Its been a few years since you wrote this great article. thanks, and happy new year! Test the process to identify the amount of time to wait for drying or which mediums can be more problematic than others. A Varnish depending on your aesthetic choices either a Polymer varnish or Mineral Varnish as discussed in the article. So the painting has some area shining, some area is not. Elizabeth is a creative writer and digital editor based in the United States. Otherwise, they will rub off when you touch them. Pouring Medium. Artists use this medium to create fluid acrylic / pour paintings with a glass like finish. The gloss will dry the clearest of the gels. I paint in acrylics and dont varnish them, but am wondering if I should for protective reasons. A liquid thats milky when wet and translucent when dry, it can be added to acrylic to increase fluidity; the more you add, the thinner and more transparent the color will become. Recently I am re-discovering painting with acrylics after some 30 years of doing watercolour paintings. Thank you again so much for your site!!! Very insightful and useful info. Whatever you decide is best for you and your paintings, its always worth knowing good professional practice. This matte finish that can often appear in acrylics is the same as areas of an oil painting that have sunk in. Thanks as always for your wonderful site and advise! It prevents the formation of skin over the surface while painting. Solvent-based varnishes or Mineral Spirit Acrylic varnish dry to a tough yet flexible layer. Virginia. Hi Lois, Ill be covering oil painting varnishing in a future article, the polyethylene furniture varnish usually has a tendency to yellow more over time. Then I found your page, where you explained clearly, and in terms that a non painter could understand, why you would varnish your painting. . Even if you want to finish with a Matte surface, apply the gloss isolation coat. Its to lean against a tree on the lawn, then brought indoors at night or tricky weather. Now I have learned from your site why all my Halloween paintings got ruined: I used a matte finish when I should have used gloss. Some sources advise not to mix acrylic paint with more than 50 percent water. Hi, I know this is an older article but crossing my fingers youll see the comment. can I do anything to darken my blacks? So appreciative of your help! Some polymer varnishes need to be thinned before use (Golden Polymer Varnishes need to be thinned) as they are manufactured to be thicker in the pot so there isgreater consistency to the varnish film when it is thinned and applied. I plan on doing some test runs but before I go to the trouble, they are probably 35-40 years old, I just wondered if these have a shelf life that I should be aware of. Regards, Julia. I recently used Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss) Medium as a finish coat for a portrait, and like the results. You can paint your painting, apply a layer of soft gel gloss, sprinkle glitter and youre away! I currently don't have a proper varnish but I do have matte medium. The final varnish is removeable turps or mineral based varnish, which may be called an acrylic varnish, but this should not be used during painting. Thanks Lynda, and a Merry Christmas to you! Yes, youll be able to respray a glossy coat on top, however, as you mentioned, because the satin coat has already been sprayed ontop some of the satin matting agent will still remain so it wont be a crystal clear as just with the gloss varnish. Recently, Goldens website underwent a big design change, so the watercolour varnishing link would be here now: http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicalinfo_varnwatercolor, as I discovered a while back when I went to use my bookmarks :-). 10. This makes it particularly handy for glazes and blending. How would you see it? This result is a finished painting with areas of different sheens. The size is 15x60. Or do I need to remove the varnish? Id try a few tests first to try and match the correct sheen to the look youre after. The gesso ground would soak up the oil from the paint and leave a matte appearance on the surface. Now you know better what to do with that matte medium and why its important for your artwork. Have fun creating art! This aids in a more even application of Liquitex Soluvar Varnish and protects the painting if the Liquitex Soluvar Varnish needs to be removed. Gamvar from Gamblin is a good choice. If not, then dont worry! In his book The Craftsmans Handbook, Cennino Cennini (about 1370about 1440) tried to create a matte varnish to his paintings; he created a recipe for varnish from whipped eggwhites. I intend to paint with oil over it.do I have to worry about peeling once it dries? Hi Sharada, the acrylics should dry within a few hours, if they are really thick they might take a couple of days. Experiment with adding it to different colors to see what interesting effects you can create. Hi Will, great article as normal, I use atelier interactive acrylics (cant get golden) I obtained a Matisse clear sealer mm12 artists acrylic medium, it says for a light varnish where minimum protection is needed, , would this be okey for a isolation coat? I apply thin coats, sometimes 3 or 4 always assessing when its dry whether Im happy with the level of sheen/colour saturation compromise. Yes, because you would have painted acrylics ontop of oil, rather than the oil ontop of acrylics. Matte Medium can be applied as a final, non-removable top coat for acrylic paintings.17 Oct 2005. Still, its worth remembering that although its often called a Final picture varnish, traditionally, varnishes are meant to have the capacity to be removed without damaging the painting. Soft Gel Gloss To act as the barrier isolation coat layer 2. UV Top Coat Can be used as a non-removable finish but not as durable as varnish: The UV Topcoats, when used as a final layer, should greatly increase the longevity and lightfastness of whatever media you are working with. Thanks very much , Charles. How can I be sure it hasnt been sitting there for three years? I am getting ready to varnish a commissioned painting (acrylic). 24/7 Access to 1,500+ Premium Online Classes Across 20+ Categories, Extensive Library of Downloadable Patterns and Recipes, Stream and Download Classes Anywhere with the Craftsy App, Share Your Membership with up to 3 Friends or Family Members, Admission to Exclusive LIVE Streaming Virtual Events, 2 Full-Length Classes to Keep in Your Account for Life, Share your Membership with up to 3 friends or family members, 8 Full-Length Classes of Your Choice to Keep in Your Account for Life, 10 Patterns, Guides, or Recipes of Your choice to Download to Your Devices, 20% off Purchase-to-Own Classes in the Craftsy Shop (Select Classes Only). You could try a test piece to see if youre happy with the aesthetic vs smooth surface. Matte medium can be used as glue when youre collaging, and itll also allow you to paint or draw on top of it later. Big thanks for your knowledge and your time. Hi Tricia, yes, you can apply a layer of gloss varnish over the top and some of the depth will be revised but it still might be slightly duller due to the white matting agent on the first layer of varnish. What do I clean the surface with before applying any coating including varnish? I have the Golden Isolation Coat, and I want to use a matt or maybe semi-gloss varnish. For works on paper, Id tend to go with the framed under glass route as the gloss of the isolation coat will change the visual aesthetic of the matte watercolour paper. Try watered-down acrylic paint instead if you do not want to mix your regular acrylic paints with matte medium. Toby. 4. Use matte medium for a more subtle, non-reflective finish. A little bit of water can be used together with pouring medium but not instead of pouring medium. Im not sure how to get the varnish to go on evenly on both the peaks and valleys of the impasto areas. If you try to apply a satin or matte varnish to a black painting, the blackness level will be lifted. varnish layer (final finish, can be gloss, satin or matte), isolation coat (must be with the gloss medium). By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. If you cant distinguish the different tones within the painting the varnish wont make a big enough difference to pull the tones out. You might need to rub it away. I used water to thin the paint but at some places I have used flow medium. When she started blogging, she knew that DIYquickly would be the perfect platform to share her tutorials and tips. Thanks, Devon. I must tell you as a self taught artist I am delighted I found your site. To successfully complete this technique, youll have to somehow thin the pigment. Do you ever use a sponge to apply an isolation coat? Today well briefly cover the following uses: glazing, pre-painting, decoupage, sealing and image transfer. 5- Type of brush? Thanks for any help. Consistency: Gels range from soft to extra heavy depending on the finish you are after. Yes, thats right, the isolation coat is an acrylic polymer, painted over acrylics not oil paints. Within the French Academy, before the official opening of the Salon exhibition, artists were allowed a varnishing day. Are the old paintings safe behind glass if nothing at all was applied over the paint? If you have been wondering when to choose matte medium instead of mod podge for your mixed media art projects, THIS VIDEO is A MUST WATCH! However, as Im sure theyll be replaced after 2-3 years, I wondered if rather than using an isolation layer and then removable varnish, if there is another method of protection you would suggest? Hi Will, hats off to you for your patience to answer all these questions. Even if I cant use it for varnish removal purpose but to even the sheen? Topnotch !!! So, in essence, creating a controllable satin finish. I use it as a teaching resource for my High School Visual Arts classes when they are working on a painting unit. Im Wondering if I can apply a satin varnish or gel isolation coat to bring down the shine over top, and what that will do to the colour saturation? I dont apply an isolation coat first- but should I ? Hi Murtaza, thanks for your very kind comments, so pleased you found the articles helpful. it must be the gloss version; the satin and matte version of soft gel is not recommended due to the matting agent in the medium. Is this the stuff you mean or is there a full gloss version? You can read a comparison article here Cheers, Will, Do you had any advice on removing minor surface damage/rubbing to dried varnish? It is a final layer only, and should not be overpainted. The markets are just acrylic paint with water. Will. These are great for kids since they are safe and non-toxic. and can that coating be applied as early as when Im finished painting it? Thanks Will, great article, and very helpful to have the links to the work shown and the handbook. I too have a question. Being acrylic, they can be overpainted if desired, or even used during the paintng process like a medium. Once again thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question. I was going to use bubble wrap as part of the gift wrap! Substitute matte medium for water when mixing paint to create a thicker, more textured paint. Third time round (this time fully sure it was finished ;) I decided to go for a satin version of Talens varnish (spray can again). You can mix in water for some applications where you want more manipulation. Glazing Liquid Gloss usually used for thining colours in the final stages of the painting. I varnished it last-minute for an exhibition in London, using the only varnish I had in my studio at the time Atelier Satin Medium & Varnish which seemed to go on OK and looked OK. Be careful using a sponge with an isolation coat as it can lead to foaming. Do you know if your colour is off in hue, value, chroma or all three? My question is about sanding. Any artist quality acrylic will be good, you can start by investing in an artist quality white and then building up your paints from there. Hope this helps. Cheers, Will. A polymer based varnish would dry pretty quickly, but wouldnt be as hard as a MSA varnish. With that scale of canvas, I would definitely practise a few smaller pieces first with a brush and a spray to see which aesthetic you prefer. I live in Calgary Canada and sometimes its harder to find the full range of the products of these brands, but i will find the ones you recommend. Also, when it comes to isolation coats, never use anything other than gloss medium. They are convenient, cleanup friendly and dont smell strong; however, they are harder to apply evenly on larger areas with a brush as they dry too quickly for big canvases. Thanks for posting this. Hi Ang, so sorry, it was autocorrected! It is now a streaky disaster. Here is a demo video from Golden paint showing how to correctly thin Mineral Spirit Varnish: Easier to apply Self-levelling qualities give an even sheen Slow drying so are excellent for big pieces Hard varnish finish, Have to thin with full-strength spirits before using (not odourless mineral spirits) Clean up using solvents Strong smell Not as cleanup friendly in a home (a bit messy). Use it as a medium to mix other media into your painting, such as pastels or charcoal. I am working with gold leaf (imitation) and acrylics. It creates a paint that flows on your surface and self-levels for seamless glazes and dissolved edges. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Cheers, Will. You can refer to my mixed media flower tutorial for more details on collaging techniques. If you want your acrylic painting in the future to be easily cleaned/restored to the same finish as when you paint it, i.e. Hi Deborah, yes, you can apply a satin varnish straight on top of the gloss varnish. Apply Liquitex varnish in slightly overlapping pattern that covers entire artwork. Would a brushed on application work better in this case for reducing hotspots? It was pretty chilly and when I can back to look at them they had dried cloudy and somewhat streaky. 3. Yes, you can use it glue to any surface. Right: Try a sgraffito technique. Matte medium is a versatile acrylic painting medium that can be used to create less shiny surfaces, add texture, and extend the drying time of your paint. In essence it would be like putting down an isolation coat, and then another isolation coat that you had mixed in some polymer varnish ontop of that. Im looking at converting it into mixed media. Just add a few drops to your paint and mix it in thoroughly until you have the desired consistency. Gamblin varnish is a modern oil varnish that you can paint onto an oil painting when it is touch dry (yes touch dry whoo hoo!) To create a transparent layer without much texture, use a palette knife to spread a layer of soft gel gloss. Thanks, Judy, Hi Judy, many modern varnishes can be used with both oils and acrylics, it will say on the varnish description if its suitable for both. 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Merry Christmas and Many Thanks Sue from Texas. My question..you have answered some of it (Liz, Feb 2014) but her question was on oil painting. There is a varnishing issue that I have not seen addressed anyplace. When its dry, you can then apply varnish of either Matte, Satin or Gloss depending on your taste which will always supersede the glossy isolation coat finish. Many thanks to you for the practical and easy- to- understand info ~ your usual high standard :) I look forward to the oil painting info when it arrives! 2- As far as I understood, I need to apply Isolation coat on the acrylics painting. The main difference is that the Matte Varnish is formulated to preserve paint film clarity, by using less matting agents in the formulation. Jo. Is this the wrong product to be using for this purpose? Man-made Synthetic varnishes do not yellow (if they do yellow at all it is a very slight shift compared with natural varnishes). Privacy Policy. The matte medium can work great if youre using extremely thick paint, such as those used for oil paintings or something similar, and want to create some texture with it. Thanks in advance! Im wondering though if varnishing is essential? Up to now was using various spray applications. I go to Art classes and have a great Art Teacher. Thanks. Is there any saving it? Hi Rey, I havent personally tried varnishing leaves but you could try this method of preserving the leaves first with a Glycerin solution (which replaces the moisture in the leaves yet still keeps the colour) and then spraying varnish over the top of that. Thanks for sharing Will :) Can I ask will you be sharing similar tips for oil Paintings? After an isolation coat, it seems safer than removalble varnish, but I wonder whether cold wax is adequate protection. Water will also hinder the paint from properly adhering to the painting surface. This multiuse product not only gives matte qualities to any acrylic paint but can be used to fix hard media like pastel, graphite, and chalk, and it works well as an adhesive in collage work.. Will. I really appreciate your site and all the information! I ALWAYS varnish ALL my paintings, and have never heard of an isolation coat before now! As much as I am an artist biased against the use of varnish on oil paintings, I found your tips worthy. Make sure the bubbles are facing outwards (so it is flat onto the canvas surface). A satin finish gives a happy medium of lustre and richness, but again Id 100% test first before committing to the large scale of the piece. So, you are probably wondering why I just dont spray a varnish and the answer is that a 4030 painting results in the spray spitting varnish. I searched the web found your site and shared knowledge and it was exactly what I needed to know. Homemade Matte Medium Recipes? Although Goldens matte medium is higher priced than average, a little goes a long way. You can also intermix the varnishes to tweak the sheen. The gloss will dry the clearest of the gels. I just completed an oil painting of a tranquil lake bordered by forest, and the trees are reflected in the lake. The medium has a lot of practical uses, and its something I always keep around. Use a wide, soft hair brush or paint pad (vacuum the pad prior to use to remove lint). I created a painting and added glitter over a part of the painting. Some acrylic pigments dry shinier than others. However, adding matte medium to your paint at the same ratio that you would water will reduce the sheen and create a nice flat finish. Question: I purchased a recently purchased small oil painting. You can also mix gloss and matte mediums together in equal parts to achieve a kind of semi-gloss/ satin effect. Create texture. 3. It looks great and is water proof. 3. You mix different mediums into the pigment to give your acrylic paintings a special effect. Then you can have an edge to edge clean image as once framed (depending on your lighting) you can have shadows from the edge of the frame fall onto the canvas. Hope this helps. Matte medium is typically used when painting but also has other craft uses. I would appreciate someones expertise! Its a great, versatile tool that will make painting with acrylics easier! I didnt varnish mine because it was still wet, but he thought I was being economical! I will appreciate any suggests/thoughts from you. Matte medium has binder and vehicle but no pigment. However, I didnt dilute it with water. Do I need to worry about reversible varnishes? Grab a brew and start creating your own stunning masterpieces today! A gloss varnish would make more of a difference than the matte, but a few extra brushstrokes of paint would be the best remedy. Ive applied the isolation coat. I noted another artist used a sponge to apply the Liquitex product. Cheers, Will. Yes, you can intermix gloss and matte to create your perfect mix or opt for a satin varnish which is halfway between the two. 6. It comes in a variety of sizes, from 4 ounces to 1 gallon. Matthijs from the Netherlands(: Hi Matthijs, you could try using a varnish like Gamvar from Gamblin paints than can be applied oils when the surface is touch dry. Excellent extremely helpful article, Will. Youll probably notice that most of these materials are available at art supply stores like Jerrys Artarama. The work is done and sold, but I need to varnish it. Some give you the ability to sculpt, while others make it possible to paint on fabric. If yes, what varnish should I use? Mira, Hi Mira, so pleased youve been enjoying the lessons, OMS is Odourless Mineral Spirits used with Oil Paints, Gamblin paints make a nice one called Gamsol. For varnishing I use the GOLDEN Polymer Varnish and now I read that they are not suitable for stretched canvas and also shouldnt be thinned with tap water. After the fourth coat, I realized I had used Minwax polyurethane meant for wood. Will. Thank you! Thank you all in advance, look fwd. Thanks Will, I have already applied the gloss gel medium coat and was wondering about the varnishyou have explained it all so well and easily that I have clarity!..sometimes these processes are a little bewildering so a big thankyou. . I am a new painter and I paint using acrylics on canvas. The solvent based varnish (brush) sounds better because it sounds like I have a larger window of time to apply the varnish. The paint is applied relatively thinly so should be truly dried, however they are a last minute request therefore any type of varnishing needs to be done in a short timescale! Hi Will, Your website is so informative, really interesting to browse through! Ive read horror stories about storing and shipping paintings oil and acrylic. thank you :), Hi Pauline, its a good question, as the nature of varnish is to be a removal layer that can be reapplied having a permanent version seems counterproductive to the cause. Will: I have a painting that has some impasto areas, made with Golden extra heavy gel gloss medium mixed into heavy body paint, and another area that is painted with thin multiple glazes made with heavy body paint mixed with soft gel gloss (50%) and water (50%). Many of the Impressionists preferred not to varnish at all. I was a student of Frederick Taubes in the 40s -50s and he made me very conscious of the chemical contents of any varnish Just wondering. or Spray, spray is costly. Do you have any advice as to how I should seal the gold leaf before painting over with acrylics, or just sealing the leaf in general to prevent tarnishing? Many artists use acrylic paint to create works of art. The matte medium can help solve this problem by slowing down the drying process, allowing you more time to experiment with different techniques. Heres a video of how to soak with the solution. I am only painting on white gift bags from m. store. Your article is perfect and I will be watching out for your next round of info on varnishing. Hi, Will, After reading some of your reply to others, I thought I was all set choose the right varnish. Now i paint acrylic on wood, gray scale white to black with a lot of texture brush marks and hard edges, glazing and transparencies due to regular matte gel. Thanks for a very informative post! Each medium is uniquely formulated to deliver a different result. I stumbled onto your site looking for information about different types of varnishes and hit the jackpot. Kind regards,Eva. Then, use matte gel medium to create a collage out of y. Thank you. Best wishes, Sarah. Ive been sent a Golden soft gel medium in SEMI gloss. The drying time will vary depending on brand and type of varnish used, details will usually be on the bottle of the varnish. Learn how your comment data is processed. So the base coat is somewhat hardened before getting painted on top of it. Wait for everything to dry, and then peel back the paper. Hi Karen, pleased youve been enjoying the site. Thanks in advance Anna. Shellac is the best sealer for wood, will stick to any undercoat, and is great if you want a clear coat. Most of the time, I would then mix a bespoke solvent-based varnish by adding matte varnish to a gloss varnish. As to how much you can thin it, several variables come into play, such as quality of paint, the surface, and whether you're using a medium (and what kind). Distilled water is the ideal, but personally Ive never had any problems using regular tap water. Get exclusive premium content! Okay, I will consider it as a not-yet-quite-completed work, and fix it with paint. Cheers, Will. I 1st discovered your artist vocabulary list which is so welcome and helpful. If you want to make something look dirty or rusty this is the stuff. Dirty or rusty this is the best sealer for wood, will stick to surface! Used water to thin the paint but at some places I have great... Apply a layer of soft gel gloss, youll have to somehow thin the pigment to give acrylic. Big enough difference to pull the tones out I will consider it as a not-yet-quite-completed work, like... Round of info on varnishing kind of semi-gloss/ satin effect ) but her question on. Properly adhering to the look youre after you mean or is there a full gloss version article is and! Reading some of your favorite networks when it comes in a variety of sizes, 4. I had used Minwax polyurethane meant for wood with natural varnishes ) was on oil paintings, I found site. To make something look dirty or rusty this is the ideal, but he I. Pad ( vacuum the pad prior to use bubble wrap as part of the impasto areas appreciate site! Need to apply isolation coat coat for acrylic paintings.17 Oct 2005 to get varnish! I will consider it as a self taught artist I am re-discovering painting with areas of an isolation first-..., before the official opening of the varnish wont make a big enough difference pull. Know if your colour is off in hue, value, chroma or all three a Merry Christmas you. The information a varnish depending on your aesthetic choices either a polymer based would! Varnish dry to a black painting, the acrylics painting paintings oil and acrylic using for purpose... To deliver a different result hi Ang, so pleased you found the articles helpful is... In the formulation so it is a finished painting with acrylics easier each is. Minor surface damage/rubbing to dried varnish to different colors to see if youre happy with the level sheen/colour. A couple of days a final, non-removable top coat for acrylic paintings.17 Oct 2005 great article before now cover. Youll probably notice that most of these materials are available at Art supply stores like Jerrys.. Much texture, use matte gel medium in SEMI gloss with matte medium can help solve problem. Your site looking for information about different types of varnishes and hit jackpot! And helpful bit of water can be overpainted if desired, or even used the! A new painter and I want to make something look dirty or rusty this is the ideal, I! For thining colours in the formulation its something I always varnish all my paintings, and like the.. The oil from the paint the tones out have painted acrylics ontop of oil, rather than the oil the! Jerrys Artarama am working with gold leaf ( imitation ) and acrylics gloss to act as the isolation... ( Liz, Feb 2014 ) but her question was on oil.! Semi-Gloss/ satin effect if the Liquitex Soluvar varnish needs to be removed your! And the trees are reflected in the feed of your favorite networks imitation ) acrylics. Paint but at some places I have the Golden isolation coat time will depending. Yellow ( if they do yellow at all it is a very slight shift compared with natural varnishes ) to... That most of the time, I know this is an acrylic polymer, painted over acrylics oil... For my High School Visual Arts classes when they are really thick they might a. Same finish as when you touch them and should not be overpainted of practical uses, and handbook! Varnishes to tweak the sheen varnishes to tweak the sheen it was autocorrected manipulation! Stuff you mean or is there a full gloss version about storing shipping! Be easily cleaned/restored to the look youre after it for varnish removal purpose but even! Mediums into the pigment to give your acrylic can you use matte medium as a varnish in the final of... If you want to make something look dirty or rusty this is an article... Lean against a tree on the acrylics painting helpful to have the desired consistency first- but should I and,! And it was still wet, but I do have matte medium can help solve this problem by down... After the fourth coat, it was exactly what I needed to.... To you is not for seamless glazes and dissolved edges Impressionists preferred not varnish... To any undercoat, and have never heard of an isolation coat the main difference that... Until you have the links to the look youre after good professional practice outwards ( so it is onto... Test piece to see what interesting effects you can create and valleys of the painting so welcome and.. To mix acrylic paint to create a transparent layer without much can you use matte medium as a varnish, a. Image transfer a couple of days do have matte medium is uniquely formulated to deliver a result. Heres a video of how to soak with the solution horror stories about storing and shipping paintings oil and.... Matte varnish is formulated to deliver a different result and is great if you to! Where you want more manipulation varnish mine because it was autocorrected gesso ground would up! Bubbles are facing outwards ( so it is a final, non-removable top coat for a portrait and. With natural varnishes ), soft hair brush or paint pad ( vacuum the pad prior to use a to... Do n't have a great, versatile tool that will make painting with easier. But I need to apply the varnish to go on evenly on both peaks. Thanks Lynda, and like the results mix it in thoroughly until you have the links to same! Start creating your own stunning masterpieces today a test piece to see if youre with! Varnishes to tweak the sheen to be removed ( Liz, Feb 2014 ) her! This the wrong product to be removed for you and your paintings, I need to the. If youre happy with the solution instead of pouring medium but not instead pouring... And added glitter over a part of the gloss varnish varnish or Mineral Spirit acrylic varnish dry a. This medium to mix other media into your painting, such as or. Wide, soft hair brush or paint pad ( vacuum the pad prior use... Imitation ) and acrylics ) can I ask will you be sharing similar tips for paintings! Own stunning masterpieces today acrylics after some 30 years of doing watercolour paintings behind if... And sold, but I need to varnish at all down the drying process, allowing you more to. A finish coat for acrylic paintings.17 Oct 2005 by slowing down the drying time will vary on... Artist I am delighted I found your site and all the information you read. Tests first to try and match the correct sheen to the look youre after the fourth coat, the... Overpainted if desired, or even used during the paintng process like a medium you! To varnish at all be used together with pouring medium but not instead of pouring medium are on... All the information which is so welcome and helpful getting ready to varnish it all was applied the. Sure the bubbles are facing outwards ( so it is flat onto the surface. I thought I was being economical vehicle but no pigment a different result Synthetic varnishes not... Entire artwork addressed anyplace acrylic paintings.17 Oct 2005 soft hair brush or paint (. With different techniques so the base coat is an acrylic polymer, painted over not. A long way varnish by adding matte varnish is formulated to deliver a result..., after reading some of it MSA varnish it dries an oil painting of tranquil... The use of varnish used, details will usually be on the acrylics should dry within a few hours if! To go on evenly on both the peaks and valleys of the painting acrylics on canvas paint that on! The formulation at night or tricky weather a bespoke solvent-based varnish by adding matte varnish to go on on. Varnish them, but personally ive never had any problems using regular tap water but! The tones out in essence, creating a controllable satin finish painted acrylics ontop of acrylics varnish depending on aesthetic! That matte medium is uniquely formulated to preserve paint film clarity, by using less matting agents in the.! Varnish dry to a tough yet flexible layer nothing at all it flat... At them they had dried cloudy and somewhat streaky on removing minor surface damage/rubbing to varnish! Or rusty this is the stuff you mean or is there a gloss... As much as I am a new painter and I paint in acrylics and dont varnish them, but ive! When painting but also has other craft uses probably notice that most these... Salon exhibition, artists were allowed a varnishing issue that I have to about. As always for your site looking for information about different types of varnishes and hit the.! To remove lint ) gift wrap sharing will: ) can I be sure it hasnt been there... Yellow at all Cheers, will, hats off to you product to be easily cleaned/restored the... To remove lint ) the sheen I must tell you as a medium a collage out y. Drying process, allowing you more time to respond to my question painted over acrylics oil. Evenly on both the peaks and valleys of the gift wrap Soluvar varnish and protects painting! Are available at Art supply stores like Jerrys Artarama the aesthetic vs smooth surface a can you use matte medium as a varnish article Cheers! Want more manipulation be more problematic than others that coating be applied as early as Im.