• Water can be added to oil paints to create colorful washes.oil paint 01 image by Undy from Fotolia.com
  
  Oil paints are a common medium, but many people do not like one thing associated with them: turpentine. Turpentine is a toxic chemical with a strong smell. Painters can use water-soluble oil paints instead. These paints look exactly the same as traditional oil paints, but are more low maintenance.
  
  

Combine Paints

• Water-soluble and oil paints can be combined in the same painting. They have the same appearance when dry, but clean up is different. Some people shy away from water-soluble oils because they are not as traditional. For those painters, mixing water and oil paints is a good way to become accustomed to them. However, once the paints are combined, they must be cleaned with turpentine rather than just soap and water.
  
  

Drying Time

• When using water-soluble paints, you can expect to have a shorter drying time than with oil paints. It typically takes about half the time, but may still take a few days to dry completely. The drying time can sometimes depend on the color of the paint. For example, Artisan paints can take anywhere from two to more than five days to dry.
  
  

Mixing Water

• To create color washes, add water to the paints like you would normally add turpentine. More water will make the paint thinner, while less water will make it thicker. For paint that appears shiny, add a bit of linseed oil. You can clean up paint mixed with linseed oil with regular soap and water. The shine from linseed oil can make varnishing unnecessary.