Do you really need to varnish your painting?3 Reasons why artists varnish their work and more.

You can learn how to varnish a painting.You need to varnish your paintings.The painting will be protected from harmful rays and dust.It adds a layer of shine that pulls the painting together and makes it look even better, bringing out the vibrant colors.Trust me!

The varnish comes in a variety of colors.I like the look of a glossy finish so I usually stick with gloss varnish.It will take some experimentation to get the exact finish that you are looking for, but you can mix any of these types of varnish.This kind of experimentation is what it takes to learn how to varnish a painting.

If you want to take a picture of your painting, do it before it's been painted.If light hits the varnish, it will cause a glare, making it difficult to take a picture.I take pictures of my paintings before they are varnished.It's a pain to photograph paintings after they've been painted.It is possible, but it requires a lot of patience, trial and error, and space on your camera's memory card.

Make sure the painting is completely dry before you varnish it.The varnish will mix with the paint and streak across the canvas if it's wet.Unless that is the effect you want.You will want to avoid this.Make sure the surface is free of dust, dirt, and lint.

Always keep a separate glass jar or plastic cup for varnishing.Don't use the same jar as you dip your paintbrush.There will be little bits of paint stuck to the inside, outside, or lip of the jar.They will stick to your painting if they get into your varnish or brush.It's not cool!I keep a separate brush for varnishing.You can see and read about the brush I use for varnishing, and if you make a purchase I get a small commission that helps support this site.It is worthwhile to keep a special brush aside.It will last a long time because it won't be used frequently.It's worth the small investment.

Before putting in varnish, you should rinse the jar in water.Give your brush a quick rinse as well.

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In the jar, mix the correct ratio of varnish and water according to the instructions on the bottle.Do not mix the varnish with water, and instead follow the instructions on the bottle.To make sure you have enough to varnish the painting in one go, try to mix out more than you think you need.It may take some practice to get this amount right, but you'll get it as you learn how to varnish.Any unused varnish can be saved.When I was done painting, I would put a solid covering over the jar and use it again a few days later.I don't recommend keeping the varnish mixture for more than a few days because it gets cloudy.It's probably fine, but I would rather have a whole new varnish mix.

I talk about Golden Acrylic Polymer Varnish here.If the varnish needs to be removed, it can be done with an ammonia solution.It's comforting to have the option to remove the varnish for my art.If the varnish yellows or something needs to be cleaned, it's better to have the removability option.It's important to keep in mind that the artwork may need to be removed from the museum in order to clean it.Why don't they make their job easier?That's right.

If you think that someday the varnish might need to be removed for any reason, you'll have to apply an isolation coat before you varnish the painting.The isolation coat protects your painting from the chemicals that remove the varnish.

To apply an isolation coat, use an acrylic gel medium or gel gloss.If you choose to follow the instructions on the gloss medium or gel gloss, the packaging for Golden Soft Gel Gloss recommends mixing 2 parts to 1 part water.If you want to apply the isolation coat, follow the basic steps outlined here for varnishing and allow at least 24 hours for the coat to completely dry.

If you want to learn more about applying an isolation coat, you can check out this page on the Golden website, which includes a note of caution because "isolation coats are also significant and permanent additions to a painting and inevitably will cause changes in the painting's surface qualities."You can read more at the aforementioned link.If you don't apply an isolation coat, the varnish will still protect the painting, but it's best to never remove it or you'll risk damaging it.

Make sure the painting is in a place where it can be undisturbed for a few hours while the varnish dries.If you try to varnish a painting while it's hanging on a wall, the varnish will run down the canvas and make a mess on the floor.Make sure that the painting is out of the reach of children and pets while the varnish is being applied and dried.

I always put a wooden board underneath the painting to protect it from the effects of varnish.There is a chance that varnish will stick to the surface below if it drips over the side of your canvas or wood panel.There is a risk of slight damage to the varnish on the painting.If the painting is on a wood panel, I prop it up by putting something underneath that will lift it from the wooden board.I have a tub of gesso that has a flat top.I know the tub won't fall over if I accidentally push it.If the painting is on canvas, I prop it up with four equally-sized objects underneath each corner, where the stretcher bars connect.You can see what I mean by looking at the illustration.

The brush should be dipped into the varnish about 1/3 to 1/2 way down the length of the brush.Holding the brush at an angle, apply the varnish in even strokes across the painting.Start at one corner and work your way across the painting in a parallel fashion.

When you are done, look at the painting from a different angle.If there are parts that aren't shiny or wet, apply varnish to them.If you shine a light on it, it will sparkle.Carefully pull out any dust or other debris that may have fallen into the varnish if you see it.Even though they are not straight, I use my fingernails for this.

Allow a few hours for the varnish to dry, according to the time on the package.You can either give it another coat of varnish or not.It's possible that the varnish doesn't cover completely the first time, so another coat is needed.I give my paintings 2 coats of varnish.After letting the first coat dry for 3-4 hours, I gently touched the surface with my finger to make sure it was dry.Then I apply the second coat of varnish.

When you're done, make sure to thoroughly clean the jar and brush and keep them out of harms way.

You can learn more about the basics of painting with these video courses.You can get started with a 14-day free trial or use the code ARTisFUN30 to get 30% off annual membership.We get a small commission that helps support the site.

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