water soluble oil paint, water mixable, water soluble definition

Water soluble oil paint is a relatively new type of oil paint manufactured to be mixed and cleaned up with water, allowing artists to stay away from harmful chemicals, such as turpentine.  The same techniques artists use for traditional oil paints can be used, but clean up is easily done with just water and soap, whether it be brushes, palettes or paint mistakenly applied to the skin.  Water soluble oil paints were created by changing the molecule end in order to yoke it to water molecules.  Painters who chose to use water soluble oil paint also need to follow the fat over lean rule as do artists who chose to use regular oil paints.  However, when water oil paints are mixed with a great deal of water, they act similarly to watercolor.  And when used as a paste without water for artworks featuring heavy impasto, it has a bit of a tacky consistency versus the smooth feeling of regular oil paints.