Varnishing Your Oil Painting
Homes are full of dirt and dust, smoke from cooking, fur from your pet, as well as UV radiation from sunlight. Life can be messy and out of our control. What you can control is how your painting will be protected from all of these dirty things in the air that will eventually land on your painting and build up over time. Varnish will be your paintings super hero fighting off anything that dare lands on its surface.
Your painting was made carefully and constructed knowing you would love it for years and years to come. They are created using quality paints, surfaces, and techniques to make sure it lasts a long time. Varnish is one of the last steps to ensure the quality of the image stays in tact.
Resin is the main ingredient in a varnish. It is transparent (sometimes a bit yellow in color) and is kind of a thick, sticky liquid that is painted (or sprayed) onto the oil painting about 6-12 months after it was completed. I recommend finding a local frame shop, art restoration specialist, or artist (like me!) to varnish the painting for you. I will happily varnish your painting if you live in the Austin Texas area.
The reason you have to wait such a long time after the painting is completed is because the oil in the paint hasn't “cured” or hardened enough. Even if the painting is dry to the touch, it still needs time to oxidize. If varnish is applied too soon the varnish will stop the paint from curing and could potentially cause cracking or mend to the paint and become one with it, instead of being a separate layer that can be removed.
Which brings me to my next point, you’ll want to use a removable varnish with UV protection. After many years (could be around 50 years), the varnish may discolor into a yellow that has trapped all the dust and dirt that landed on its surface. Once the painting has gotten to a point where its noticeably dirty, you will want to remove the varnish using solvents, and apply a fresh new varnish. This is where asking your local art restoration specialist for help in removing and restoring the painting back to its former glory is important. I recommend going to Art Restoration of Austin if you live around the area. They are very knowledgeable and skilled at repairing oil and acrylic paintings.
Other than protecting your painting, varnish will also help even out the look of the surface. Meaning, it will make the painting either all glossy, all matte, or something in between. I personally like varnishes either glossy or satin (satin is the in between one). The gloss really brings back the richness of the colors and makes dark colors even darker (see image above for glossy varnish). It kind of brings it back to what the painting looked like when the paint was wet. However, some people may not like the shiny look because the image can sometimes only be viewed from certain angles, almost like it’s behind glass. On the other hand a matte varnish will scatter the light so there are no reflections, but in doing so will lighten out the darker tones. Basically it all comes down to personal preference!
I typically apply a retouch varnish to paintings before sending them out. This is a product that can be used on an oil painting when it’s dry to the touch, since there is solvent mixed in which allows the paint to continue curing. I want to make sure there is some protection on the painting before the final varnish is applied. I also use a retouch varnish that has UV protection so the color of the paint doesn’t fade over time from sunlight.
If you have any questions in regards to taking care of your painting feel free to contact me! I will try my best to answer all painting and painting care related questions. Your painting is worth taking this extra step to ensure it will stay in quality condition for years and years to come.
Sources
Garza, Ram and Andujar, Emily. Art Restoration of Austin. Interview. June 1, 2021. https://www.artrestorationaustin.com/