While Paints Dry

March 24, 2025


Oil paintings, in particular, are no rush. They require time to breathe, to build, and to come into their own. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to simply stand around waiting. In fact, the drying time should be seen as an opportunity to keep moving, to keep creating, and to stay in the flow of artistic expression. Here’s why.

Part of the Process

Oil paints are different from other mediums. The drying time can take days, weeks, or even months depending on the layers, thickness, and type of paint used. This is not a flaw—this is part of the medium’s charm. The slowness allows for incredible depth and richness that other quicker-drying paints simply cannot achieve.

But this long drying period isn’t just about waiting for the paint to solidify. It’s a time for reflection. As the paint dries, the work reveals itself in layers. Some details may become clearer, while others may need further attention. This natural pause in the creative process allows the artist to step back and assess, adjust, and refine—something that’s particularly crucial in oil painting, where the material's inherent slow pace forces the artist to stay engaged with every subtle nuance.

However, while you’re waiting for one piece to dry, this doesn’t mean you should let your momentum fade. It’s easy to fall into a lull, only focusing on one piece at a time. Instead, staying productive during this phase will not only help you manage your time more effectively, but it’ll keep your creativity sharp and flowing.

Keep the Flow Going

One of the biggest traps an artist can fall into is letting one painting take over their entire focus. While it’s important to be invested in your work, waiting for one painting to be completed before moving on to the next can feel like a momentum killer. It’s tempting to think you need to wait until the last brushstroke is in place before starting something fresh—but that’s not how creativity works.

In reality, keeping a consistent flow of new work keeps ideas fresh. When one project is in the drying stage, dive into another. Start sketching, work on a study, or try a completely new approach or subject matter. Working on multiple pieces at once allows your brain to avoid burnout and keeps the excitement alive. When you move between different works, you allow each piece to evolve in its own time, while you’re still putting fresh energy into the next one.

It also helps avoid the trap of perfectionism. Oil paintings can be detailed, meticulous, and time-consuming, but by working on several pieces in parallel, you reduce the pressure on any single work to be “perfect.” Each piece is an exploration, and not every work needs to be a finished masterpiece. Some will have moments of brilliance, others may need more time or tweaking. But by keeping your hand in multiple pots, your ideas will remain nimble and adaptable. You’ll grow as an artist and avoid stagnation.

Fresh Ideas and Evolving Concepts

When you allow your work to develop in a consistent flow, something amazing happens: your ideas evolve. Working on multiple pieces not only sharpens your technical skills but also helps you discover new themes and concepts. You’ll notice patterns or develop new ideas by simply switching between canvases or ideas.

For example, the texture of one painting might inspire a different kind of brushwork in another. A color palette you try on one piece might guide your choices for a future one. The subconscious process of letting one idea flow into another leads to a natural evolution, which is something that happens when you give yourself permission to keep working. Sometimes the best breakthroughs don’t come from a single piece but from an accumulation of smaller, consistent efforts.

Moreover, with fresh work constantly being created, you build a bank of new ideas and potential collaborations. You begin to see connections between your works, whether that’s in style, subject matter, or a technique you want to explore further.

Embrace the Waiting Period

Embrace the waiting period. Don’t just stand around waiting for your oils to dry, feeling that you’re at a standstill. Instead, consider it a vital part of your creative process—one that provides space for reflection, development, and new work. While your current painting rests on the easel, you can be sketching out the framework for the next one, thinking about the materials you want to explore, or imagining where your art could go next.

As an artist, momentum is everything. Letting one work sit while you begin something new ensures that your flow doesn’t break. Oil painting might take time, but with each moment of waiting, there’s a chance to keep ideas fresh, your skills sharp, and your creative voice strong.