How Long Does Bob Ross Wet-On-Wet Oil Painting Take to Dry?

Wet on wet oil painting technique focuses on painting wet layer on layer. So it takes a good amount of time to dry compared with other oil paintings. Generally, wet-on-wet paint dries time 10-90 hours on gesso-primed canvas. 

However, it can take more time to dry due to different factors. 

Slow drying is not bad for oil painting because oil paint dries slowly and naturally. And after dry paint, it sticks hard and lasts longer than other types of painting.  

In this article, I will explain the following:

1. What are the different factors for wet on wet oil paint dry time?
2. How to check if the paint is completely dry?
3. How to make dry painting faster.
4. Bad method for dry painting.

What are the different factors for wet on wet oil painting dry time?

There are some very common reasons which are responsible for paint dry time.

Paint thickness

If the paint is thick, it takes a long time to dry. On the other hand, thin paint dries faster. So thick to thin strongly affects dry time.

Wind

Wind helps paint dry. Less wind dries slower, and good wind dries faster.

Weather

In warm weather, sunny days help dry faster, and cold weather makes the paint dry slower.

Canvas

Canvas condition and type help paint dry time. 

Color pigment

There are different oil color pigments. Some dry faster, like within 2 days, the same take around 5 days, and some take more than 5 days.

Paint brand

Different paint brand manufacturers paint from different mediums. And it makes the dry time difference. Linseed oil dries faster than walnut, and safflower materials have different characteristics and dry times. 

How to check if the paint is completely dry?

You can apply some good simple tricks to check your wet-on-wet paint dryness. Scratch your thumbnail gently on a small section on the corner of your painting. If the paint comes off as powdery, the paint is dry, or the paint comes off like string or threads, the paint is not dry yet.

You also can apply a sharp razor blade. Cut paint in very small amounts from any area. Then test the paint with 2 fingers. If the paint is powdery, it is completely dry or looks like thread, it is not completely dry yet. 

How to make the painting dry faster?

There are different mediums and chemicals available to paint dry faster. But Bob Ross did not use any material for dry painting faster. So we will try to find some natural and effective alternatives.

Prime canvas properly with gesso

Bob Ross primed his painting canvas before painting, and one of the main reasons is fast drying. Prime canvas makes a huge difference for dry with unprimed canvas. Gesso creates an absorbency undercoat surface. So the paint does not dry only from the upper layer but also under the layer.

Complete the project in warm weather

Warm weather is an effective option for fast drying. Cold weather makes paint drying time slower. Choose a worm room or area for painting. It will make the paint dry faster naturally. However, do not choose an extremely hot area, it may dry faster, but the paint can be yellow and crack. So I suggest choosing natural worm weather which is also good for human health. 

Ensure right ventilation

Painting time opens all doors and windows. So you will get good natural wind and temperature. These help dry faster. And also, for oil painting, proper ventilation is recommended for human health.

Choose fast-drying color pigment

In oil paint, there are different types of color pigment. Choose dry faster ones. 

Fast-drying color pigment is recommended for thick layer oil paint projects. Remember, do not use fast-drying pigment over slow-drying pigment. That means your first layer is dry, but the underlayer is still wet, which causes cracks in the painting. 

Here is the list of quick and slow color pigments:

Fast-drying color pigment

• Raw umber
• Burnt umber
• Burnt sienna
• Colors that contain manganese
• Colors with lead, usually found in Cremnitz or Flake White
• Chrome red and yellow
• Naples yellow
• Raw sienna
• Cobalt blue
• Prussian blue

Slow-drying color pigment

• Vermilion
• Cadmium yellow, red, and orange
• Vandyke brown
• Red hues, for example, alizarin
• Sap green
• Zinc white
• Black

Fast-drying paint brand

Choose a good brand that manufactures paint from linseed oil because linseed oil dries faster among other ingredients, such as walnut oil, hemp oil, safflower oil, and more. 

Bad methods for dry wet on wet oil painting

You should not apply hair dry, heater, irons, or similar things. If you apply, there is a high chance of damaging the painting. 

Oil painting slowly drying is a natural process. If you need very fast drying, choose other painting techniques like acrylic, watercolor, and more. If you force oil paint to dry very fast, the painting must crack and peel off.