Whether you’re a fellow artist or someone who just owns art, it’s important to know what varnish is, how to use it, and how to take care of your artwork whether it’s varnished or not.
What is varnish, anyway?
You might be here because you saw this word “varnish” being thrown around. Maybe other artists are using it and you see these process videos on social media, or someone’s asked you if your artwork is varnished. Maybe you own a piece of art and you’re not sure if it’s safe to frame or have near sunlight. Whatever your reasoning is, I have some insight for you!
The general definition of varnish is:
resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry.
Now, in the art world, varnish is:
A clear, colorless solution containing a solvent and either a natural or synthetic resin that has been used for centuries on oil paintings and more recently on acrylic paintings as a protective barrier against moisture and environmental pollutants.
Without needing to read any further, that might have answered all of your questions. But if you are curious about how to use it, how to take care of artwork that is not varnished, or why I’ve been painting for so long and have only just now started to varnish my paintings, feel free to stick around!
Why is varnish important?
For the obvious reason that was stated in the art world definition, varnish is a protective barrier against moisture and environmental pollutants. I’ve also found that it’s helpful to protect against strong sunlight as well. In this section I’ll also go over some important tips on how to apply it, what to do if you own artwork that is not varnished, and why it’s taken me so long to start varnishing.
How to apply varnish
This is something that I had to revisit twice now. The first time was when I started to varnish paintings that I know had been dry for a very long time. The second was when I had a painting that was still wet and I needed to get it to dry quickly, and I had to learn the risks of applying varnish too early. Whether you’re in one situation or another, the application is exactly the same.
Before applying any liquid, it is important to first make sure your painting is completely dry. The last thing you want to do is smear any wet paint after you just worked so hard on this painting!
After it’s completely dry, you’ll want to use a lint roller to collect any potential dust particles or hairs that are on the surface of the painting, especially if it’s been resting for a while.
Now to actually apply the varnish.
There’s the “correct way” and the way that I do it. The “correct way” is to pour the varnish into a bowl or dish first, dip a wide wash brush in the solvent, and then apply it to the painting. I’ve found this to be a little wasteful because I don’t end up using all of the varnish that I pour into the bowl, an I don’t want to add the leftovers back into the jar. So instead, I found pouring an appropriate amount onto the center of the canvas and spread the liquid throughout the canvas with the brush to be a better option for me.
Feel free to choose the best method for your practices!
The importance of drying
Aside from the obvious that it could accidentally spread your paint if your paint isn't all the way dry, an even semi-wet painting can leave even completely dried varnish feeling tacky -- not fun!
And I had to learn the fun, not so fun, way to dry a painting fast because I was on a deadline. One would think that blowing air on an oil painting would dry it faster. Well... think again. I learned that keeping it by a window actually doesn't dry it any faster. In fact, it might actually slow the drying process. Instead, dry heat helps an oil painting dry faster. And conveniently for me we had a nice big heater that's not a fan from when our heat went out 7 times in the month of December.
Yay!
I was able to dry a 16x20 inch oil painting in 3 hours by keeping it in front of the heater, and then apply the varnish and let that dry over night. If you choose to dry a painting this way, be careful! Too high of a heat and too close can dry out the paint too quickly that it can leave it cracked and damaged. Overall, the best way to dry a painting is to allow yourself plenty of time to let it dry naturally. But we all get in a pinch sometimes, right?
What to do if you own a painting that isn't varnished
So it's actually not that big of a deal! I have paintings that haven't been varnished and they're still great. Since varnish is just meant to help protect it, it doesn't actually need it, although it can help increase the value by ensuring that it is better protected. But if it isn't varnished and you would like it to be, you can always see if that's something the artist can do if they're still around, or take it somewhere to have it professionally varnished. You may even varnish it yourself if you feel confident enough to do it (it's really not that hard if you know the painting is completely dry!).
If you want a good varnish, I recommend Gamblin's Gamvar Varnish. It's what I've been using and it dries SO quickly.
What took me so long to start varnishing?
Well, it wasn't stressed as important when I was earning my bachelors degree. I had one professor who mentioned it, but it wasn't anything that was deemed necessary. So I just didn't.
It wasn't until I started doing watercolors that I knew there was risk of the sun making the colors fade over time. So I researched mediums that I can use to protect my watercolor paintings. I found Dorland's Wax Medium by Jacquard after painting my first watercolor for sale and have always used that to protect my artwork. I also just ensure my customers to not put the artwork in direct sunlight, just to make sure the colors don't fade.
I use a palette knife to apply that by just scooping it out of the jar and spreading a thin layer all over the surface of the painting. I also first check it for any specks or hairs. I'll sometimes find them as I'm applying the wax, but it's very easy to take off and smooth the wax over.
I hope this helps!
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