You might not realize that traditional oil paints can take weeks to dry, substantially slowing your creative process. That’s where fast-drying alkyd oils come in—they’re game-changers for professional artists who refuse to sacrifice quality for speed. We’ve compiled seven top-tier options that’ll transform your workflow, but there’s more to selecting the right one than you’d think.
Quick Overview
- Alkyd-based oil paints like Griffin reach touch-dry in 24 hours, accelerating drying time by roughly 50% compared to traditional oils.
- Professional artists favor fast-drying oils for impasto work and layering techniques, enabling multiple sessions without extended waiting periods between applications.
- Winsor & Newton products maintain exceptional permanence with AA ratings and resist yellowing, preserving vibrant colors throughout the painting’s lifespan.
- Fast-drying mediums smooth brushwork while increasing gloss, transparency, and drying speed without compromising the paint’s opaque coverage or pigment quality.
- Building balanced color palettes with opaque hues like Titanium White and muted earth tones like Terre Verte provides versatile mixing capabilities.
| Winsor & Newton Artisan Fast Drying Medium 250ml (8.4-oz) bottle |
| Best Overall Medium | Product Type: Fast-drying medium | Drying Time: ~50% faster than standard oil colors | Size/Volume: 250ml (8.4 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Titanium White |
| Professional White Standard | Product Type: Fast-drying oil paint (single color) | Drying Time: Touch dry in 24 hours | Size/Volume: 37ml (1.25 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Titanium White |
| Premium Bulk Option | Product Type: Fast-drying oil paint (single color) | Drying Time: Touch dry in 24 hours | Size/Volume: 200ml (6.75 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Terre Verte |
| Versatile Earth Tone | Product Type: Fast-drying oil paint (single color) | Drying Time: Touch dry in 24 hours | Size/Volume: 37ml (1.25 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Beginners Set |
| Best For Beginners | Product Type: Fast-drying oil paint set | Drying Time: Touch dry in 24 hours | Size/Volume: 6 x 37ml tubes | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Fast Drying Oil Painting Medium 3.38 fl. oz |
| Budget-Friendly Pick | Product Type: Fast-drying medium | Drying Time: 1-2 days (when added at 6% to paint) | Size/Volume: 100ml (3.38 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Lamp Black |
| Deep Rich Black | Product Type: Fast-drying oil paint (single color) | Drying Time: Touch dry in 24 hours | Size/Volume: 37ml (1.25 oz) | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
More Details on Our Top Picks
Winsor & Newton Artisan Fast Drying Medium 250ml (8.4-oz) bottle
If you’re an oil painter who values precision and doesn’t want to wait days between glazing layers, Winsor & Newton’s Artisan Fast Drying Medium is your solution. This 250ml bottle accelerates drying time by roughly 50%, letting you layer colors efficiently. You’ll appreciate how it smooths brushwork while increasing gloss and transparency—perfect for fine detail work and glazing techniques. The medium resists yellowing, ensuring your colors remain vibrant over time. With a 4.6-star rating and ranking in the top 250 art paints, professionals trust this product. Whether you’re working indoors or outdoors, this fast-drying formula eliminates frustrating delays without compromising quality.
- Product Type:Fast-drying medium
- Drying Time:~50% faster than standard oil colors
- Size/Volume:250ml (8.4 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:Not specified
- Application/Use:Glazing, smoothing brushwork, fine detail
- Additional Feature:Increases gloss and transparency
- Additional Feature:Resistant to yellowing
- Additional Feature:50% faster drying speed
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Titanium White
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Titanium White is ideal for artists who can’t wait around for their paint to cure. This fast-drying formula reaches touch-dry status in just 24 hours, dramatically accelerating your workflow. You’ll appreciate the opaque coverage and brilliant white pigment (PW6) that won’t compromise your color mixing. As a Series 1 paint, it’s affordably priced without sacrificing quality. The 37ml tube offers excellent value for experimentation or professional work. With AA permanence rating and ASTM D4281 compliance, you’re investing in archival-quality paint. Whether you’re layering glazes or building up impasto textures, this alkyd delivers reliable performance and consistent results.
- Product Type:Fast-drying oil paint (single color)
- Drying Time:Touch dry in 24 hours
- Size/Volume:37ml (1.25 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:AA (excellent)
- Application/Use:Quick sessions, general painting
- Additional Feature:ASTM D4281 conformance
- Additional Feature:Series 1 professional grade
- Additional Feature:AA permanence rating
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Titanium White
For artists who need vibrant coverage that dries in hours rather than days, the Griffin Alkyd line delivers exceptional results without compromising on quality. You’ll appreciate the Titanium White’s opaque finish and superior permanence rating of AA, ensuring your work won’t fade or yellow over time. This 200ml tube contains PW6 pigment, conforming to ASTM D4291 standards. The Series 1 classification indicates an affordable price point without sacrificing performance. Whether you’re underpainting, creating highlights, or mixing custom tones, this Titanium White gives you reliable, fast-drying versatility that professional artists depend on for efficient workflow and lasting results.
- Product Type:Fast-drying oil paint (single color)
- Drying Time:Touch dry in 24 hours
- Size/Volume:200ml (6.75 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:AA (excellent)
- Application/Use:Quick sessions, general painting
- Additional Feature:Larger 200ml tube size
- Additional Feature:ASTM D4291 conformance
- Additional Feature:AA permanence rating
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Terre Verte
Artists seeking to complete oil paintings within a single session will appreciate the Griffin Alkyd’s rapid drying time—you’re looking at touch-dry results in just 24 hours. Terre Verte delivers a muted, earthy green that’s indispensable for creating natural landscape tones and subtle atmospheric effects. This opaque pigment, composed of PG7 and PG23, offers exceptional permanence with an AA rating, ensuring your work withstands time. The 37ml tube provides ample color for detailed work or glazing layers. You’ll find this Series 1 paint conforms to ASTM D4279 standards, guaranteeing quality and reliability. Whether you’re blocking in foliage or building atmospheric depth, Terre Verte accelerates your workflow without compromising professional results.
- Product Type:Fast-drying oil paint (single color)
- Drying Time:Touch dry in 24 hours
- Size/Volume:37ml (1.25 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:AA (excellent)
- Application/Use:Quick sessions, general painting
- Additional Feature:Ideal for thick impasto
- Additional Feature:Dual pigment composition
- Additional Feature:24-hour touch dry
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Beginners Set
If you’re looking to get started with oil painting without waiting days for layers to dry, this set’s got you covered. The Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Beginners Set includes six essential colors in 37ml tubes that touch dry within 24 hours, perfect for building momentum in your practice sessions. You’ll work with Winsor Lemon, Permanent Rose, Phthalo Blue, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White, and Ivory Black—a versatile palette for mixing virtually any hue. These fast-drying alkyds excel at thick impasto work and underpainting, letting you layer confidently without extended waiting periods. At an accessible price point with stellar 5-star ratings, this set removes barriers for beginners exploring oil painting seriously.
- Product Type:Fast-drying oil paint set
- Drying Time:Touch dry in 24 hours
- Size/Volume:6 x 37ml tubes
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:Not individually specified
- Application/Use:Thick impasto, underpainting, beginner use
- Additional Feature:Six essential colors included
- Additional Feature:Beginner-friendly starter set
- Additional Feature:5.0 star customer rating
Fast Drying Oil Painting Medium 3.38 fl. oz
This 3.38 fl. oz medium is your solution when you’re working on tight deadlines or don’t want to wait days between layers. You’ll add just dropwise amounts—no more than 6% per oil color—to dramatically accelerate drying times to one or two days. The medium doesn’t just speed things up; it’ll enhance your color vibrancy and finish quality while smoothing application and minimizing brush strokes. It’s compatible with virtually any oil paint you’re using. Whether you’re restoring classical work, creating fine art, or pursuing painting as a hobby, this independently tested, ISO 17025 accredited medium delivers economical, reliable results that professional and amateur artists alike depend on.
- Product Type:Fast-drying medium
- Drying Time:1-2 days (when added at 6% to paint)
- Size/Volume:100ml (3.38 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Generic/Unspecified
- Permanence Rating:Not specified
- Application/Use:Medium additive for color enhancement
- Additional Feature:ISO 17025 lab tested
- Additional Feature:Maximum 6% ratio usage
- Additional Feature:Canadian safety certified
Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paint Lamp Black
For painters who need reliable results without sacrificing drying time, Winsor & Newton’s Griffin Alkyd line delivers exceptional performance. The Lamp Black variety offers you a dependable, opaque pigment (PBk6) that touches dry in just 24 hours. You’ll appreciate its Series 1 classification, which reflects both quality and affordability. This 37ml tube conforms to ASTM D4260 standards, ensuring archival permanence rated AA. Whether you’re blocking in shadows or creating bold accents, this fast-drying formula lets you layer confidently without extended waiting periods between applications.
- Product Type:Fast-drying oil paint (single color)
- Drying Time:Touch dry in 24 hours
- Size/Volume:37ml (1.25 oz)
- Brand/Manufacturer:Winsor & Newton
- Permanence Rating:AA (excellent)
- Application/Use:Quick sessions, general painting
- Additional Feature:ASTM D4260 conformance
- Additional Feature:PBk6 color index
- Additional Feature:Opaque coverage quality
Factors to Consider When Choosing Fast Drying Oil Paint
You’ll want to balance drying speed with paint quality and permanence, since faster-drying formulas don’t always guarantee archival results. Consider your color needs against available mediums that’ll enhance compatibility and workability without compromising your budget. Ultimately, you’re matching drying time, pigment quality, color selection, medium options, and cost to find the fast-drying oil paint that fits your specific artistic requirements.
Drying Speed and Time
When you’re deciding between fast drying oil paints, understanding how quickly they’ll dry becomes essential to your workflow. Fast drying formulas can reduce drying time by up to 50% compared to traditional oil paints, with touch dry times typically reaching around 24 hours.
Alkyd oil paints stand out as an excellent option, utilizing synthetic resins to accelerate the drying process dramatically. You can further customize your drying speed by adding painting mediums to your base paint, giving you greater control over your project timeline.
Don’t overlook environmental factors either. You’ll notice that proper ventilation and humidity levels vastly impact how quickly your fast drying oils cure. By controlling these conditions, you’ll optimize your painting schedule and maintain consistent results across projects.
Paint Quality and Permanence
Quality and permanence ratings directly influence how your paintings’ll hold up over decades. You’ll want to select fast-drying oils with higher permanence ratings, as they’re more resistant to fading, yellowing, and deterioration. Look for paints conforming to industry standards like ASTM D4281, which guarantee quality, lightfastness, and safety.
Consider opacity and transparency alongside permanence—these properties affect your ability to achieve specific artistic effects and techniques. Transparent pigments behave differently than opaque ones, influencing your layering strategies and final results.
You should also evaluate how drying time and viscosity impact your workflow. While fast-drying formulas accelerate your process, they must sustain the quality standards you demand. Finally, store and handle your paints properly to preserve their longevity and maintain consistent performance across your work.
Color Range and Selection
Different brands offer vastly different color ranges, so it is critical to assess what palette’ll best suit your artistic vision and technical needs. When selecting fast drying oil paints, you’ll want to evaluate pigment type, opacity, and tinting strength carefully. These factors directly impact how colors perform in your work.
Build a balanced collection combining opaque and transparent hues. This mix enhances your layering and glazing capabilities considerably. Consider incorporating both warm and cool color palettes to maximize versatility across diverse projects. Specialty colors like metallics offer additional creative possibilities.
Permanence and lightfastness deserve your attention too. Verify that your chosen colors resist fading over time, ensuring your finished pieces remain vibrant for decades. Quality fast drying oils from reputable manufacturers provide superior color stability and longevity.
Medium Compatibility Options
Beyond selecting the right colors, you’ll need to ponder which mediums work best with your fast drying oil paints. Alkyd-based mediums are your ideal choice, as they’re specifically formulated to complement alkyd oil paints and further expedite drying time. Solvent-containing mediums also help thin your paint and accelerate the process, though you’ll need adequate ventilation when using them. Avoid acrylic mediums entirely—they’re incompatible with oil paints and can create serious adhesion problems. Gel mediums offer texture and viscosity increases without drastically affecting drying time, making them useful for specific techniques rather than overall speed enhancement. Matching your medium to your paint type guarantees favorable results and prevents compatibility issues that could compromise your finished work.
Budget and Value
When you’re shopping for fast drying oil paint mediums, you’ll quickly notice the price spectrum ranges from budget-friendly to premium options. Your available budget should guide your selection while ensuring you get genuine value.
Cheaper mediums often compromise on quality or performance, whereas higher-end products deliver enhanced effects and superior capabilities. Don’t automatically assume the lowest price offers the best deal. Instead, calculate the cost per volume or per use to determine true value.
Balance your financial constraints with the specific features you actually need. Consider whether you prioritize quick drying times, color vibrancy, or specialized effects. By aligning your budget with your artistic requirements, you’ll find the fast drying oil medium that delivers ideal results without unnecessary expense.
Application and Finish Type
Your choice of finish type—gloss, satin, or matte—fundamentally shapes how your artwork looks and feels. Gloss mediums enhance sheen and transparency, creating vibrant, luminous surfaces that draw the eye. Matte mediums produce flatter, more subdued finishes, making them perfect for underpaintings and preliminary sketches.
Fast-drying oil paints excel at impasto work and layering techniques. Their quick drying time lets you build multiple layers in a single session without waiting between applications. You’ll appreciate how this accelerates your creative process. Consider your intended aesthetic carefully: glossy finishes command attention, while matte surfaces offer sophistication and subtlety.
Your specific technique also matters. If you’re layering complex compositions, fast-drying formulas paired with appropriate mediums give you unprecedented control and flexibility.
Brand Reputation and Reliability
Selecting a trustworthy brand matters considerably when investing in fast-drying oil paints. You’ll want to examine customer reviews, industry awards, and professional endorsements to gauge quality and reliability. Established brands typically invest more resources in product testing and quality control, giving you greater confidence in consistency.
Consider checking warranty policies and customer service responsiveness—they reveal how companies stand behind their products. You should also evaluate whether brands prioritize environmental sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices, as these reflect their values and commitment to responsible production.
Researching a brand’s track record helps you avoid disappointment and verifies you’re purchasing paints that deliver the performance you need for professional-quality results.
