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Varnish
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Posted
I’m probably in the minority here, but acrylic paintings don’t need varnishing - I know that Robert will disagree, but that’s my personal opinion.
I’ve got acrylic work from decades ago, still as fresh as the day I painted them…
If you are hell bent on varnishing, there are plenty of quality brands available, I often use Royal Talens matte varnish for my oil paintings.
Hairspray can be used, but it isn’t recommended, as it will almost certainly turn yellow over time, plus other issues.
I’ve also used Dammar varnish in the past, but this does have a tendency to yellow also over time, or so the technical experts say!
Posted
I like to varnish my acrylic paintings...a bit like glazing a watercolour it brings out the colour and the depth...o don't glaze my acrylic pics. It also help to keep a painting clean.
Plus I use gloss....yay...shiny and brash . But it works for me. Hair spray a complete no no. I've seen it used on charcoal gratings in a life group but useless on a painting.
Winsor and Newton Galleria,also in mat and satin.
Posted
Dammar does yellow, though so do a lot of other older varnishes. The real snag with Dammar is getting if off again if you need to - OMS and the usual varnish removers just won't touch it: it needs Turpentine, and you'd better hope no one has painted a varnish layer, including re-touch, under a paint layer - because Turps will whip that off, plus the paint. There are gentler, modern varnishes. Gamvar is OK.
Acrylics - Alan is partly right: I do normally varnish mine (and the choice of varnish there is much easier than it is with oils: just use an acrylic varnish). I do it because, as Sylvia says, it brings out the colours. But that depends on how you've applied them: I don't varnish acrylics on paper, used in a generally transparent way - what Alwyn Crawshaw called "a watercoloury way" - and it's quite true that on the whole, acrylics don't need varnishing - if they get dirty, you can clean them with a bit of water on a cotton bud or - a bit o' spit.
They do need varnishing if they're going to be hanging in a smoky atmosphere - but these are getting fewer and farther between: paintings in pubs could be relied on to go brown-yellow: a quick dip of the finger in water or solvent could lift it; but those days are gone, with old Uncle Joe and his perpetual pipe banned from the premises.
Also - if I've painted something in Cryla, the heavier bodied acrylic, with impasto, I might well not varnish - because while it can enhance colour, it also smoothes things out a bit; which may be the last thing you want to do. You could always put those under glass, of course - or just leave them, and keep an eye out to ensure they don't get dirt in the grooves of the paint: which raises the technical reason - people think that acrylic paint hardens to an impermeable layer, but it doesn't. Yes, it looks as if it does, it feels as if it does, but the surface of acrylic is permeable - it can be subject to microscopic pitting, in which dirt can settle and then be hard to remove. Even then, you CAN clean it: but varnish will prevent your having to.
You don't HAVE to varnish anything, in short - oil or acrylic. But I do have a few old oil sketches that have gone very dull and dry without varnish; plus - as I'm sure I've said before, but old men do repeat themselves - I have an acrylic painting on board which dates back to the 1980s at the very latest: I keep it unvarnished, and not especially well protected, as a test: and while it might have changed a little over the years, I don't think it has; it looks as good/bad today as it did when I was a very much younger man....
I'm thinking of giving myself a coat of acrylic..
Posted
Wish I could help you, But I only have experience varnishing furniture... My mother would often use a light coating of hairspray on her acrylic paintings to preserve them .. Don't know if many other artist do it...I used to use many of kind, for charcoal, pastels (similar needs), so the graphite and oils in past, but I’m keep looking for the perfect one, that I’ll be sure I like to use it as the only one. Unfortunately as many artists as many preferences, so I’m looking for the one I’d like to stick to it Eric.
Posted
I’m probably in the minority here, but acrylic paintings don’t need varnishing - I know that Robert will disagree, but that’s my personal opinion. I’ve got acrylic work from decades ago, still as fresh as the day I painted them… If you are hell bent on varnishing, there are plenty of quality brands available, I often use Royal Talens matte varnish for my oil paintings. Hairspray can be used, but it isn’t recommended, as it will almost certainly turn yellow over time, plus other issues. I’ve also used Dammar varnish in the past, but this does have a tendency to yellow also over time, or so the technical experts say!Thank you Alan for advice. I’ve never been acrylic painting but oils, so I’m looking for some (the best one) oil varnish… I did check the Dammar varnish made by Michael Harding and It’s tempting to use it, as I’m just trusting it’s decent quality varnish because of who’s manufacturing it, as I’m a big fan of Michael H. oil paints. What’s your point of view regarding varnishing oil painting please? If acrylic painting can be left without the need of varnish coat, what’s your experience in regards to oils please Alan? Art.
Posted
Got Damar myself Alan. Waiting to do a Victorian style portrait so it will slowly yellow after varnishingI’m just tempting to use M.Harding’s Dammar varnish… But wonder whether it’s a must to varnish the oil painting. I mean, if the varnish will yellow after many years, maybe just don’t use it… Art.
Posted
Dammar does yellow, though so do a lot of other older varnishes. The real snag with Dammar is getting if off again if you need to - OMS and the usual varnish removers just won't touch it: it needs Turpentine, and you'd better hope no one has painted a varnish layer, including re-touch, under a paint layer - because Turps will whip that off, plus the paint. There are gentler, modern varnishes. Gamvar is OK. Acrylics - Alan is partly right: I do normally varnish mine (and the choice of varnish there is much easier than it is with oils: just use an acrylic varnish). I do it because, as Sylvia says, it brings out the colours. But that depends on how you've applied them: I don't varnish acrylics on paper, used in a generally transparent way - what Alwyn Crawshaw called "a watercoloury way" - and it's quite true that on the whole, acrylics don't need varnishing - if they get dirty, you can clean them with a bit of water on a cotton bud or - a bit o' spit. They do need varnishing if they're going to be hanging in a smoky atmosphere - but these are getting fewer and farther between: paintings in pubs could be relied on to go brown-yellow: a quick dip of the finger in water or solvent could lift it; but those days are gone, with old Uncle Joe and his perpetual pipe banned from the premises. Also - if I've painted something in Cryla, the heavier bodied acrylic, with impasto, I might well not varnish - because while it can enhance colour, it also smoothes things out a bit; which may be the last thing you want to do. You could always put those under glass, of course - or just leave them, and keep an eye out to ensure they don't get dirt in the grooves of the paint: which raises the technical reason - people think that acrylic paint hardens to an impermeable layer, but it doesn't. Yes, it looks as if it does, it feels as if it does, but the surface of acrylic is permeable - it can be subject to microscopic pitting, in which dirt can settle and then be hard to remove. Even then, you CAN clean it: but varnish will prevent your having to. You don't HAVE to varnish anything, in short - oil or acrylic. But I do have a few old oil sketches that have gone very dull and dry without varnish; plus - as I'm sure I've said before, but old men do repeat themselves - I have an acrylic painting on board which dates back to the 1980s at the very latest: I keep it unvarnished, and not especially well protected, as a test: and while it might have changed a little over the years, I don't think it has; it looks as good/bad today as it did when I was a very much younger man.... I'm thinking of giving myself a coat of acrylic..I may need the acrylic coat for myself too Robert 😉👍 It will keep me young forever 😅 Thank you very much for full comment. I’m not using acrylic paint(never have had) so I’ve been focusing on your oils advice. Michael H. is manufacturing Dammar Varnish, I’m tempting to buy… I have heard of Gammar varnish too, so I’m torn in half now… I’m amazed you’ve had an idea back in 1980 to put an acrylic painting at a side to test the longevity?! Wow.
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