Use an oil-based primer when you need superior stain-blocking, exceptional adhesion to glossy or slick surfaces, or to seal porous materials like bare wood. It is specifically required when transitioning from old oil-based paint to water-based (latex) paint, or when painting woods that bleed tannins.
Using Primer & Undercoat
We recommend using Farrow & Ball Primer & Undercoat wherever you're using a Farrow & Ball topcoat. Not only is it specially formulated to bring out the very best in our paint, but keeping to the same brand for your priming and painting products will help to avoid any incompatibility issues.
Oil-based primers can be more toxic than standard paints because they often contain higher concentrations of solvents and release stronger fumes. This means they may produce more intense odors and increase exposure risks, especially in enclosed spaces without proper ventilation or protective measures in place.
The truth is, it depends, on your surface, your goals, and your tolerance for cleanup and fumes. While oil-based primers excel at blocking stains and sealing porous surfaces, water-based options are often preferred for their fast drying time and low VOCs.
For optimal paint adhesion, cover the oil-based paint with a high-quality primer such as those listed below. If any color or stains show through, apply a second coat of primer.
Red is universally considered the hardest paint color to cover. Vibrant red pigments are highly transparent and inherently prone to bleeding through subsequent layers. Other notoriously difficult colors to cover include black, dark blue, dark green, and bright yellow.
Oil-based paint is durable and glossy, making it ideal for high-traffic woodwork but it's being phased out due to environmental concerns. The strong odors, long drying time, and yellowing over time are key drawbacks of oil-based paints.
Use an oil-based primer when you need superior stain-blocking, exceptional adhesion to glossy or slick surfaces, or to seal porous materials like bare wood. It is specifically required when transitioning from old oil-based paint to water-based (latex) paint, or when painting woods that bleed tannins.
These three golden rules — fat over lean, thick over thin, and slow-drying over fast-drying — work together to help you create vibrant, long-lasting oil paintings.
Professional artists use both acrylic paint and oil paint depending on their style and the demands of their projects. Many artists who work in realism or portraiture prefer oil paints for their blending capabilities and depth of color.
It is completely normal for oil-based paint to still be tacky after 24 hours. Oil-based formulas dry via a slow chemical oxidation process rather than rapid evaporation. It typically takes 24 to 48 hours to dry to the touch, and up to 5 to 7 days to fully cure.
In art, the 80/20 rule (the Pareto Principle) means that 20% of your effort or core variables yield 80% of the final impact. In practice, painters use it to focus heavily on foundational elements rather than wasting time on minor details that the viewer's eye rarely registers.
Technically you are not supposed to colour match Farrow and Ball paints. Their specific paint formula has no vinyl or modern manufacturing processes. So the finish is flatter and chalkier.
However, professional painters looking for a high-grade finish will always use a dedicated primer as the first coat on fresh drywall or raw wood. (If the drywall or wood has been painted in the past, dedicated primer is not necessary.)
Most professional painters will tell you—two coats of primer is often the safe choice. Here's why: surfaces like new drywall, bare wood, or even older plaster have different levels of porosity. That means the primer gets soaked up unevenly, leaving the surface patchy.
You should avoid skin contact when dealing with oil painting products. Solvents are easily absorbed by your skin so every time you touch some of it, you should immediately wash your hands.
The rule of thirds means that the subject isn't centered; rather, the main focal point can be to one side or at the top or bottom of the image. It's a tool to help artists draw the viewer's eye into the composition, rather than just glancing at the center.
Red is universally considered the hardest paint color to cover. Vibrant red pigments are highly transparent and inherently prone to bleeding through subsequent layers. Other notoriously difficult colors to cover include black, dark blue, dark green, and bright yellow.
When you drag your brush across oil-based primer that is drying, the brush will leave marks and rough up your smooth surface. The only fix will be to wait until it is completely dry and then use a sanding sponge aggressively to make the surface smooth again.
Oil-based primer generally needs 8 to 24 hours to dry completely before you apply a topcoat. While many formulas feel dry to the touch within 1 to 3 hours, painting too early can trap solvents, causing the paint to peel or bubble.
Yes, in the same way diesel cars are being phased out and we're being pushed towards electric. Legislation is getting tighter around oil-based paint, which is pushing manufacturers to develop viable water-based alternatives.
Alkyd/oil based paints, because of their curing mechanism, tend to yellow, particularly in areas that are not exposed to sunlight. Oil-based varnishes start with an amber cast and will darken with age.
Typically, oil-based paints dry harder which provides excellent resistance to wear and tear. However, as the paint dries harder there is not a lot of flexibility within the paint, which means oil-based paints are more likely to crack, become dry, brittle and chalky over time.