These oils would give the paint less of a yellowing effect, and would alter the drying times and the sheen of the paint depending upon the oil used that would give various properties to the pigment, other oils commonly used then were poppy seed and walnut oils. Some painters have used various oils in the same painting to mix effects, and depending on specific pigments as desired, also the surface used can do much to change the effects of the oil painting. A good example where an artist has used a different material instead of canvas is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa that was painted on a wood panel surface.

Some of the rules applied to painting with oils are that each layer over the first should be oilier than the layer below it to prevent from cracking and peeling as it dries, traditional oil painting began with the paint being mixed in a specific amount with turpentine, but there are other items which can be utilized to prevent this such as varnish or cold wax. These additional elements can be an aid to the painter in adjusting the translucency of the paint, the sheen of the paint, the density of the paint, or can even be used to change the ability of the paint to hold or conceal brushstrokes.

These various traits of the oil paint are greatly related to the expressive capacity of the oil paint, aiding in the choices made by the artist as they applied the paint, and allowing a sense of those choices from the viewers' standpoint. Moving the paint is done with palette knives, rags, or even directly from the paint tube itself, though to be removed, one must do so while the paint is wet or scraping may be required to take off the layer. Before this ends up being necessary, a rag dipped in turpentine can remove the layer previous, and oil-based paint dries through oxidation not evaporation so it may feel dry after a day.