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You won't do this, I know: but just in case...
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Posted
Noticed a post on Facebook today, about varnishing. The buyer of a painting wanted to know if he/she could remove a retouching varnish applied by the artist from whom they'd bought the picture, and lay a varnish over it in order to even out the variations in gloss, colour, general appearance.
Now, you wouldn't do that; would you? Of course you wouldn't.
But some do. Now then - retouching varnish never dries properly, which means that over time if will evaporate (probably not quite the right word scientifically, but it'll do). So you don't need to remove it. You just need to LEAVE it. Retouch varnish will disappear all on its own over time. (And by the way: I hate the stuff and wouldn't use it in the first place, but I realize some people need to have their work exhibition-ready.)
No painting in oils should be varnished earlier than 6 months - and I don't care what any varnish manufacturer says, so there - and if you've used thick paint, I'd give it as long as 12 months.
Why risk your painting cracking? Just don't. Leave off the varnish, do not be seduced by spurious and specious claims for X Y or Z product, think of oil paint as being alive, and don't smother it.
