Studio business - Paint!

I use three types of paint, used across all genres I paint in, so I thought you might like the details!

Acrylic; I never use acrylics to paint an entire painting but they are useful for some things. Firstly, as a ground just to tint the canvas, and for the initial drawing. I also often used acrylics to paint a basic block in. This has two advantages, firstly they dry within the hour, so I can get on with the oils quickly, and secondly, especially when I'm using a panel, they help to seal the panel to readily accept oils. However, I now use oils to paint the block in and just leave it until it's dry...no particular reason for the change really. I also occasionally use a white acrylic paint as a gesso or texture for a canvas or panel.

Linseed Oils; Standard oil paint, with a linseed oil binder, from Daler & Rowney. I use these on nearly all of my still-life and anywhere when I need time to blend. Lovely paints to work with, great colour and texture. The only problem is drying time...around 5- 7 days between layers if you're using it thickly and straight from the tube, so if I'm in a hurry I will use an alkyd medium (liquin) or mix them with alkyd oils which helps to cut down the drying time.

Alkyd oils; Oils from Winsor & Newton, with an alkyd binder. I use these for nearly all of my landscapes, as the fast drying time means that they dry overnight. Used in thin washes they dry even faster and I can accomplish a lot of work in a day using these. Admittedly, they take time to get used to, they don't really act like traditional oils, but nonetheless, they are wonderful paints when you get used to them.