What is oil paint?

• A. A water-based pigment.
• B. A pigment made with gum arabic and water.
• C. A paste made with ground pigment and drying oil, used by artists to create glossy and layered images.
• D. A glaze used for ceramics.

Answer: (C)

Oil paint is pigment mixed with a drying oil binder, typically linseed oil, making a paste that dries as the oil oxidizes rather than by evaporation. This chemical drying process creates a flexible, glossy film that can be built up in layers, allowing artists to blend on the surface and create rich depth through glazing and thick textures. The description in the option captures this precisely: a paste made with ground pigment and drying oil used to produce glossy and layered images. By contrast, water-based media use binders like gum arabic and water, which behave very differently when they dry, and a glaze for ceramics refers to a silica-based coating fired in a kiln. The defining point is the drying oil binder that gives oil paint its distinct handling, finish, and ability to layer.