Oils vs. Acrylics: My Goldfinch

[Ocelot II]

I am now satisfied that acrylic paint is just not my thing and I can't get it to work the way I want. After watching a video series on how to paint birds I decided to take a crack at it without having to deal with the slow drying time of oils or the tricky transparency of water color - so, acrylics. This was the result:



I wasn't satisfied with it - couldn't get the detail or subtler colors I wanted, so I tried it again in oils. It took a lot longer but I think it came out better (and the underlying drawing was better on the second try):



What do you think?

[Joinfortmill]

1. Both beautiful. Oil is more subtle

[Diamond_Dog]

2. I dunno, Ocelot ...

I like both and that’s the honest truth. Each one has a different quality to it. Maybe the work in oils has a softer appearance but it’s very subtle. Obviously the yellows are different, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you prefer oils, then you do you! Your artwork is superb.

[Bluethroughu]

4. I totally agree both excellent in different ways.

1st comes across more folks art.

2nd more portrait

Both = Beautiful

[rainy]

3. The oil is way better if shooting for the most realistic

rendering. You are a fantastic painter!

[Goddessartist]

5. Really lovely!

I do prefer the oil version. You could also paint in oils on top of your acrylics, as quite a few artists do.

I prefer oils, but mainly have done acrylics, with several layers of translucent paint, which gives the impression at times, of oils. That's when I was painting for a living for a short while.

I have taken as well to painting my sculptures with oils rather than acrylics.

Keep on painting! Absolutely beautiful work!

[brush]

6. Have you tried retarder to slow drying time of the acrylics? You can even save a mixed color...

on a pallet cover with aluminum foil to use the next day.

Also there's Neo-McGilp, another medium that gives acrylics a thicker viscosity to create great textures that can be worked with a brush or painting knives.

[Ocelot II]

7. I have a pretty big collection of oil paints and only a small set of acrylics,

so I hesitate to spend money buying more acrylics or mediums when I probably won't use them much - I just don't care much for the way acrylics feel or what seem to me to be excessively bright colors. I probably wouldn't use a thickener either because I don't use a palette knife or any highly-textured technique. Will probably stick to oils.

[brush]

8. I get it. The two mediums work differently. My suggestions are for painters...

using acrylics.

[bif]

9. They're both beautiful

And having seen the bird in the flesh, I actually think the acrylic version looks more like the real thing. I know everyone is going to jump all over me and call me a heretic. But that's my opinion.

[CTyankee]

10. I'm an art historian, but not an artist. Honestly, I like the first one best.

By coincidence, I was just looking at Fabritius' version, which I have always liked.