Oil painting refers to the technique of painting with pigments mixed with oil.

• A. Watercolor on paper
• B. Fresco on plaster
• C. Technique of painting with pigments mixed with oil
• D. Tempera on wood panel

Answer: (C)

In oil painting, pigments are mixed with a drying oil as the binder. That oil binder makes the paint slow to dry, which lets artists blend edges, build up layers through glazing, and achieve rich depth and luminosity. Over time the film hardens as the oil polymerizes, and a final varnish can be applied for saturation and protection. This definition—pigments suspended in oil—distinguishes oil painting from other media that use different binders or vehicles.

Watercolor uses water and a gum binder on paper, producing light, translucent washes with quick drying. Fresco applies pigment mixed with water into wet plaster, so the color becomes part of the wall as the plaster sets. Tempera uses a binder like egg yolk on a wooden panel and dries quickly, yielding precise, crisp brushwork.