Are Oil Paintings More Valuable Than Acrylic? #2

As Seen in Villager Magazine-by Arrachme

We will cover some intriguing history of materials and impactful aspects of the art world that affect the value of a painting. No, I will not bore you with how to watch paint dry!

Before acrylics were invented, all artists made their paints by mixing pigments or natural materials with an oil-based binder. The recipe to make yellow had a quite exciting origin in Asia before the paint was transported to Europe. Indian Yellow was made by feeding cows mango leaves, collecting the urine, processing it through a series of filters then baking it in the sun.

Blue pigment was made from rocks such as Lapis and Cobalt by grinding them down. Some blues were made from plant dyes. Then came the automation age.

In the 1950s Rohm & Hass invented acrylic interior wall paint. Soon after, a company, which today bears the name “Golden” created waterborne paint for artists to be sold premixed in tubes – Aquatec Paints. Other participating companies followed in short order, each competing to make the best water-soluble products. The cost and time required for artists dropped significantly. More colors became available. The art world, however, did not immediately assign a value to acrylic paintings over oil.

Today, an artist can paint with acrylics and the correct mediums resulting in a similar appearance to oil. Mixing of color can be the same but the process is or should be quite different when using acrylic versus oil. One cleans up with water and the other needs solvents.

So back to our question! Which painting is more valuable, today?

My award-winning painting in this article, “Stand Your Ground” – is 36″ x 36″ made with yellow, blue, gold leaf, acrylic, and oil.

 I bet you are still thinking about the cows and the mangos? 

As a fine artist, I decide what materials I need to use to achieve the desired effect. It is up to me to know how to achieve the finishes. I have always been intrigued by chemical reactions so spending decades creating them has brought me to one conclusion. The options are limitless and the changes to paint and mediums by manufacturers are continuous. The cost of materials varies. I have spent $5 on a tube of blue paint and I have spent $29 on a tube of blue paint. A sheet of gold leaf can cost $1 or $500.

So, while the cost of the process of painting varies greatly for the artist, materials do not necessarily determine the value of a painting. So, what does? Artists may assign a value but when the art moves to the dealer level, their curators evaluate factors such as the painting process, the art’s provenance, and the artist’s brand. Then, they assign a value.

People will invest in art that they like. The investor or collector will mostly look at the artist’s brand and curator’s reviews. I like to make a simple direct explanation such as, “People buy the artist, not the art.” Let us test this. Would you buy a Picasso or a Leonardo Da Vinci if it was within reach?

So, you now have some food for thought as to what materials are used in the acrylic and oil process as well as how value is assigned to art.  The next time you choose a painting, you may have a few more tools in your toolbox… or you might just say, “I like it, sold!”