Comment on Red Dragon by hibbary

Oil painting is definitely a different animal. I like the blending and the realism it can produce but I hate working with toxic spirits and the ghastly mess it makes. A good alternative is getting good acrylic (Golden Acrylic), a little retarder (if slow drying is important to you), and make yourself a wet pallet (Necessary if you don't want your paint drying into hard blobs). You only need four colors as a minimum, the wet pallet is easy and cheap to make. I use bristol to paint on; it works perfectly well and is also pretty cheap. A few good brushes and you are good to go. Acrylic might not be 'traditional' as in having thousands of years of history but it is proving to be a worthwhile medium with possibly a longer life than oils (though only time will tell).

If you're interested in painting, I highly recommend giving it a go. High quality paints go a surprisingly long way.