Will. You’re welcome Kristine, Merry Christmas! A light sanding may be needed for the look you are trying to achieve. I’ve recently been using a acrylic spray paint in my work, that once dry neither water nor solvent will alter. Allow to dry for 3 days. What a generous wealth of support you are to all of us. Thank you. Epoxy resin will hold its durability for a long time. Hi Lina, Ahhh, that adds a slight complication as the ink for a Giclee print is usually water based, so solvent-based oil varnishes are best avoided, the only varnishes that can be applied to a Giclee print are acrylic water-based varnishes. All you need to do is rub it on liberally and then wipe the surface to seal it. Will, Hi Will, I love your site and find I often come back to it for tips. As a comparison, gloss varnishes dry almost 100% transparent and satin somewhere between the two. What type of pencils or maybe charcoal pencil will work and result in archival quality? Will. You could also keep the beams dark & paint the wood between them. Use a spackling knife to press either spackling compound or wood putty into any imperfections you wish to paint over, then allow the product to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hi Jim, as mentioned above, natural varnishes (such as Dammar) yellow over time. Your Info and tips are fantastic and really helpful. Ensure the paint is completely dry, then apply a solid, even coat of varnish using a roller or paintbrush. So, since I used my new favorite polyurethane over the paint on my cabinet doors, naturally I’ll be using it on my cabinets, too. Hi Will, I just completed a 40×60 canvas acrylic painting. but what is a stain? Here’s an article on applying an isolation coat that goes through the materials and brushes I use. Typically, an indoor wood stain would be used to alter a wood cabinet’s exterior color (often towards a darker, richer wood hue). Hi Laura, your existing paintings will be absolutely fine in terms of protection, you would just have to be more careful when replacing the varnish not to damage the surface of the painting. I have an acrylic landscape painting, and I rather like the matt look. Q. Hi Will, I use an acrylic satin finish varnish that comes in a spray can to protect my acrylic paintings and am satisfied with that. any help appreciated, as this is my first time decorating, and i have a multitude of tasks to do. Is it safe to varnish over the whole painting or will the gesso run? I didn’t realise there was so much to take into consideration when varnishing! Thanks so much! Would a brushed on application work better in this case for reducing hotspots? Let the … Acrylic paintings can often look dull when they’re dry and some manufacturers such as Old Holland and Winsor & Newton have started to add a glossy acrylic binder to give the paints a more satin appearance. For a spray application, Soft Gel Gloss will be too viscous to go cleanly through the airbrush, if you want to spray use a mix of: Apply multiple thin layers depending on the absorbency of the surface you’re spraying. Given how much work this entails, it is not a recommended course of action. Varnished timber in need of painting. Hi Will, So very appreciative of your time in answering everyone’s questions! I painted and varnished a painting that I no longer like. Two coats of chalk paint also do look great on the surfaces. Will the varnish not eventually turn yellow? A gloss varnish would make more of a difference than the matte, but a few extra brushstrokes of paint would be the best remedy. Totally amazing that something written so long ago is still in circulation and relevant! Will. Is it better to use gloss first and satin over that? Will. First I made Giclee, then I enhanced with oil colors (not painting everything) Next I went over covering all and adding some texture with Golden Gel Gloss medium which is acrylic…Now, do I varnish with acrylic based varnish or oil based varnish? However, doing so will not have the same effect as applying stain and then later painting over the deck wood. Thanks. I’m looking at converting it into mixed media. The smaller the surface area, the narrower the brush. Can I use varnish or clear enamel to seal knots? To add varnish to a painting, use a brush to apply a very thin, even coat on top of the dry paint. They are convenient, cleanup friendly and don’t smell strong, however, they are harder to apply evenly on larger areas with a brush as they dry too quickly for big canvases. Painting over old varnish with Chalk Paint. For Atelier it’s a little different because of the re-wetting qualities of the paint. I varnished it last-minute for an exhibition in London, using the only varnish I had in my studio at the time – Atelier Satin Medium & Varnish – which seemed to go on OK and looked OK. Hi Ken, You wouldn’t be able to remove a non-removable varnish safely without danger of damaging the picture surface. I use acrylic painting for mental therapy. So far I have made mistakes, but am learning with every attempt. Just completed my first acrylic painting and wanted to know whether I stretch it before or after I varnish? Hope this helps, Will, Thanks so much Will, This helps a lot and makes me feel much better. I tried applying a new coat but no change. Thank you for your answer. All you need to do is rub it on liberally and then wipe the surface to seal it. Do you still recommend mixing matte varnish with gloss varnish? The safest way to cover all bases to see which image you prefer is to set up your camera on a tripod and then photograph at each stage. To ensure that water and moisture is kept at bay, varnish by its very nature is non-porous e.g. The epoxy resin helps build a strong, waterproof seal. I have been reading your site and will apply an isolation coat as it protects the paint. One the unit is totally dry, inspect the finish. I couldn’t say for sure regarding the Winsor glazing gel as personally I’ve always used the Golden Soft Gel. Im working very large scale watercolors 6-7 ft across on canvas. Or would spraying be easier? A. Hi Brendan, gloss varnish will give you the most ‘wet look’ to your paintings, you just might need a number of coats to build up the layers. Do I need to worry about reversible varnishes? It would give you a smoother application, but if you where going down this route you could just build up layers of the Liquitex fluid medium. A. or any brand? Could you suggest a varnish to use? The biggest drawback with MSA Varnishes is that they must be thinned before use, with full strength spirits. Any clear coat can … A number of things that cause streaks, from the varnish drying too quickly, to the brush technique on application, I’ll be looking at different application methods in the next varnishing article. I am working with gold leaf (imitation) and acrylics. For works on canvas, the same route of an isolation coat can be used but I would double check with the manufacturers recommendations, I use Golden high flow paints and here are their recommendations: Isolation Coats and Varnishing: Allow 12-24 hours for the HFA layers to dry before applying isolation coats or varnish layers. After varnishing, the surface should be shielded with a protective “tent”. Have a look at this article on varnishing oils which goes through the process. Overall the varnishing improved the appearance, but in some areas I feel the uneven sheen was enhanced, sticking out like a sore thumb. thanks again. Will: I have a painting that has some impasto areas, made with Golden extra heavy gel gloss medium mixed into heavy body paint, and another area that is painted with thin multiple glazes made with heavy body paint mixed with soft gel gloss (50%) and water (50%). LoL i know that its either too much water (I mixed it 4 varnish to 1 water) or too energetic mixing (i was as gentle as possible). As such, a stain-over-paint procedure is not recommended for most concrete structures. Will. Hi Ed, pleased you’ve been enjoying the site. Are these 3 Black Paint Myths Holding You Back? Cheers, Will, Hi will, Love your site. Cheers, Will. Thanks in advance Anna. “The Matte surfaces favoured by impressionists and fauves within a primitivizing impulse – in their case a return to the look of fifteenth-century tempera and fresco painting”, Seeing Through Paintings: Physical Examination in Art Historical Studies by Andrea Kirsh, Rustin S. Levenson. Any artist quality acrylic will be good, you can start by investing in an artist quality white and then building up your paints from there. Now i paint acrylic on wood, gray scale white to black with a lot of texture brush marks and hard edges, glazing and transparencies due to regular matte gel. Prestige Extra White Paint makes an excellent choice for furniture and wood trim.