Painting with pigments and a medium of drying oil as the binder is known as oil painting. Linseed oil, poppy seed oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil are all common drying oils. Depending on the colors and effects required, an artist may use multiple different oils in a single painting.

Artists’ oil colors are prepared by combining dry powder pigments with selected refined linseed oil to form a stiff paste, which is then ground in steel roller mills by severe friction. It’s crucial to keep the color consistent. The standard is a buttery, smooth paste that isn’t stringy, lengthy, or tacky. A liquid painting medium is used when the artist requires a more fluid or mobile quality.