Is this going to be a problem? Im not a painter by any means, just a creator. It is available in 8-, 16-, 32-, and 128-ounce jars. These types of varnish usually will say they are strippable varnishes. If you can cool your aerosol spray varnish down (~12C or 53F) before spraying it, this will also help prevent the frosted effect. (Just a bit anxious about experimenting with varnishing on acrylic for the first time). Hi Will, So glad you have this website with your expert advice! Voila! I understand the differences, I just dont understand why they make and sell permanent varnish. I live in Calgary Canada and sometimes its harder to find the full range of the products of these brands, but i will find the ones you recommend. I may be getting too technical but I am just curious what makes one polymer a varnish and one a medium.Maybe one is just a bit harder than the other? Thank You Will for a very useful object!! Do I need to worry about reversible varnishes? The differences in sheen will be due to the differences in amount of acrylic polymer (which is usually glossy) the differences in amount of flow medium and the different absorption rates into the painting support. Is it essential that it be varnished or can I display on a shelf as is? It was not varnished. Hello Will, Im in my mid forties and have just begun painting and Im loving every minute of it. 7. If you are sending via post it is also worth having a sheet of thick cardboard behind the canvas to prevent anything going through the canvas. You can see in this painting there are uneven levels of sheen due to parts where Ive mixed a gloss glazing liquid into my paint and then worked water-thinned paint over the top. If the CPM Matte dries too flat - both in terms of sheen and depth - for your taste, you can modify the medium with Color Pouring Medium Gloss (CPM Gloss). Of course, the more you add, the flatter it becomes. Excellent extremely helpful article, Will. Hi Susan, yes its a nice varnish. Just wondering which varnish you would recommend. If there are certain areas of your painting where you would like some parts to be lighter or darker but dont want to repaint them, you can add a few drops of matte medium to the paint in those areas. Great subject Will, thank you very much. 1/4 of the mural is in natural light the rest is in hospital lights most of the painting is cobalt (scrubs) which I love and quite a bit of black (scope,clogs etc ) Im juggling between gloss or mixing 3/4 gloss and 1/4 matte liquitex to limit the milky ness and cut down the glare any advice will be gratefully recieved thanks so much for your site its my go to site, Hi Karen, Id do a couple of test panels first just to try and judge the fall of the light in-situ (like an A4 size in gloss and satin) the gloss will bring out the richest colour but can often cause issues if lots of lights are hitting the surface. Regarding the drying time, you provide some very useful information, but just to avoid any confusion could you please summarize the various steps Painting drying time Drying time between layers of isolation coats Isolation coat drying time before applying the varnish Drying time between layers of varnish. These varnishes are not removable, and are usually called something like a "varnish medium". Boy in Blue Reading, How to Paint a Warm & Cool Still Life Painting 2 of 3, French Caf Scene with Acrylics Tutorial 4/5, The 3 Steps to Becoming a Better Painter, by Painting Less. I want a matte finish for reduced glare, but I want to keep the colors bright and vivid and the blacks really rich. Hi Liz, its due to the different absorbency of the oil paints into the canvas and would need oiling out to even the sheen. Due to the nature of the pieces you could apply a final picture varnish straight onto the canvas without an isolation coat. Oh thanks so much, is it too late to do that isolation coat and go over it again with varnish? The work is done and sold, but I need to varnish it. Hi Anna, so pleased youve been finding the lessons helpful for your students. Virginia. There are 2 main choices for your acrylic paintingeither a water-based varnish or a solvent-based varnish. Just mix the matte medium in until you have the look that you want, and make sure to let the mixture sit for several hours or even overnight before working with it again. Cheers, Will, Hi Will, my question is what varnish or protection do I put on a painting with both acrylic and oil? You can either use it instead of water when mixing up a lighter color or use it with oil paints to clean your work. The boy had a little varnish left over and decided to give me the benefit of it. Just completed my first acrylic painting and wanted to know whether I stretch it before or after I varnish? I like that colours are so bright after varnishing, but I noticed sometimes there are some ugly streaks. The concern with sanding varnish is creating a matte effect when the sandpaper disturbs the surface. Is there a preferable sweet spot? Consider some of the common sheen uses listed . Cheers, Will. Thank you. Are the old paintings safe behind glass if nothing at all was applied over the paint? So, you are probably wondering why I just dont spray a varnish and the answer is that a 4030 painting results in the spray spitting varnish. You can refer to my mixed media flower tutorial for more details on collaging techniques. Matte medium, combined with wax-based paint, can be made into your homemade crayons. Its a bit like adding a non-removable water based permanent varnish. They will give you a nice even finish to your work without going through the process below. It also extends the drying time of your paints, so blending of colors is easier. S, Hi Sonia, by its nature, a matte varnish will always give a slightly lighter black than if you used a gloss varnish. 8. A number of things that cause streaks, from the varnish drying too quickly, to the brush technique on application, Ill be looking at different application methods in the next varnishing article. 100% acrylic polymer varnish adds a matte sheen, protects and resists dirt retention Dries clear to a flexible, non-tacky, hard surface Increases brightness and color saturation Adjusts and unifies surface sheen Improves surface durability - ideal when shipping or exhibiting Protects colors from UV light damage But is it not suitable to use in my small home studio? It prevents the formation of skin over the surface while painting. This makes it particularly handy for glazes and blending. If this happens, adding a few drops of white coloring to the medium and mixing well will restore its clear appearance. Are you suggesting the Soft Gel Gloss as the product to use for UV protection? Thanks a lot and apologies for being a bit fastidious. Do you ever use a sponge to apply an isolation coat? Im not painting any abstracts or portraits, just a hobby painting silhouettes, the occasional flower.. I have done 3 of your online courses and they have been fantastic! Then in the future, if you ever need to replace the varnish, you can apply a varnish remover, and it will go back to the isolation coat and never hit the acrylic paint surface. Be sure to use matte medium, not gloss. Gloss Medium Gloss mediums are handy if you want to enhance the natural sheen and luminosity of acrylic paint. let me know if you find out anything from the manufacturer. Im reading a Dick Francis murder mystery, and came across this phrase. How can I be sure it hasnt been sitting there for three years? The anxiety and disappointment that comes with varnishing can sometimes seem too much. So rather than the varnish soaking into sections of absorbent canvas, it sits on top of the isolation coat. You can also get OPEN acrylics that have a much longer working time. Goldens website also covers this topic. Thanks so much! as always, your studies and notes are invaluable! Wow, this article is still going strong! If the painting has gold leaf on and a coat of varnish I would be tempted to leave the varnish coat youve applied on as trying to remove it and not damage the gold leaf is a tad tricky, also, this particular varnish is a non-removable varnish. thank you :), Hi Pauline, its a good question, as the nature of varnish is to be a removal layer that can be reapplied having a permanent version seems counterproductive to the cause. Matthijs from the Netherlands(: Hi Matthijs, you could try using a varnish like Gamvar from Gamblin paints than can be applied oils when the surface is touch dry. Because the painting is quite narrow youll be able to cover it all in good time to get a nice even finish. I like the color saturation of the inks. You need to make sure that you let it dry completely before using it on any surface other than paper, though. This sounds crazy. How dangerous is it to leave a watercolor painting unvarnished? -Laura, Hi Laura, it would be a very slippery surface to paint on top of the varnish and the acrylic wont adhere as well, if you dont want to remove the varnish you can roughly sand over it to give you more of a tooth but the paint still wont grab on the same as an absorbent canvas surface. I am so disappointed. I feel relieved somewhat. This is often why dark, dramatic paintings have a final glossy picture varnish applied. Pleased youve been finding the site helpful, the usual culprit for the bubbles is, as you suspected after too energetic mixing of the varnish (it is most noticeable with polymer varnishes) I usually tend to mix and then leave the mixture for 24hrs before applying if im working with a Polymer Varnish and want to be 100% sure of no bubbles. Thank you all in advance, look fwd. Hi Charles, yes that sounds like the perfect approach, apply an isolation coat first so you can see how the painting will look with a gloss finish, then you can judge if the satin will work the best for you. Do you have any comments/suggestions to help me decide? If you could clarify for me, that would be awesome. I currently don't have a proper varnish but I do have matte medium. Use matte medium for a more subtle, non-reflective finish. Once before varnishing, once after varnish has dried and once when framed. You can lay a sheet of glassine paper on the surface before rolling to help prevent the varnish surface sticking to itself. One common issue is how the paints dry quickly and do not allow for much time for other layers to be added. . Acrylic paint, by its very nature, is quite a soft material. Thanks again! I look forward to the oil painting one, as well. I read an article many years ago by an artist who lightly sanded with very fine grit sand paper (1000 grit or more) between coats of varnish. Ive been doing graphics for years and I had an old painting that I never finished, and knew I never would, so I gessoed over it and I am nearing completion of a sunset that is renewing my painting days. Dont apply with a roller or sponge brush Dont thin with water Dont apply in one thick coat, but several thin coats, to avoid brush marks, drips and cloudiness Dont go back over areas you have already done, as this can cause clouding Dont attempt to remove once applied Do not use with any non-acrylic media. Kind regards,Eva. Applying the isolation coat with bubbles in the mix. Our Natural Sand professional effects medium is a good alternative For best results, always varnish your collage once finished - it'll make cleaning much easier and keep your work better protected from dirt, UV and damage. If areas are missed, wait until the varnish is dry and apply another coat. Learn how your comment data is processed. With that scale of canvas, I would definitely practise a few smaller pieces first with a brush and a spray to see which aesthetic you prefer. 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