to try next. 
#ArtistProblems

[twenty-fifth]

Noob artist here, gonna list some timecodes for fellow new/inexperienced artists.

1:40 - Pros for Oils
4:15 - Con? (Oil takes long to dry, although phrased like a pro.)
6:05 - Cons (Officially)
8:50 - Basically an explanation on what a ‘pro’ or ‘con’ is, IE: Depends on Bias of Painter, Knowledge etc. Also more cons.
12:05 - Pros for Acrylics
19:16 - Cons for Acrylics
24:10 - Pros for Watercolors
27:20 - Cons for Watercolors

As for me? I am an economics and accounting double major. So art for me has always be a less pragmatic venture and more of a personal one.
But I never had a bias from my two years of art in high schools. Unlike the other things in highschool I tried and gave up on, only writing has stayed the same.
Yet now I have the issue of needing art for my stories. I wanted a medium that was portable as my writing setup. Something I can use to ‘sketchup’ or slowly paint a masterpiece without much hassle in trying to find a canvas.
Oh wait, that was Watercolor.
I like acrylics and oil, but I don’t have much space. But I do have a lot of time. So my choice was watercolor and considering how generally cheap it is to get started was the biggest factor. I dont even care if it takes a while, since I am doing this for my own pleasure.

If you wanted me to give you a sort of economics answer, I say Oil is the best if you wanna make money. If you crunch the data, Oil is the most expensive medium and as a writer, the most expensive for me to commission. Bar Digital which is rarely considered in videos like these but have clearly made an economic impact, Oil is the money maker. I usually spend the most on oil and sometimes digital so there is that to consider.
But if this were all about making money, I would say you would be better off doing something else. I say it is best to approach writing, art, music etc on your own terms. IE: Do it because you like it, not because you wanna make money.

[marcbryanart]

“If you are not relaxing you are doing it wrong.” “Don’t take yourself to serious.” Ugh. So true. Words I need to live by.

[donnamatthews]

I love using water mixable oils. They are the best of both worlds. Van Gough is my favorite, but nearly impossible to get in states. Drying time is slower than acrylic, faster than standard oil, good color saturation, easily mixed and so easy to clean up. Very little odor.

[sujanithtottempudi]

Haha... Oils are pregnant women of paints

[montygemma]

As somebody that's been painting for years I would advise anybody to learn about paint and pigments used in them. A lot of people advise against using student colours but for Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna/ Umber some student paints perform well. Also I use Winton Winsor Blue because it's strong enough, I've used the artist quality in this and it's too strong and has ruined a few mixes, so the student one suits me. For most primary colours though artist quality is a different animal altogether and much more preferable. But it's worth buying small tubes of certain paints to see how they work for you, it could save you quite a bit of money.

[LindaUrsin]

I prefer acrylics and watercolour for the ease of use and drying time. I don't have the patience for waiting a long time between layers and then even longer for it to dry. Plus, the one time I did try oils, I got nauseous despite being outdoors. And then there's the cost...

[cocoroach_ok]

Wow, this video's really good. Not like that other channel who's talking about acrylic vs oil vs watercolor stuff with an obvious bias and doesn't even talk more of the pros-cons.

[bertfarry]

Also remember acrylics are great for painting on non canvas substrates like mailboxes, milk cans, saws... Where watercolors and oils just don't work or can not survive the weather like acrylics

[SpottedBullet]

Acrylic is thermoplastic. On average it takes 1000 years for plastic to decompose. If you painted it properly, cracking is rare. M. Graham has probably the maximum amount of pigment load. Keep all your paintings out of UV light (even CFL) no matter the medium, and they should last. Besides, you'll be dead in 100 years, you won't care what happens to your stuff.


Protip: Buy a sta-wet palette. The paint will stay wet and you'll save a lot of money.

[alexandrawalters]

“Watering down the glue” — excellent example/analogy.

[tjduprey]

More shenanigans please! This was a great video. Look forward to Mike in the raw lol

[juliereis]

So funny what you said about watercolor because that’s what I started with, as a *relasxing* hobby lol. But you are so very right about all the pros and cons and about not taking ones self to 🤪🤪🤪🤪

[mjpete]

I have enjoyed this series and am a follower over on Itsmikenotjerry. I think you could continue this and show how different papers show up differently with a certain brand and how they are affected by different brands of watercolors. Or sanded papers for Pastels, different grits and how that effects your pictures. there are many combinations we would like to experiment with, but lack funds to try them all, why not do this for us? I know it maybe a bit repetitive and maybe not great theater but as a learning or advice tool it would be invaluable for your customers too. Well maybe you want everyone to buy multiples of product but there is a lot of choices and sometimes we just stick with what we know instead of branching out and trying the new paper or paper we know nothing about except what some other uninformed YouTuber has said. Well I hope someone reads this and passes the idea of continuing this series with the plethora of subjects and combinations to be experimented with/on there are plenty of topics to cover!

[chubbyjaydraws]

“Let’s not talk about the fly”
Me:It’s not my favorite Jeff Goldblum film either

[misisDK]

As a beginner, I find that I have more joy in painting with Acrylic because I have more sense of control compared to using watercolor paints. Also, I get excited that I can create texture with it using palette knives. On the other hand, I am in love with the final painting using watercolor—it gives me this warm nostalgic feeling after looking at it—which is less when I look at final painting using acrylic paints. Now, I don‘t know what medium to prioritize to further increase my painting skills. Advise is highly appreciated!

[mareneaufrance]

Sounds like acrylics are best medium for me. I live in small apartment. I'm very critical of my own paintings. I love your videos. Best of luck to you.

[gwenbardon]

Okay! I’ve done them all but currently I’m in an oil obsession! I’m achieving effects I never imagined. It’s taken me 6 months of constant work, however I’m a little worried about toxins. I’m also using cold wax with my oils. Thanks for the video. I will never leave oils.

[maria-doloresvazquez-abad]

Mike: You should consider a Jerry's Artarama paint along session in Boston, MA: would you come and lead a day (or a half-day) where amateur and professional artists can paint with you and your team using acrylics (or allow people to test WMO or watercolors)? It would be a nice event in Boston/Cambridge perhaps next Summer (2020)?

[StrictlyStarsky]

I love all three of them for different reasons, I also agree with all your prose and cons.

[gingerkelly]

Thank you for this video. Very informative and you are fun to watch. I find I smile a lot!! You are definitely fun and helpful!! Thank you for your knowledge!!