With the end of the thumb resting on the test film and the forefinger supporting the test panel, exert a maximum downward pressure without twisting of the thumb on the film. Lightly polish the contacted area with a soft cloth. The film is considered dry-hard when any mark left by the thumb is completely removed by the polishing operation.
Remove any coating from the thumb immediately. Variations of this test may be used but will also give different results. A problem with using a hard and sharp object such as a fingernail in contrast to a flat thumb is that it can give false results depending upon the amount of pressure exerted into the paint film. Whereas the test described above may work in your case, always keep in mind that some interpretation of the results is involved, often leading to different conclusions.
The safest and best practice is to wait the prescribed amount of time— at least six months. For more information on varnishing, please consult this article: Selecting the Right Varnish for Your Painting. Red Palette Studio.
August 17, View Online. Last accessed 15 March This can take away from the painted image to the point of being distracting. What makes for a glossy or matte surface on a painting? Gloss varnishes encourage the reflection of light in a specular, or mirror-like, direction off the surface of the painting.
Gloss surfaces deepen values and saturate colors in paintings. Matte varnishes are formulated with matting agents solids in the varnish layer, which act to scatter the light at the surface of the painting.
Depending on the amount of matting agents in the varnish layer, matte varnishes lighten the darkest values in paintings. It is generally recommended that finished paintings are varnished unless the artist truly dislikes the look. Unvarnished paintings are vulnerable to aging in ways that varnished paintings are not. Very few, if any, private collectors keep their homes at the uncontaminated levels and controlled climates that museums do. There are two important criteria that a quality picture varnish must have — first, the varnish must be water-clear to not change or alter the color scheme of the painting below.
Second, the varnish must be easily removable in the future. The top-most layer of any painting will ultimately take on a layer of dust and dirt.
Varnishes provide a non-porous layer which prevents dust and dirt from being embedded in the more porous paint layers beneath.
If and when the painting needs to be cleaned, the varnish layer can be easily removed from the painting, along with the dust and dirt that has accumulated on top. Traditional dammar varnish and other natural resins make a durable top layer but yellow and darken over time and become increasingly difficult to remove for purposes of cleaning a painting. In the midth century, acrylic resin varnishes were adopted because of their stability of color.
However, these same varnishes changed the look of paintings, leading many conservators back to the use of dammar, despite its tendency to yellow with age.
The research that came out of the National Gallery identified the most stable resin, Regalrez , to be used as a picture varnish. This resin not only beautifully saturates dry paint layers but is also formulated into a varnish with a very mild solvent — Gamsol. Your Question. How to varnish an oil painting.
Oil Painting Tips. Varnish provides two main benefits: It protects the finished painting from years of things that might settle on a painting. It will also ensure that your oil painting stays looking vibrant for longer. Some people recommend waiting for between months before varnishing an oil painting but the time it takes to dry is dependent upon a number of factors: How thickly or thinly the oil paint is applied Which kind of oil paint is being used The temperature where the oil painting is drying How humid the air is What type of medium was or was not used I typically wait a week before I apply gloss varnish.
The Varnishing Process You will need to use a good quality varnishing brush that is flat and wide, soft and tightly packed. The last thing that you want is a rogue brush hair coming off onto your masterpiece. Lay the oil painting down onto a dust free and clean surface. Do not varnish the painting while it is vertical. Shut any windows and doors as a precaution. Apply the varnish to the oil painting in one to three thin coats rather than one thick coat. Use long even strokes moving up and down and overlapping slightly.
Once you leave an area, avoid going back to it. Allow the varnish to dry for hours. If a second coat is required, repeat the process again. See how I varnish one of my oil paintings in the video below:.
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