ENGLISH
REFERENCE

oil paint

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate
Definition

n. a type of thick paint made by mixing colored powder with oil. It dries very slowly, which lets an artist change or blend colors over several days.

n. a slow-drying medium consisting of pigment particles suspended in a drying oil, typically linseed oil. Used extensively in fine art since the Renaissance for its richness of color and capacity for layered applications.


SIMPLE

He prefers oil paint because it allows for smooth blending.

CONTEXTUAL

The artist spent several months on the portrait, taking advantage of the slow drying time of oil paint to refine the skin tones.

COMPLEX

Traditional oil paint requires a solvent like turpentine for thinning and cleanup, as the linseed oil base is not water-soluble and hardens through oxidation rather than evaporation.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the medium in general; countable when referring to specific tubes or varieties of the substance.

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