| − | While the dating of oil paint's origins are still under scrutiny, the technique of oil painting became widely popular during the fifteenth century. The medium, which revolutionized painting, supplanted the previously popular medium of tempera paint and afforded artists with greater versatility in their compositions in terms of the coloristic effects they could convey.
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| − | In addition to its longer drying time, oil paints unfortunately suffer the test of time much more poorly than paintings rendered in other media. Oil paints, for instance, are much more susceptible to discoloration and oxidation, which can cause compositions over time to lose aspects of their appeal. <ref> Agoston, George A., "Acrylics, Oils and Encuastic: Experiences and Opinions of an Artist-Chemical Engineer" <i>Leonardo</i> Vol. 4, No. 3 (Summer 1971), pp. 211-219.</ref>This would have been an unknowable characteristic during the early days of the medium's use, but it has encouraged a greater study of conservation methods to both preserve and restore the colors to their original glory. As a result, the popularity of oil paint remains unfazed, its only modern competitor perhaps the realm of the digital.
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