How long for artist oils to dry?

Depending on the brand of oil paint and environmental conditions, anywhere from 10 hours to 3-4 weeks (though I have heard cases of it taking longer). Its mainly dependent on the linseed oil used for the emulsion and any drying agents mixed in. You can do a couple of tricks to speed up drying time. You can put the figure near a light and let the heat of the light speed up some of the drying time. Some artists use a crock pot as a sort of curing oven. (These are low temperatures, you want to dry and cure the paint not melt or cook the figure). You can lay your paint out on brown paper and allow the paper to wick out some of the linseed oil. Use thinner as a medium or emulsion to blend and thin the paint. The thinner evaporates or drys faster than the oil does.
The advantage of oils far outweighs the long drying times in my opinion. You can work on a section for days if you like with oils. They are easier to blend rather than layer. They are a nice media for doing flesh areas. And are easier to clean up oops.

I use a 60w incandescent bulb as a dryer for my figures, when I paint them in oils.  I have an old gooseneck desk lamp, which makes it easy to position over the figure.

As to using crock pots, I've talked to guys who do, and several have said they use the smaller crock pots that are made as potpourri dispensers.  As was noted before, it's low heat, to dry the oil paint gradually.  Too hot, and you can crack/craze the paint surface.

I also seen drying boxes, which use incandescent bulbs placed in a large wooden box, or cardboard, like a copier paper box, and that allows concentrating the warmth.

Hope that helps!

Regards,

Brad

If memory serves, lighter colors take longer to dry than darks.

I checked the figure again. That garbage is still greasy and wet like warm butter. Wait 10 weeks for it to dry, if it dries at all?

I think I'm wiping it off. I can't work like that.

BTW, since I'm new to oils I used it straight from the tube, no thinner added. It seemed like a perfect consistency for "blending" the colors I tried to achieve...

If you thin your oils on a palette with enamel reducer instead of using them straight from the tube they dry much quicker on small detail areas like goggles...  Add the light-box or lamp to the equation and it's only an hour or so...

von Hammer, is such a light box being offered as a commerical product anywhere?

Also, what do you mean by an "enamel reducer"? Mineral spirits OK?

I heard a story once that oil paints from some of the great masterpieces are still wet underneath.  Don't know how true that is, maybe just urban legend.

my oil paints dry to the touch within 24 to 48 hours. if you are putting it on thick then of course it will take much longer for them to dry. i apply my paint then wisk as much of it "off" as i can the thiness will still cover a figure or whatever and will dry much more quickly!

MonsterZero wrote:

I checked the figure again. That garbage is still greasy and wet like warm butter. Wait 10 weeks for it to dry, if it dries at all? I think I'm wiping it off. I can't work like that. BTW, since I'm new to oils I used it straight from the tube, no thinner added. It seemed like a perfect consistency for "blending" the colors I tried to achieve...

I'll second Hammer's comment and add, I almost never use oil paints right out of the tube to paint figures.  In fact, I've only used them right out of the tube when I was applying a filter to fade the finish on an aircraft model.  I always cut the paint with thinner, either mineral spirits, turpentine or turpenoid.  I also add a wax medium, to cut the gloss of the final product.  If you don't cut the paint, it's like using Testor's square bottle gloss enamels on a surface, I think.

MonsterZero wrote:

von Hammer, is such a light box being offered as a commerical product anywhere? Also, what do you mean by an "enamel reducer"? Mineral spirits OK?

Sorry to jump in again on a comment directed to another, but I'll suggest that it's relatively simple to build a drying box.  It can be as elaborate as one made of wood, with one or more sockets installed for several light bulbs, or you could take a large cardboard box, like a copier paper box, for example, cut a small hole in the side for the power cord, and put a little nightstand light or table lamp in the box.  Better to do it yourself and save the cash, unless you can't, which is OK, too.

Regards,

Brad

von Hammer, is such a light box being offered as a commerical product anywhere?

Might be, however, I don't know MZ.. I concurr wit' Baron, as I never buy anything I can build, borrow, or steal, lol..

Also, what do you mean by an "enamel reducer"? Mineral spirits OK?

Enamel Reducer is just automotive-grade enamel thinner...  I buy the stuff by the gallon at a local auto parts store.  But mineral spirits should work ok... Frankly, anything that will work for mixing or thinning enamels shouls work for oils..

Re: How long for artist oils to dry?

~Anywhere between 1 hour & forever

~Long enough for every piece of dust & fuzz floating through the air in your hobby room to stick to the carefully painted surface of your work

~Too long for me

A fan will help as well, contrary to popular belief. All paints go through two phases- drying and curing. Drying is when the thinners/reducers/solvents evaporate out. Curing is when the film itself hardens, usually by oxidation. With acrylics, both phases happen in a relatively short period- usually within a day. (This is why you don't apply masking tape to freshly applied acrylics- they may be dry to the touch, but if the paint hasn't cured yet, it'll lift up easily.)

Oil paints cure through oxidation- the fat in the linseed oil combines with oxygen to form a tough film. Circulating the air around curing oils (providing more oxygen for oxidation) will speedthe process. And if you have a heater fan, so much the better, as oxidation happens faster at warmer temperatures.

Thinning also speeds things up, after a fashion. Thinned paint will have less linseed oil, and the thinner the film of oil, the less there is to cure, and so it will take less time. (Technically it takes as long as unthinned oil paint, but since there is less, the end of the process is reached faster.)

I Picked a good sized set from Hobby Lobby made by Reeeves, with a 40% coupon was under 7 bucks. Even when I use it straight from the tube it dries in a couple of days while just sitting  on my bench.

I've used Japan Drier as a thinner, dries the oils within 24 hours. A dab is all it takes. You can find it in any art store, as well as Hobby Lobby. In some cases, it can even dry the paints sitting on my palette. That depends on the hue. Cures within a few days.

There's also the Alkyd line of oils. These dry in about 24 hours. Cure pretty quickly thereafter.

As Indy pointed out, oils certainly do catch dust. This is why I bought a small 3-shelf display cabinet from a thrift shop, and use it as a drying box.