Drying and semi-drying oils are the vegetable oils used to make oil colour, namely linseed, poppy and safflower. The different methods of processing oils produce products with different drying rates, consistencies and colour.
Oils are used to modify the consistency, gloss and drying time of colour. Using oils can prevent over thinning which may happen when using solvents. They are also particularly useful in maintaining flexibility of paint films especially when working fat over lean.
For details on when to use each oil see our usage chart.