What kind of varnish for oil painting

Gamblin makes a nice one, you can mix it with your oils and it will make them thicker and stiffer and also more matte. I just discovered your interesting and informative website.

I use Liquin as a medium while painting with knife on triple gessoed stretched canvas. Would a better result be achievable in the future by switching mediums and using a matte or satin retouching or final varnish? For a satin finish have you had a look at the Gamvar new varnishes? They have recently released a satin and matte version.

Gamvar is a modern synthetic varnish that can be painted over an oil painting when its touch dry rather than waiting months as with traditional varnishes and I find it works really well. Thanks for all the tips. Do you think this would be a problem? Hi Kathy, yes, the varnish would change the surface appearance of the canvas and is harder to control when leaving blank areas due to the viscosity of the varnish many varnishes have a self-levelling quality to them what I would do is experiment on a test piece first to see how the varnish aesthetic looks before committing to your finished piece.

Hi Will, I am enjoying all the information you offer-great site! I also benefit from reading the comments and problems of your other readers. I started a comment several days ago but got interrupted. Fortunately, I think I found the answer on another site, but would appreciate your input, too. I need to touch up spots where the paint has come off on a painting I did about 30 or so years ago — I never varnished it — the article said to apply linseed oil I have to use poppy seed oil because linseed gives me headaches , then to paint in the spots needing paint.

Does that sound right to you? Thanks for all your help. Hope it goes well! I think I should have oiled out but am unsure what to do after the fact. The absorption has been uneven even after 3 coats of the gamvar.

The other paintings are thinly painted oils floating on a gessoed surface. The absorption is terribly uneven even after multiple layers and including over the oil painting part but its especially noticeable over the gesso.

I have order the gamvar matte finish hoping that adding that on top of the satin might provide the evening out I need. These pieces are 3 x 4 ft. Do you have other recommendations. I have a show in less than a month and six pieces are in trouble. Hi Leah, on dear, sorry to hear about your results with the varnishing, did the matte finish help at all?

Each surface will soak up a varying degree of varnish at a different rate so would often give a different sheen to the finish. Any help is greatly appreciated. Hi Tracy, you can sometimes get clouding in the mastic varnish was applied in a damp or humid environment, I tend to use Gamvar on my oil paintings Will. Almost everything you need to learn before varnishing.

It makes me nervous while applying the varnish but after reading the blog, I am quite confident. Really helpful for both professionals and beginners. I work with the spray varnishes but after reading this I would like to try the brush medium also. I have looked everywhere for information about how to protect my oil paintings from dust while they are drying, and all I find is information on varnishing after it has dried.

What type of cloth can I drape over the painting? Or something else? Hi Alison, I tend to rather unscientifically just prop the painting facing a wall between layers. However I have my back ground made on acrylics and the subject made on oil.

The colors are as such perfect and fine to look at. I have not varnished yet. It has been a month or more since they are touch-dry. I have still left them open in the room. So, chances are that minute dust particles might stick on the surface. However i plan to get them framed with glass, in another month or so. Now, would you advise me to varnish the painting or let be it??? Please advise. Can I clean the surface with a damp cotton cloth?

Thank you sooo much, for all the time you take. Thanks much in advance. Je vous remercie. Hi Archana, I tend to use Gamvar, which is a modern varnish by Gamblin that can be used on acrylics and oils and used when the oil paint is touch dry. Yes, Thankyou so much Will. Would you advise varnishing the painting, which is to be framed with glass??? Thanks again. Hi Will, Wonderful information! I wish I had read all of your info before starting my project. I usually spray Retouch Varnish on my oil paintings and months later, spray a final varnish coat.

Since moving etc. I used a gloss, watched various videos etc. I thought the first coat was applied too thick, even thought I went side to side, but there was unevenness, so I applied a second coat. There are no dull voids, but thicker areas and very very shiney.

Is there anything I can do to thin out the applied varnish? Thanks for getting back to me Will. I was afraid you would say that. Hi will, thanks for this info. I need to Finish quickly, so it seems Gamvar is the way to go for me. Also it looks like Gamblin makes gloss, satin, and matte Gamvar now, so I wanted to confirm my guess that this would be a good way to go… that being neo meglip as medium for the grey areas finished w matte Gamvar, and liquin with the gloss Gamvar for the green and orange areas?

Is it overkill or poor practice to use different mediums and or different Gamvars? My client really wants the green and orange areas to pop compared to the grey background. Hope the commission goes well. Yep, that was a good delivery, thanks. I suppose as a finished painting it is just a matter of letting the medium dry properly to touch say one or two weeks before final varnish.

What would you say? Hi Brendan, you can paint over when touch dry if using Gamsol, but traditional varnishes will need a few months. Can I oil out on top of retouch varnish? Yes, retouch varnish is just a thinner version of final varnish for example dammar retouch varnish is a thinner version of dammar final varnish.

This can be applied to the entire painting or just to the area that needs to be enlivened. Allow the medium to be absorbed into the painting for approximately two minutes.

Wipe off the excess painting medium with a soft, lint-free cloth. Continue painting. You can see a video here. Hi Will, Thanks for all the detailed info above. I have an oil portrait with different levels of sheen. Am I right in thinking that I should oil out then use satin varnish, then buff the painting with a wax varnish my aim is to have a very slight overall sheen. Thank you so very much for your very useful information so kindly shared. My very best wishes to you, Anna.

What can I do to clean the dust off? Hi Mervyn, usually I would use a soft brush, or you can try compressed air, but you can also try a slightly dampened microfibre cloth. Thanks so much for all this useful information. I have a couple of questions about using a matt varnish. You mentioned that using a matt varnish on realistic work not abstract will dull the forms and colour that you want to bring out. I never realised this before and I have been using Sennelier matt varnish for quite a while now.

Some of the liveliness has been flattened by the varnish. Could I go over this varnish with a satin coat to bring back the quality it had before? Also, please could you tell me: does using an oiling-out technique do essentially the same thing as using retouching varnish? Thanks so much for your help. Hi Vauney, because the painting already has a layer of matting agent within the matte varnish on it if you apply the satin varnish it will bring back the saturation slightly but not as strongly as if it were onto the painting on its own.

Would applying a gloss coat over the matte coat bring back the saturation more than a satin coat will? Hi Vauney, yes, gloss would bring back more saturation, as satin is a mix of gloss varnish and matte varnish so will also have matting agent within in. Hi Will. Should I have thinned it out a bit with turps first before applying?

Just wondering if this is a problem you have come across with other gloss varnishes, and if the solution is to thin it a bit? Thanks for your help. Gloss: Final varnish for the protection of Oil paintings. Synthetic resin-based. Dries quickly to a colourless and hard film, difficult to reverse.

Should be applied to a thoroughly dry painting. Unique diluter: Turpentine. Satin: Synthetic resin based final varnish. Features a very resistant satin surface that is colourless. Does not have the amber tint of natural resins. Dries rapidly: apply in 2 or 3 thin coats. Thin only with gum turpentine. Matt: Matt synthetic resin and colloidal silica-based, finishing varnish for oil paintings. This colourless varnish dries quickly to a tough elastic film.

Thin only with turpentine. Apply only on paintings which have thoroughly dried. How soon after I oil out a painting should I wait to apply a final varnish? Thanks, WIll! Tried to find information on varnishing oil paintings, and wound up here again. Really appreciate the effort you put into your site. Hi Will, I have an unfinished oil painting that has been sitting for a few months and now I am ready to work on it again.

Do I need to apply a coat of retouch varnish before working on it again? Thank you so much for replying Will, I will do that. I just want to say that I have taken many of your classes and I love your work!

Stay safe! Great article — thank you! Question — I have an oil paining with uneven sheen. I plan to use a matte varnish. Do I need to oil out prior to varnish or will matte varnish cover up the uneven sheen?

I understand that a gloss varnish will accentuate the sheen difference, but what about a matte varnish? Hi Gail, having an oil out layer will help to even the sheen before applying a matte varnish.

Depending on the level of differences you could go straight on with a matte varnish, but the oiling out will help with the smooth application. What do I do now? Uneven varnish coatings are generally due to varying rates of absorbency in the paint layers. The varnish lies on top of less absorbent areas and sinks down into more absorbent areas. I would appreciate your answer. Hi Alla, if you are using Dammar varnish you would need to wait the same amount of time as with traditional oil paint.

You could use a modern equivalent like gamer which can be applied when the surface is touch dry. Will — Very informative and detailed. However, now retired, nearing 71 and have not painted for years and needed a refresher on varnishing. One is a bottle which appears to be varnish is very deep Amber in color.

What do you think? Thank you in advance! Hi Tom, nice to hear from you, sounds like they are both Damar varnishes. For diluting Damar you would need to use turpentine to be able to dissolve the Damar Odourless minerla spirit will not dissolve the Damar.

Hi there, excuse my ignorance as well as if someone has already asked this. Can you use shellac spray over oil paint? Will shellac work or is it a grave travesty. Hi Will Can I use the same varnish on a water mixable oil painting as on a straight oil painting? I see that you can buy varnish for water mixable oil so I wondered if there was much difference between them. By the way, I think your art school is wonderful! I am very new to oil painting have worked in acrylic for years and excited to find your site — this page is so helpful.

Just taking a course from Stephanie Deshpande. Every time before we have begun painting, we have oiled out? But here is my newbie question: i am using a wide variety of brands for paint. Will this mix affect the final gloss of my painting? Do I need to do a final oiling? There can be slight variations between brands but the main difference will be due to the oil content in the different pigments, a final oil out can help to even the sheen.

Thank you for this article! I am wondering… I have a collage mainly ripped magazine paper and I have done a few layers of Windsor and newtown gloss as a finish.

I usually do epoxy resin as a final seal but wanted to try a varnish. I am wondering now that the varnish has dried if I can put and epoxy resin seal over it as a final layer? The resin just seems to give it a sturdier feel that it will last longer. It is on a canvas by the way. Thank you Will, for all of this varnish information! One question though, can the brush used for varnishing, be cleaned so as to be useful for painting in oils, or must it be thrown away?

And about sponges, to be used for varnishing, is there a specifice size or kind, please? God bless you all, C-Marie. Cheers, Wil. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. How long should I wait before varnishing an Oil Painting? The Drying or Curing Process Traditional oil paints dry by oxidization, when the oil reacts with oxygen in the air. So how long would it take for a painting to be touch dry on the surface? This allows artists to varnish their work after only a few weeks, whoo hoo!!

What is the worse that could happen if you varnished a touch dry but not fully cured painting using a traditional varnish? Do I need to apply an isolation coat with an oil painting?

Traditional Natural Soft Varnishes Dammar can be spelt Damar and Mastic varnishes are referred to as soft varnishes , they dissolve in solvents such as Turpentine and Mineral spirits.

A note to newcomers to Dammar I usually apply Dammar varnish to smaller paintings as it can go very tacky, very quickly and is harder to control with a brush. New synthetic varnishes: MSA, Gamvar, Alkyd Synthetic Resins The synthetic varnishes offer a lot of advantages over the traditional natural varnishes A clear coat on the first application that stays clear over time, therefore non-yellowing and more flexible.

They also allow for relatively easy removal with less risk to underlying paint layers. A quicker finish Some recent varnishes also have the great advantage of being able to be applied when the painting is just touch dry — rather than waiting for the painting to be fully cured. Gamblin makes a varnish called Gamvar which has been developed specifically for this purpose.

It either comes in two parts system or premixed by Gamblin. G AMVAR Gamvar saturates and gives greater depth to the colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective semi-gloss surface. There are a couple of main reasons why it happens: 1. A cheap Gesso, a too absorbent or an unevenly absorbent ground The two options you have to restore an uneven sheen to your painting before final picture varnishing are: 1.

Lazar Klot 29 Jan Reply. Thank you very much. Very helpful information! Will Kemp 29 Jan Reply. Will Kemp 30 Jan Reply. Thanks Carol, pleased you found it easy to follow, Varnish can have a lot of considerations.

Steven Cantlon 29 Jan Reply. Thanks Steven, yes, there are plans for more oil specific tutorials in the future. Lois Glass Webb 29 Jan Reply. Very informative. Thank you for the information and especially the demonstrations. Elaine Butterworth 29 Jan Reply. Hi Will, Thanks for latest email — packed with useful information as usual.

Cheers Elaine. Thanks Elaine, pleased you found it helpful. Melva 29 Jan Reply. Will Kemp 2 Feb Reply. Elsebe 30 Jan Reply. That was brilliant! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Kevin 30 Jan Reply. Hi Will I always take pleasure in reading every detail of yo lessons and approaches this has provided a room for tremendous improvement in the way l exhibit my art works. Thanks a lot Be Blessed Regards Kevin.

Thanks for your kind comments Kevin, pleased you found it of interest. Mundo 30 Jan Reply. What can I say, thank you Will for your detail advice! Mehtap Kimber 30 Jan Reply.

Do you want your oil painting to get an optically glassy reflective look or dulled effect? Your desired appearance detects the type of finish you give preference to. Glossy varnishes enhance color saturation, three-dimensional forms, and depths of the oil painting. Conversely, matte options mute tones and disperses light to flatten any sheen out. High sheen options are ideal for realistic paintings, while flat varnishes are best suited for abstract paintings.

You might also like a satin sheen, which is neither shiny nor dead flat. Oil paintings are snail-paced when it comes to drying completely. Historically, varnish demanded a six to twelve months drying period for the paint before application.

However, contemporary brands have slashed back this time significantly. Some are applicable as soon as an oil painting is dry to touch. You may also want to pay attention to the time needed for the varnish to dry.

If you are doing recent pieces, pressed for time, need to ship the work of art, or just impatient, this detail is of utmost importance. Once embedded with dirt, jarred, and looking old and tired, the varnish has completed its mission.

Special solvents such as turpentine, white spirit, or acetone are necessary to wipe it off and replace it with a fresh layer. You obviously want an easy time doing this, but some types of varnish tend to be stubborn. Difficulty removing varnish could potentially ruin the painting if you are inexperienced. If you are more comfortable with the aerosols; the fast, easy modern technique of coating stuff, there are spray varnishes. They are particularly ideal for paintings with fragile, coarse, or highly textured surfaces.

Oil painting is the least forgiving compared to watercolor, gouache , and acrylic painting. Given the sheer number of varnish options, choosing one for your specific needs may be an uphill task. To give you a head start, browse below for our round-up of the best varnish for oil paintings. Check Current Price on Amazon.

If you are after a beautiful gloss that makes colors pop, Gamblin Gamvar performs beyond and above our expectations. Packaged in an 8. It dries like a crystal clear glass overlay. The glossy coverage brings forth color richness and more realistic depths and forms in any oil painting. It also possesses all the goodness of contemporary varnishes lacking in natural resins like shorter wait time and UV and crack resistance.

You can varnish your oil paint as soon as it is dry to touch — no need to wait for it to age for months. And the best part is, the coat dries within a few hours. With anti-yellowing and elastic properties, your layer of beauty stays transparent and whole for a long time.

In addition to giving outstanding results, the consistency is easy to spread for a hassle-free application. Plus, it is self-leveling and guarantees an even film. Varnishes used for oil painting are typically acrylic and can be applied by either a spray or brush. Using a brush can often produce unexpected results, ranging from uneven coverage to bubbles on the surface of the painting. Here at Evolve, we urge our students to use a spray varnish, which evenly and lightly coats the surface of the painting.

Aside from the application process, varnish can be roughly broken down into permanent and temporary. Permanent varnish, also called picture varnish, is just as it sounds: permanent. It can only be applied after the painting thoroughly dries, anywhere from 2 months to two years. Though conservationists can carefully removed it, the permanent version usually protects paintings that will not be retouched or cleaned for many years.

Temporary varnish, also known as re-workable, temporarily restores colors and can be reworked upon. It is thin and can be applied to the painting as soon as it is dry to the touch. Because if it's thin nature, it allows the paint to continue to deeply dry without cracking. Choosing a varnish depends on your painting style, but re-workable options prove a good choice for beginner painters.

An painting in the process of varnishing by Jason Walcott. Varnishing a painting is an important part of the oil painting process. Both for aesthetic and protective purposes, this important layer should be applied to every painting a student creates once they dry. Remember to choose a reworkable varnish, so that your painting can always be restored to its final luster.

For one of the Evolve recommended spray varnishes, click here. For more information on historical varnish and conservation, click here. Leave a Reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked.