Oils or acrylics

Can't decide which to use?

Acrylics, in my opinion, are best for plein-air painting (painting outside from nature) unless the temperature is below freezing. Acrylic paint dries quickly and therefore the panel or canvas is more easily transported without getting paint all over everything. I like painting on small panels for plein-air work. In general acrylics are a wise choice. They clean up with water, there are no fumes and you don't have to wait days or even weeks before they dry.

I use both. Oils can be painted over acrylics, but never acrylics over oils. So you can start a painting outside in acrylics and finish it later in oils in the studio if you wish.

Oils are good when you need the painting to stay wet for hours or even days. I always use oils for portraits because I need the paint wet until I finally get it right. You can keep acrylics wet too but not without effort, constantly spraying with water. I never use anything but water with acrylics and nothing but artists' linseed oil for oil painting. 

I never use turpentine or any other toxic substance. I clean my oil painting brushes with non toxic Turpenoid, then bar soap and warm water.

As far as I can tell, acrylics are an acceptable medium in the same class as oils. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference in the finished work. I always write on the back 'oil' or 'acrylics'. 

Acrylics do not need to be varnished as the paint becomes very durable and hard after a period of time. That's not to say they should not be varnished. It's a matter of choice