What is the difference between watercolor, oil, acrylic, and gouache paints?
The 3 major groups of paints are oil, acrylic, and watercolor. Watercolor and gouache tends to be the least expensive. Gouache is a fast-drying opaque watercolor, giving it the drying of a watercolor and the depth of an acrylic. Art created in oil tends to sell for the highest of the three although lately the distinction between oil and acrylic has lessened. Acrylic is a water-based paint, more opaque and slower drying than a watercolor. Many artists are using this medium rather than oil because it is faster drying than oil and does not require solvents for diluting or clean-up. The finished surface of acrylics is also non-porous. A disadvantage to acrylic is it will crack if subjected to below freezing conditions so care in winter should be considered. There is a recent trend of underpainting oil paintings with acrylics. Acrylics do not have the luminosity that oils create.
