Translation guide
Refers to the type of paint made with oil, or the act of painting with it. Japanese distinguishes between the paint medium and the painting technique.
The physical paint made from pigment and oil, used by artists.
The act of painting with oils, or a painting done in oils.
Oil-based paint used for houses, furniture, etc. (not artist's paint).
油絵 (abura-e) is the painting or artwork; 油絵の具 (abura-e no gu) is the physical paint. Saying 油絵を買う would mean buying a painting, not the paint tubes.
Standard term for oil paint as a material. Literally 'oil picture pigment'.
I'm going to buy some oil paints.
Variant without the の, often used in product names or technical contexts.
This oil paint has good color development.
Refers to oil painting as an art form or a finished work. Literally 'oil picture'.
She is learning oil painting.
This oil painting is a 19th-century work.
More formal or technical term for oil painting, often used in art contexts. Can refer to the technique or the medium.
I paint landscapes in oils.
Specifically oil-based house paint. ペンキ is a loanword from Dutch 'pek' (paint).
Oil-based paint takes time to dry.
More technical term for oil-based paint/coating.
This oil-based paint is suitable for metal.