Dry oil paint more quickly with additives.
The best way to speed the drying time of a base of oil paint on your painting is to use additives. Cobalt drier is added directly to a pre-mixed oil painting medium and will decrease drying time considerably. It must be used sparingly, however, as too much can damage a painting. Alkyd resin mediums can be mixed directly with oil paint. A layer of paint applied without impasto (a thick build up) can dry overnight.
Instructions
1. Mix up the cobalt drier by adding one drop of the drier to an ounce of oil painting medium. If you are instead using alkyd medium, you can proceed directly to Step 2, as it can be used right out of the container and mixed with your paint.
2. Mix the base paint to your desired color.
3. Add either the medium mixed with cobalt drier or the alkyd medium to your mixed base paint. Use only a few drops at a time until you get the right consistency and opacity. Adding more of either drying medium will make the paint mixture dry faster, but the paint will be more diluted and less opaque. Only you can determine the right balance for your painting and schedule.
4. Apply the base coat of mixed drying medium and paint to your painting. Oil paint is somewhat responsive to atmospheric conditions; if the room is warm and dry, you will see slightly quicker drying times. However, the medium and paint application density are far more important factors.
