Which Has More Value: An Acrylic or an Oil Painting?

Someone's been searching to find info on whether an acrylic painting or an oil painting has more value. As with so many things in art, I don't believe there is no simple answer. Oil paints have existed far longer than acrylic, so for a true comparison you'd need to compare prices between best-selling living artists rather than dead ones. There are many oil paintings that have a high value more because of who they were painted by and the era they date from rather than because they're done in oils.

There's an element of elitism about oil paints and an element of ignorance of acrylics as a medium among buyers (and, admittedly, among painters). Some people still visualize acrylic paints as a poor-quality paint, suitable only for decorating. This ignores the decades of research and development by artist's paint manufacturers that have resulted in the range of acrylic paints and mediums providing an array of options to today's artists.

I would say to anyone who's thinking of choosing acrylics or oils based purely on what value the market might put on these mediums: it's what you do with the paint that counts the most.

See Also:
• Arguments For and Against Acrylics or Oil Paints
• Quiz: Will Oils or Acrylics be Better for You?
• How to Assess a New Brand of Acrylic or Oil Paint