Oil paintA coloured substance that can be thickened or thinned and spread over surfaces. Paint can be water soluble, oil or plastic based, and have opaque... is made from pigments mixed with oils. Brushes and palettes need to be cleaned with white spirit or turpentine, which can, along with linseed oil, be used to thin it. It can be applied very thickly with a knife as well as a brush (this technique is called impasto) and is very slow drying, in the case of impasto works this can take many weeks.