A
paint made from finely ground
pigment mixed with linseed oil, very commonly used by
artists to produce paintings. Linseed oil dries on exposure to air, but the drying time is long, so this leaves the artist plenty of time to work with the paint, blending colors, adding texture through brush strokes, etc. Before it is dry, oil paint can be thinned (and cleaned up) with
turpentine. Once it is dry, oil paint is pretty much permanent, although there are
solvents that can remove it.
Oil paints probably began to be used in the Middle Ages. A great many works of art have been produced since that time by applying oil paint to canvas stretched on a wooden frame.
Today, many artists use acrylic paint in much the same way they might use oils. However, acrylic dries faster, and, unlike oil paint, does not darken with age. Also, nothing beats the wonderful aroma of the oil-painting studio.