While I was finishing up this painting I decided to ask for help from all of you. I am in a state of varnish confusion! As you know, we are all advised to wait at least 6 months before applying varnish. I don't know about you, but I don't have 6 months of paintings stored up, waiting to be varnished before I display or sell them. I usually finish them up by letting them dry several days until they are dry to the touch, and then I apply a light coat of liquin which I lightly rub over with a paper towel. This gets rid of the dull finish and makes the hues richer. If the painting is still around later, I varnish. Liquin's makers do not recommend the process I use but I think that is a cover your a-- move. It is really not any different than a very light glaze. I won't send a painting out without some time of finish. How do you all handle this?? And, what type of varnish do you use? I have read about several professional artists who apply varnish within 10-14 days. Do you?
12 comments:
On freshly painted pieces that have dried to the touch I use Sphinx Retouch Varnish, which is made to cover situations like you're describing. If I still have a painting after six months I usually apply a more permanent varnish.
I love the colors of this Carol. I use Liquin to cover my paintings because I think it's more durable and doesn't yellow. I read in one artist's blog that she uses 2 coats of Liquin.
Love the palette, the range of blues and greens with a touch of pink. This would be great in a larger format too.
I've heard of both of these approaches, and think they both work well. Lately, I'm using the retouch varnish as Kerri mentioned, but this is definitely something I'm interested in hearing more about!
Hi Carol - the retouch varnish is the way I've been told to go.
Love the colours and (as always) the luscious paint of this one.
Yup, retouch varnish. Though since I've been using a medium (linseed oil, standoil, and gamsol) I've noticed that the colors don't dull the way they did when I didn't use medium. I still use retouch varnish for the protection it provides. I figure anything I still have after 4 to 6 months will get final varnish. I would hesitate to use final varnish before that. If you paint alla prima and your paint is pretty thin, you might get away with it. But I've seen paintings that needed serious restoration because they were varnished too soon.
What a gorgeous piece! There are so many areas I love in this...the reds showing under the green leaves, the blue background, the white and pink flowers. Really beautiful.
As far as varnish...I live in fear. My paint application is fairly thick but I don't use any medium so they dry fairly quickly.I have started using Liquitex Soluvar Gloss and put on 2 coats per Karin Jurick's instructions. It gives the paintings a nice rich luster. No way I'm waiting 6 months! When you do daily paintings that's a lot of paintings waiting to dry! I wait a full week, varnish 1 coat, wait another week and do the last coat.
Hi Carol - First of all, gorgeous work! I love your colors. The easiest of all is the spray varnish, Graumbacher Damar Gloss varnish. I use it on paintings up to 38X46 in size and have never had a problem. I don't use liquin, it just seemed to complicate things and extend drying. I am usually able to varnish within 3 days of finishing a painting, unless I have dabs of yellow or red that are thick - those areas take longer to dry.
pughugs from Texas!
Hi Carol,
Wow! what an interesting thread... I gave up spraying anything about 10 years ago. I used too much Crystal Clear in the 80's. haha
I use Liquin as my painting medium and will use it as a top coat it I don't have time to use the Soluvar, which I love! Both are a very good and safe choices.
By the way, I love the abstract you just posted!
Happy Painting!
Lisa Palombo
so beautiful! I love the sense of light youve captured in the lotus flower :)
Hi - beautiful painting, Carol, and fascinating thread. I've read repeatedly that oils take 6 months plus to dry fully. they're dry to the touch in several days, but really take months to cure. Soluvar recommends drying 6 months to a year before varnishing oils. Retouch varnish or liquin really sounds like the safest method, even though lots of daily painters are varnishing after a few weeks.
Carol, your paintings are such a great combination; your unique, soft colors with your bold, graphic take on your subjects - wonderful! (Retouch varnish)
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