Question For Oil Painters

No, not at all. Unless asked to

Hi Kathy,
I thought you might like to read this article on varnishing, they give great information and tips for artists who need to varnish. I wish I could answer your question........ In the future I would like to try GAMVAR but I have used MSA Varnish which I mixed with turpentine. Good luck in experimenting with varnish and I hope you find a solution....

http://willkempartschool.com/how-to-varnish-an-oil-painting/

I never varnish...unless I don't know what varnish means. I usually have dry paintings within a week or so if I just use a minimal amount of oil. I would have to go up to my studio to see what oil I use, but I think it's just the normal oil for oil paints. I don't use any thinner or mineral spirits on my work. I don't like the horrendous odor, so I keep it simple. I try to keep the paint thin on my canvas as well by not using much. I use a drop of oil to spread it around to mix with other colors. I have preserved my work with varnish but it was a long time ago.

I do to preserve and I also like the high gloss finish effect.

I haven't varnished any of my paintings in the last few years. I use water soluble oil paint. I only use a little water and linseed oil to thin the paint. Recently I was wondering whether or not to start varnishing but you have to wait such a long time before you do it. When I finish a painting I like to put it up on FAA right away. And I would have to varnish outside I can't take the odor. I don't like working with a lot of chemicals.

As long as you're applying oil paint in thin layers - if you're layering at all - the paint should dry and be hard enough to varnish in a couple of months, rather than the six months that most varnish makers recommend.

But, if you lay it on pretty thick, to the extent that the surface shows topographical features, you best wait at least six months until you varnish.

Let me clarify this business of thick and thin versus fat over lean: Despite what some artists say, painting fat over lean does NOT, by definition, mean painting thick over thin. To paint fat over lean means to paint in a way that each successive layer of paint, when layering paint wet over dry, contains more fatty oil than the previous layer, allowing it to dry more slowly and to be more flexible than the previous layers.

Additionally, at the time of the sale of an unvarnished painting, I always include - as part of the contract - the promise that I will clean and varnish the painting at some future date (beyond the margin allowed for drying), and in this way, I can get my foot in the door again, not only to fulfill my promise, but to take advantage of another opportunity to make a sale in the intimate setting of someone's home or office, nice and quiet and undistracted.

Works like a charm!

Great advice Patrick!

In the end You don't have to use varnish but there are three good reasons for it:
1. protection
2. a homogeneous look
3. control of brilliance with different varnish

I always varnish. It gives protection and a richness to the overall appearance. I recently ran across a painting from about eight or more years ago that was not varnished. It just looked dull and old. I varnished it and it brought it back to life so to speak.
You do have to give the painting a little time to dry so patience is a key. I also paint in many thin layers so unless it is a dark pigment, (the darker the longer drying period) I hang them in my studio and wait until I can varnish. This also has a great advantage. I usually see a few things about the painting that need a bit of tweeking and can correct it.

When i get around to it. Varnish brings out the colors.

Thanks everyone for responding! Great advice.

It depends on the work. It can bring a lot more out of a work. A lot of varnishes can be removed if you do not like the varnish. This is not true to all varnishes and some varnishes become part of the painting and can never be removed. However some of the one's that can never be removed are suppose to give more life to the work.Some varnishes will tend to yellow after time but this is not true with all varnishes and I think most of the modern varnishes will never yellow.Some of the older varnishes may yellow but not dramatically or anything.

I always varnish--wait about 6 to 9 months after completion. Varnish not only protects the paint, but also brings out the depth in dark colors....less important for the bright colors. Working on the best combination of gloss and mat varnish, mixed with paint thinner/turpentime, has taken me years to perfect.

You could use spray varnish or a retouch varnish, to get an even sheen making the painting look better if you don't want to wait 6 months or longer. It is a good idea to varnish a painting as it unifies the painting.

I don't varnish my oil painting, only if the collector wants to. I often view the over-varnished paintings in the galleries, I feel sorry for the painters sometimes...

I used to use acrylic varnishes over oil - they dry fast, and didn't get a colour tinge over time (I don't know if that's still an issue). But sometimes I'd use an oil-based varnish over acrylic to give it a different feel (and fragrance).

I've used egg white and acrylic binder, and I've made brush strokes more pronounced with impasto gel - though over acrylic paint, but they'd still work over oil

its a pain i know when you want to sell but have to wait 6 months to cure before varnishing. I would suggest in between waiting for it to cure paint some acrylic paintings in between.

Yes I always varnish, anything that will protect my art in the long run is a great idea in my book. Plus it really makes the colors pop. It is a pain to wait a while but it's worth it. When it finally does sell you know you will be giving the client their money's worth, in part because you took the extra step to preserve your work and that piece could be around for generations to come.

A tip that I find helps with drying the varnish quicker is, I varnish, then put a fan on low blowing directly on the painting overnight. Fan must be on low or it will "bow" your canvas.

I've never varnished my oils. Do you mean acrylics?
-- mary ellen anderson

Nope, I mean oils. Acrylics dry super fast so there is not much of a wait.

Do you guys use spray varnish or do you use a brush?

Check out the use of 'Retouch Varnish Sprays' for oil paintings. Retouch varnishes provides protection for the painting but still allows the oils beneath to 'breath' through the varnish layer and continue to dry. It also allows further editing. Retouch varnish is not considered a final finish and mfrs recommend permanent varnishing after 6 months.

I brush a layer of Winsor & Newton Dammar varnish, then after it dries I sometimes spray a light coat of matte finish to cut down on the sheen.

Phyllis, I've actually tried that before and it's a great trick for overly shiny varnish!

Jimmie, I've heard of retouch varnish but I guess I didn't really know what it was used for.

Thanks so much for all the great advice!!!

I use spray varnish usually. Karmar Varnish works well. Quick, easy and affordable. I use it for both Acrylic and oil paintings. http://www.dickblick.com/products/krylon-kamar-varnish/

What Jimmie said..I use Krylon retouch spray for oils and acrylics.

I haven't varnished, but I really like what you said, Patrick about varnishing at a later date for the client. That is a great way to keep in touch especially if it is a new client!