There are two basic types of paints used by painters best known as oils and acrylics. Oils have been around for centuries, while acrylics are relatively new. The artist must use thinners such as turpentine when using oils, while acrylics can be thinned with water. Oils dry slowly allowing the artist to rework areas, and create subtle color variations on their palette over time while acrylics, especially when thinned dry in minutes. Oils have been known for their highly pigmented rich colors, but with technology, acrylics are catching up and becoming more accepted in the art world.
