I personally use oils in my work, I much prefare this media, the blending that you get from acrylic just cannot campare to that you get with oils.

Yes acrylics dry quickly much to quickley in my opinion.

I can work with acrylic, but not to the same effect I can achieve with oils.
Oils are much thicker and imo produce a much finer peice of art, the finish is brillient and the colours more textured and vibrant.

I was told acrylics fade alot quicker over time, im not sure about the truth in this statement, I will always be a lover of oil paints.

No problem at all...I'm glad you like his stuff!!!
I'm also proud to have a couple of his prints..it's seems right that the dog painter and the dog mad nutter in the family have a link!!!!

I definitely agree, even though I use acylics I feel that the overall look of oils makes for a much softer portrait, which I definitely believe is to do with the amount of blending that can be done...I can normally tell when painting has been done in acrylics as they normally have a 'harsher' apprearence to them...like I said before I add mediums to slow down the drying time of acrylics, but I still think I would like to give oils a go but feel I am too much of an amature to try them properly!! I know there has to be a technique to how they are applied so it doesnt crack! Maybe I should do an art course!

I know its not protrate painting but check out the Joy of painting with Bob ross on sky home and leisure if he is still on. I picked up landscape painting with oils after watching him, He shows you all the quick and easy ways of applying paint, thiners, and all the other things you need to know. I am shaw these techniques could be used in portrate.