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Varnishing acrylics?
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Message
Posted
I have just finished an acrylic painting! My first in months, painted with a knife on ACF canvas, and I'll show it as soon as I can get a good photo.
It presents me with the usual dilemma - to varnish or not to varnish; and then again, what varnish? I have Daler Rowney's Clear Picture Varnish, which I've often used on both oils and acrylics, and a little bit of varnish intended specifically for acrylics; which to choose?
Because it's a knife painting, there's quite a bit of rough texture which I want to keep: varnish can smoothe that out a bit - though won't obliterate it. It should also somewhat enhance the colours, though that's more of an issue with very smooth, flat paintings.
So here's a chance for you to tell me what you usually do with your acrylics - it would be interesting to see if there's a common approach, or if we all vary like the independent spirits we all are....
Posted
I’ve said this on numerous occasions… I don’t see any point at all in varnishing an acrylic painting!
Any dust or fly residue etc can easily be removed periodically with warm water, maybe even soapy water, I’d have to check on that.
I’ve got unvarnished acrylic work going back many decades and are still as vibrant as the day I painted them.
As with oils, once you commit to varnish, there will be a time in the future when it will probably have to be removed - and that’s a whole new chapter!
But, if the artist feels that the benefits outweigh the possibility of future cracking/yellowing or whatever, then certainly go for it.
That’s my opinion and I’ve never deviated from it!
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
You have indeed always been firm in your opinion (and not only in regard to varnishing acrylics). I tend to agree with you - I don't think varnish is going to do much for a knife painting, for instance. And I won't be varnishing this one. Maybe varnish isn't needed with a painting composed with acrylic mediums; or with Wallace Seymour acrylics, which are glossier than my usual brands. However, on a thinly painted acrylic - not to watercolour consistency, which raises different issues - on an absorbent board or canvas, especially if water has been used to thin the paint, a layer of varnish can enhance the colour.
As a side note, Alwyn Crawshaw used to varnish his acrylics (usually, not always) - make of that what you will.... I imagine he had the same will-I-won't-I? argument with himself that I have.
Still interested in others' reactions - I know we have acrylic painters on here..... probably all consumed by their Christmas shopping..
Posted
I’ve only ever varnished one acrylic painting and while I quite liked the result, I found it devilishly hard to photograph, so I tend not to varnish my work. Alan is right,a light wipe with damp cloth can remove any dust.
I have recently used Golden fluid acrylics ( gifted by a friend) on part of a painting and they dry to a definite gloss, whereas my normal System3 or W&N dry quite matt. Interesting to mix them up.
Posted
I generally don’t varnish an acrylic painting, unless it’s going into someone’s kitchen!
I’ve tried matt varnish and satin varnish. Also matt over the satin.
I have found though, that the varnished ones get less battered on the corners than then unvarnished one.
Like Alan, I’ve numerous unvarnished paintings kicking about which have not lost any of their vibrancy over the years.
I do, however, coat my paintings in a thin layer of matt medium, as I use several different brands of acrylics - they all have a different sheen when dry.
Posted
All interesting, and thank you for your responses. The thing is, I think, that acrylic paints are all very different. With DR Cryla, you get an eggshell finish; with W and N acrylics, a somewhat different appearance, depending on the thickness of the paint: then we have Liquitex, Golden Acrylics, Wallace Seymour, System 3, Galleria. and they all differ in terms of finish... so you can't readily make a general rule. Then there's Chromacolour - some of these take varnish, some don't need it, some are better off without it. The trouble with any varnish is that it tends to smoothe out brush or knife strokes - not a problem if that's what you want, but you can lose a lot of carefully applied texture. Having painted with a wide range of acrylics over around 50 years, when Cryla first appeared, I think the truth is that, as with many things, you apply the appropriate remedy to the appropriate painting: you know, somehow, when a painting needs a varnish, and you know when it doesn't. On the whole, I don't think knife paintings benefit from varnish, whereas smoothly brushed paintings do - but there's no unchallengeable rule.