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What materials are used to make oil paint?

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Édouard Manet: Olympia — Painting *Olympia*, oil on canvas by Édouard Manet, 1863; in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Oil paints are primarily composed of dry pigment powders mixed with a drying oil, most commonly refined linseed oil.12

To create the paint, these materials are combined into a stiff, buttery paste and ground together using steel roller mills to ensure the pigment particles are evenly dispersed throughout the oil vehicle.12

Depending on the artist's needs, additional substances may be incorporated:
* Thinning agents: Pure gum turpentine or mineral spirits are often added to increase the flow or mobility of the paint.12
* Drying agents: A siccative, or liquid drier, may be used to accelerate the slow drying process of the oils.12
* Glazing mediums: For transparent washes, artists may use an oleoresin or stand oil (a concentrate of linseed oil).1