58 Artists&Illustrators
PROJECT
dryingastheycanbehardtoextract
withoutremovingthevarnish
altogether.Wipedownthesurfaceof
yourpicturewitha lint-freeclothto
removeanydust.3
APPLYAFIRSTCOAT
Pouroutsomeofyourchosen
varnishintoa shallowdishorjar.This
makesit easiertocontrolhowmuch
varnishis onyourbrush.Withall
typesofvarnish,lessis alwaysmore.
It is bettertorealiseyouhavetoadd
anotherlayerofvarnishthanit is to
haveit drippingdownthepicture!
Applya coatofvarnishtothefront
ofyourpictureusinga largebrush,
withthestrokesallgoinginonedirection: either up and down or left
and right as you wish. You can go
over it again to get rid of any streaks
created by your paintbrush, but don’t
worry about a perfect finish, as the
varnish will level when drying.
If you feel the varnish is too thick,
dilute it a little with a bit of Sansodor
or turpentine. The consistency should
still be thick, like cream.
The goal is to ensure the whole
surface has an even coat. Two coats
can help with this, though wait for
one to be touch dry before adding
another. If you make a mistake, use
a cotton bud soaked in Sansodor
or turpentine to remove small spots
of the varnish.4
LEAVE TO DRY
Now that the first layer of varnish
is on, it is important that your picture
can dry somewhere safe and dust
free. I usually leave it facing the wall
or cover it with a dust sheet. Make
sure the dust sheet doesn’t touch the
surface, however, as the varnish can
act like glue and stick to your dust
sheet. Leave it for at least 24 hours.5
APPLY A SECOND COAT
After coming back to your picture,
it may seem as if the varnish has
“sunk in” to the canvas and the darks
have dulled down. In this case, your
picture will need another coat.
Repeat step 3, but be sure to
change the direction of your stroke.
For instance, I started up and down
on my first coat, so I went left andright on my second coat. Working
at right angles in this way further
avoids any strokes being visible
when the varnish dries.
Depending on the absorbency of
your paint surface, your picture may
need a third coat. If so, be sure to
leave the picture to dry for 24 hours
again before applying.
http://www.lizetdingemans.comTop tip
To remove a layer of
dry varnish, wipe it
off with a rag soaked
in Sansodor or
turpentine