By Joe Papagoda in Art Tutorials > Painting Tutorials If you’re like most artists, you’ve probably experienced how difficult it is to apply a good varnish finish to your paintings. In addition, acrylic paint, due to the perforations on the surface after drying, is known to attract dirt. I usually stick with gloss varnish because I love the look of a glossy finish, but you may have your own preference. Varnishing step-by-step. Next, I use an eyedropper to place a few drops of varnish onto my painting. Learn how to brush on or spray the I use Golden Acrylic Polymer Varnish, which I also discuss here. It is beneficial to familiarize yourself with this information before you embark on your own journey to create photorealistic paintings. I don't trust removable varnish to be safe on acrylic like it is on oil. Varnishing step-by-step. Updated on: 29 Sep 2020 by John Staughton Varnishing is a long-standing practice in both oil and acrylic painting in which a resinous or oil-based substance is spread thinly and evenly over the surface of the completed painting. Tips For Varnishing An Acrylic Painting. Read more at the aforementioned link! Learn how to brush on or spray the varnish, and how to remove it. Your acrylic painting is complete. Discover the reasons for varnishing an acrylic or oil painting when it's finished, types of varnish, and tips to improve your varnishing skills. Varnishing Process I start out by selecting a painting for varnishing. How to Put Varnish on Acrylic Painting. Member of the European Chamber of Expert-advisors in Fine Arts (C.E.C.O.A. Cleaning and Varnishing Paintings at BYU Good info for Art Collectors Will Pastons 10:26 How to Varnish your acrylic painting Tips and Tricks Photography Tips And Tricks 6:13 How to varnish an Acrylic Painting the easy way! If your painting is dull, it is easy to confuse the need for varnishing with the dullness created by colour that has sunk into the surface. In addition, acrylic paint can change form when exposed to extreme temperature and humidity. A large commission for large acrylic on hardboard paintings to decorate new restaurants for McDonalds. ... Large paintings can be challenging to brush varnish successfully. When you're ready to varnish, make sure that the painting is completely dry first. Sometimes if each coat is very thin, it may not evenly cover the entire canvas. If you like colorful artwork and want to learn techniques for creating your own funky paintings, this guide is for you! In-depth tutorial demonstrating one approach to building large panels and how to paint an acrylic picture on them. When you're done, carefully and thoroughly clean the jar and the brush, and keep them someplace safe where they won't collect any dust. After varnishing. I don’t consider my acrylic paintings finished until they are varnished. It's important to get a good quality brush for varnishing, so that you're not picking brush hairs out of the varnish. Wait for a few hours for the varnish to dry before moving or touching the acrylic piece. (Also, note that you can still use a removable varnish on your painting, even if you don't apply an isolation coat - the varnish will still protect the painting, but it's best to never remove the varnish or you'll risk damaging the painting.). You can see and read about the brush I use for varnishing (this links to Blick Art Materials, and if you make a purchase I get a small commission that helps support this site). You can purchase brushes specially made for varnish, but any good brush from the hardware store will do as well. How to apply a spray varnish Not to be used without permission. Have a look at the illustration below to see what I mean: Dip the brush into the varnish about 1/3 to 1/4-way down the length of the brush and gently tap off the excess. Acrylic is a dust magnet, so varnishing your paintings is a reasonable idea. Plus it adds a layer of shine that somehow, almost as if by magic, pulls the whole painting together and makes it look even more amazing, bringing out the gorgeous vibrancy of the colors. It's important to keep the longevity of the artwork in mind... who knows, your work may be in a major museum several millenia from now and they may need to remove the varnish to clean it! I usually give my photorealist paintings 2 coats of varnish. Varnishing Acrylic Paintings Posted on January 29, 2008 by Artists Network Staff Many people think of acrylic paint as impervious and indestructible once it’s dried. Your acrylic painting is complete. Varnishing acrylic paintings has several problems: 1) Acrylic resin proprietary varnishes have similar solubilities to those of acrylic paint. Terms & Conditions  Privacy Policy, Finishing: Opt for either a glossy or more matte finish, Color saturation: Varnish can enhance the color saturation of a painting, making the shades more vibrant, Protect and clean: Varnish allows for paintings to be cleaned in an easier way, and protects the surface from dust, dirt, humidity and extreme temperatures, UV radiation: Varnish protects acrylic paintings from UV radiation, Then ensure the surface is clean and dry, by going over it with a cloth. Has written for art magazines blogs, edited how-to art titles, and how to varnishing large acrylic paintings or! Take that long solution varnish ) seals it with a bit of varnish onto my.!, as dust and dirt can ruin the surface is free from dust, UV rays and yellowing use and! 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