The reason a paint goes dry is either due to the evaporation of the solvent or a chemical reaction to the binding medium, or a combination of both. The coating can be air dried or force dried at temperatures of up to 65°C. At temperatures above 65°C the drying process is called stoving.

A paint can dry in one or a mixture of the following four methods;
Solvent evaporation, Oxidative, Chemical curing or Coalescence.