Q&A for How to Dry Oil Paint Fast

Oil paint dries from the top the topmost layer down, so it can stay wet for weeks at a time. Sometimes, oil paints won't fully cure until up to 6 months after you're finished.

Yes; as a plastic-based paint, acrylic paint dries hard and dies hard.

Yes. Just don't let it heat your paint too much.

No; even at the lowest setting, the temperature would be too high. Use one of the methods in the article instead.

Yes, the UV light in sunlight actually helps the painting to dry much faster. I use a UV bulb over my paintings, and find they are dry to the touch in 5 - 20 minutes, depending on the thickness. Just be careful not to leave the paint in the light too long.

Yes, however, there is the risk of getting debris (such as dust or dirt) onto your painting.

Since linseed oil dries faster than other kinds of oil, mixing a little extra linseed oil with the paint on your palette can help speed the drying time of your painting. Mix your paint with a solvent like turpentine or Liquin.

Oil paint is typically a slow drying medium, but there are ways to make it dry quicker. One way is to use acrylic paint as a base. This sets the paint and makes it dry at a much faster pace. Also, you can paint in much thinner layers, which may sound pretty obvious, but it makes hardly any difference. I would definitely not recommend the Impasto method if you want to have your piece dry faster.

It's not the best. You need a place that is dry and has sunlight and some kind of airflow. Attics also tend to have a lot of dust, which could adhere to the wet paint.

You can, or better yet, leave it under sunlight (it will dry way faster). Sunlight is more effective than a bulb or heat lamp.

As long as oil paint stays wet, it can always be worked with. Be careful painting with a different color over the section you'd like to add detail to, as the wet colors may mix and become muddy and dirty.

There's generally no good way to close a painting without sacrificing good airflow over the painting. I'd recommend placing the painting as far as possible from any window, wall or even the ground. These surfaces tend to collect dust faster.

If you use normal layers, about 24 hours minimum. It could also take up to 12 days. I once had a painting that took 6 days to dry before I could work with it again. It depends on the thickness, the humidity and the brand of paint.

Yes. This is recommended if you would like to create depth or want a less transparent look to the paint layer.

It isn't able to dry that quickly because that is the nature of oil paints. It will take months to dry. So expect to wait a lot longer, or try some of the mediums suggested in the article above.

Most UV light that is easy to find is UV-A. It is bad for your eyes if pointed directly at them and will cause "sunburns" with prolonged exposure but is relatively safe. It is more potent and dangerous the further down the alphabet you go. UV-C is stronger than sunlight on Earth.