Do unopened oil paints get too old to use?

I work mostly with acrylics and watercolor, but a long time ago (probably 11 or 12 years back), I received a gift set of oil paints from a relative for Christmas. I was pretty young back then, and mom was afraid our house didn't have good ventilation and that I'd get it on her furniture or something, so I never did open them.





I found that same, unopened gift set again when we moved to a new house just recently. I've painted with oils before and really like them, but they're so expensive. The gift set is Windor %26amp; Newton, so it's obviously good quality, but very old. Could I still use these, or will they have deteriorated too much by now?Do unopened oil paints get too old to use?
They should be fine but, if you need to, some linseed oil will re-generate the pigment. I love the smell of oil paint in the house, I haven't used it in a long time. Like you, I prefer acrylics to oil.





What ever the condition of the paint, now is a good time to practice applying oil with a knife to a nice canvas, I'll bet you will enjoy that. Good luck.Do unopened oil paints get too old to use?
shake well and use no problem
You will have to open it to find out. Paint can get dry out through time. If the seal is good then all it needs is a good stir and you are on your way.
hlo bibi
no
yes it does just add water to it and leave it in sun to let the water evaporate
SOME OF MINE ARE 14 OR MORE YEARS OLD....THE ONLY WAY THEY DRY OUT IS IF YOUVE NEGLECTED TO RECLOSE THEM PROPERLY.....THE PIGMENT WILL STILL BE USABLE BY ADDING LINSEED OIL TO SOFTEN IT.....OIL PAINTS LAST A VERY LONG TIME....ENJOY YOUR ART
yes
if unopened it should be good.


try ordering some house brand from dickblick.com
I'd give them a try - they're inert so they're probably fine.


HOWEVER..... matching colors from that set may be a nightmare so be careful.
try to use t with oil and frensh petroleum in propotion to 1: 2 with tough brushes if that method doesnt work with u then buy a new one
No it doesn't get to old because i just used my 15 year old oil paint and it worked fine and it was unopened also.
yes they do get too old to use i learned from experience I'm a painter or an artist whatever u want to call me
for oil paints that are left unused for a long time there may be a separation of the color pigment and the oil medium, there may exist a need to mix the paint which exposes the entire oil paint to the atmosphere and its contaminants. i suggest buying some Turpentine or oil medium and use a scoop to scoop out the pigment needed on a tray and mix them, extending the life of the opened paint.
NO, they actually get better!
check to see if the pigments are still mixed, have not settled. If no settling has occured, you are good to go.
They should not have dried out, providing the seals have not been broken. Best thing to do, is try them out. They can always have thinner added if the paint are not workable. Good luck.
I would just open them if they still have a good texture they are fine, as far as I have used they last yrs.It the openings that will give you heck. It may ruin the tubes.


If it does just store the opened paint in baby food jars.
no you should be able to still use them i have oil paints and i opened them back up after i had already used them a few years ago and i reopened them like 4 months ago to paint my nephews cub scout pine wood derby car and they were perfectly fine just make sure the lid is tightly closed
If they haven't dried out, they should be fine. But sometimes even in closed, air tight containers, things dry out.
Yes it gets old but there is solutions to loosen the paint if in fact its dry.
yes but it takes forever
they should be good. if anything before you open them shake them up a bit. for the oil part to mis with the color. if no air has gotten into the container there should be no porblem.


now if air got in somehow, you might need to add a bit of paint thinner just to get it soft again.
There's only one way to find out, open them! If they're dried up, there's your answer!
they should be fine
As far as I know, the only problem you may have will be getting the lid off! It will probably be dried shut, so use pliers or channel locks to get the cap off.


Oil paint shouldn't go bad in your lifetime, my advice is to dispence a libereral amount onto a pallete, and make sure to mix it well before use. This will likely result in a little wasted paint, but it's better than throwing it away.
ummm, open it and see....................
I came across some old oil paint tubes awhile ago and some were opened and the caps were impossible to get off, but the unopened were perfectly OK to use.
I love working with oils, and it sounds like they are old but should be still useable. oils last forever.as long as you don't leave them open.
I have a Bob Ross gift set I got when I was 14 (12 years ago) they've all been opened (and used) and they're STILL good. They should be fine as long as they haven't gotten a hole in them somehow and dried out.
If they have not coagulated or dried out, then try them. Paint something small and let it dry. Does it look okay to you? use them if they seem okay.