Varnishing Q&A

Bear Season, special commission, oil on panel 10x10”
​ Photo 1: Life is good. Your paint is fresh. Everything is shiny.
Photo 2: A week goes by, reality sets in, and your darks sink. The surface is a combination of matte and gloss and it is lacking luster
Video: Don’t do it like this (see directions below on proper varnish technique) Varnish restoring the surface sheen, bringing back those darks and saturating the colors! Magic!
It’s really the easiest way to make your painting look better.

1. Varnish protects your painting and makes it easier to clean
2. Saturates colors, especially gloss!
3. Evens out surface sheen. If there are larger areas of different sheens oil out before you varnish
4. You don’t have to wait 6 months (OIL PAINTERS!) Use a temporary varnish, I like to use a removable varnish by @gamblincolors called Gamvar. You can apply as soon as your painting is touch-dry.
5. I’ve found Gamvar gloss is the easiest to use as it self levels. Apply to painting FLAT in a dust-free-dog-fur-free zone, don’t pick it up until its dry, it’ll streak.
6. Don’t step in the same river twice. If you over work it, it’ll streak.
7. Use it sparingly. Do not pour a ton on your painting, put the varnish in a bowl and dip your brush into it
8. If your varnish brush is hard and crusty after use, let it soak in the varnish for 5 minutes before you use it again
9. If you want to use satin, word to the wise, SHAKE THE BOTTLE WELL before use.
10. You can use a spray. 🤷🏻‍♀️
11. Bonus: Someone asked about oiling out: Cut 50:50 gamsol/galkyd lite and apply a THIN layer to your DRY painting. This will even out your surface BEFORE varnishing if your surface is really uneven - don’t rely on varnish to take care of this for you. It’s really better if you can feed the surface with oil first, you’ll be surprised how much of a difference this makes in your final product. 
12. Bonus: Acrylic painters: ISOLATION COAT before you varnish. Trust. Especially if you’re using a removable varnish, you won’t lift your painting should you decide to rework it later