Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that bound with medium of drying oil — especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil.

The process of oil painting varies from artist to artist, but often includes certain steps. First, the artist prepares the surface. Although surfaces like linoleum, wooden panel, pressed wood, and cardboard have been used, the most popular surface is canvas. Many famous paintings were painted on panel. Panels are heavy, so large paintings are usually done on canvas.