W
hen it comes to varnishing
a painting, there is a huge
range of options available:
exhibition varnish, retouching varnish,
matte varnish, spray varnish...
So, what do all these names mean?
And are they really that different?
Varnish is a transparent layer
meant to protect your painting from
dust and grime, make it easier to
clean (for both yourself and any future
restorers), and deepen the colours,
especially the darks. Depending on its
composition, a varnish will dry to
varying degrees of sheen, toughness
and fl exibility. In this article we will
explore the different options as well
as guide you through a step-by-step
tutorial of how to varnish a painting.
The most common type of varnish
is the traditional, resin-based varnish.
These are made from combining a
natural resin and a solvent (usuallyturpentine) to make it easier to apply.
When the solvent evaporates, it leaves
the resin on the surface of your
painting. Common examples include
dammar (or damar), a favourite of John
Singer Sargent. It is very hard but may
yellow over time. One common type of
dammar-based varnish is exhibition
varnish (or retouching varnish). This is
designed to be used on a painting-in-
progress to bring out dull spots and
protect touch-dry paint. It is not
meant to be a fi nal coat, as it is much
more temporary than normal varnish.
Other resin-based varnishes include
shellac, which is obtained from trees
and dries to a very hard, clear fi lm.
However, it can be expensive and isn’t
suitable for vegans. Mastic is another
sap-like substance which dries into a
brittle resin with a semi-gloss fi nish.
The other main type of varnish is
cellulose-based. This includes mostsh A
i ting
LEFT John Singer
Sargent, Lady
Agnew of Lochnaw,
1892, oil on canvas,
127x101cm
PROJECTYou’ve painted a beautiful picture and you are ready to
varnish it. But where do you start? LIZET DINGEMANS
explains your options and shows you how it is doneLizet’smaterials
•A fi nishedpainting- Michael Harding
Dammar Varnish
•A 2” fl at bristle brush
•Soap and water
•A clean jar or dish
•Disposable gloves
(optional)
acrylic varnishes. They are a more
recent invention and don’t dissolve in
common paint thinners, so need to be
removed using specialised solvents.
When buying varnish, always check
it is listed to be used for your chosen
medium (oils or acrylics) and avoid
anything not labelled “for artists” or
“artist’s quality”, like a normal wood
varnish, for example. These varnishes
don’t have the same longevity and
therefore will yellow much sooner.
One last thing to note: I recommend
waiting for at least six months, or until
the thickest part of the painting is dry,
before varnishing your artwork.PROCESS
1
CHOOSE YOUR VARNISH
First decide on a type of varnish.
If you like the surface quality of your
picture as it is, I would recommend a
matte varnish over no varnish at all,
as it will protect your picture from the
environment better.
The choice depends on several
factors: the application (spray can or
brush?), the desired
permanence (retouch or
normal varnish?), the level
of shine (matt, satin or
gloss?) and the medium (are
you varnishing an oil or an
acrylic painting?). In this
demo, I wanted a brush-onvarnish to give more control over
the application. I was looking for a
permanent varnish, so I discounted
retouch varnishes. Mine was an oil
painting and I wanted a medium
sheen to bring out the deep darks,
so I chose a dammar varnish.2
PREPARE YOUR
SURFACE
Before you start the varnishing
process, make sure you are working
in a dust free, well-ventilated area.
Prepare a place for your canvas to sit
undisturbed when drying. The varnish
will take a while to dry and it is a good
idea to ensure that no dust or hairs
can attach to the varnish while it’s
Artists & Illustrators 57