I just did my first oil painting ever with extremely cheap paints on the Bob Ross brand liquid white. It’s been 24 hours and the paint is still just as wet as it was when I painted it. Is that normal or should I return the oil paints and buy some better quality ones?
I also had trouble layering the highlight colors on the bushes and mountain. The lighter colors just wouldn’t show up and only pushed around the dark color. Is that a paint quality issue or just a fact of oil painting?
Kati,
I don’t know what brand of oil paint you are using, but that is quite normal. It can take weeks for a painting to dry.
As to the highlighting, perhaps your paint was not thin enough. Bobs rule was, a thin paint will stick to a thick paint. So if you have several layers of paint already on your canvas, liquid white, background color, then add trees, then leaves, and then highlights, your paint will need to be thin. Try adding a touch of liquid white, or liquid clear, or a dab of thinner to your color.
i hope that this is helpful,
Joseph.
I think I replied to you on Reddit too but if not, I used to always paint with acrylics as well. Earlier this year I bought a set of oils and have been painting my way through the entire Joy of Painting series.
To answer your question it could be the quality of paint possibly. If the first layer of paint you put down isn't firm enough then the next thinner layer won't stick. And you'll become a mud mixer as Bob would say.
If you don't like the liquid white changing your color try some liquid clear instead. I use that to highlight bushes and such when I don't want the colors to change. If you use a good amount of paint and it's thin enough it should work and you shouldn't need to wait for the piece to dry.
Good luck and any other questions ask away 
Especially with the mountains, this is a fantastic article.
https://www.twoinchbrush.com/articles/making-the-snow-break-on-the-mountain-important-discoveries
I still struggle with having TOO MUCH background mountain color! That first layer of “mountain mix” is basically just there to “stain” the canvas. It’s easier to apply highlights when you don’t have a thick glob, and your white is firm and dry. This also helps a great deal in making them “misty” and float in the distance!
Welcome and keep painting!
There’s frequently three variables at play in applying the color, and each step requires a different combination. Bob doesn’t always say how!
1) how much paint on the brush/canvas?
2) how thin or thick to make the paint?
3) how much pressure should I apply to the canvas? This one in particular is tricky because it so often looks like Bob is ATTACKING that canvas when he’s really not.
For instance bush highlights require a lot of paint on the brush, and I’ve sometimes needed to thin it just a bit, which I’ve noticed can also help brighten the color. And then with that paint, use a light touch.
I’m certainly a novice so this isn’t gospel but we’re all learning here and this is my current school of thought!
Kati Kati, as a rule of thumb it will take up to 6 months to fully dry. However depending on medium and thickness of paint layers it can be from two weeks up to 1 year. For Bob Ross method I would say give it 2-3 months. Then you can varnish them and frame.
Sunnylady
i would appreciate more information in the varnish method.
JosephDurham try to search through the forum by word varnish. There was quite a long discussion in here in other threads. In short - there are glossy and matte finish varnishes and spray and brushing methods.
Oil paint dries quickly, but it depends on the type of paint and how thick it is. A thin coat of paint will dry in minutes, while a thicker coat may take an hour or more.
Yes it would be a miracle......months not minutes!
