How did Renaissance art differ from earlier periods in terms of painting technique?

Renaissance artists used tempera paints on wet plaster.

Renaissance artists used oil paints on dry walls.

Renaissance artists used watercolors on wet plaster.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, when Renaissance came to be, tempera paints were used less and less until they were completely substituted with oil paints. This became the most dominant art material during this period, until the latter years of the 20th century when acrylic paints took the lead. So, having this in mind, Renaissance art differed from earlier periods in terms of painting technique because Renaissance artists used oil paints on dry walls.

Oil paints provided artists with better covering power than tempera paints, which is why they took their place as the most dominant technique during this period.