Which painting medium allows layering and crisp lines?

• A. Oil
• B. Watercolor
• C. Fresco
• D. Tempera

Answer: (A)

Oil paint dries slowly, which lets you build up layers and refine details without rushing. You can apply several translucent glazes over a dried underpainting to deepen hue and create luminous depth, and still alter edges or tones at each stage. This control also helps you keep lines crisp: with a fine brush, you can lay in precise contours while the paint remains workable, and you can sharpen or clean edges as you go. Other media don’t offer the same combination. Watercolor tends to bleed and soften at edges, making crisp lines harder to hold and layering more fragile. Fresco depends on working quickly on damp plaster, with limited ability to rework after it dries. Tempera dries rapidly and doesn’t glaze as smoothly, so layering is more restricted and edge control is less flexible than oil.