Winsor & Newton Varnishing Oil Paintings

[GFSKONSTART]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[GRZA]

Hi, I have some, Artists Varnish waiting to be used in a few months, I've noticed that it can be disolved in turpentine but I was wondering if this is simply a matter of taste or is it reccomended because of how strong it is? I have this fear of admiring a painting for 6 months then destroying it!

[londonrak]

Thank you so much for your response and the very useful advice.

[WinsorandNewton]

@londonrak Yes you can still varnish an impasto painting and indeed should do so as a heavily textural surface is more likely to trap dirt and dust. Care must be taken when using the varnish so a not to create pools in the texture or bubbles as the brush passes over the ridges. If the painting is heavily textured it may be easier to use one of our Artists’ aerosol varnishes. These can be found on our website.

[londonrak]

Hello. Thank you for a very informative video. I have a painting with a fairly heavy impasto style and hence the surface is uneven. can I still varnish it ? Thank you.

[WinsorandNewton]

@londonrak Yes you can still varnish an impasto painting and indeed should do so as a heavily textural surface is more likely to trap dirt and dust. Care must be taken when using the varnish so a not to create pools in the texture or bubbles as the brush passes over the ridges. If the painting is heavily textured it may be easier to use one of our Artists’ aerosol varnishes. You can find these on our website.

[normanmolinari86]

thanks for all the info...i have a question...i just finished an oil painting, I need to put it on my expo. in a week....i need a product (like varnishing) which i can apply before the expo that alows me to make the hole picture even in brightness (since i have some spots shinyer than others right now....can you help me? thanks alot for your time and your vids.....they are really helpfull. Excuse my english since my first language is spanish!!!

[WinsorandNewton]

@normanmolinari86 Why not try oiling out? There is a video within our YouTube channel specific to oiling out. Varnishing does not necessarily even out sheen. You can also try using retouching varish before the exhibition as this is exactly what this product is designed for.

[normanmolinari86]

thank you very much

[valznartsy1]

totally needed this vid, thanks!

[Gimmal]

I have not been waiting the 6-12 months. What will happen to my paintings, since I didn't wait? (put 2 coats on)

[WinsorandNewton]

@Gimmal Not waiting the proper time can cause the varnish to sink into the painting and cause it to be perpetually tacky. Oil paintings need oxygen to dry properly. By placing a varnish layer on too early you effectively block oxygen from doing its job. Varnish also dries quickly. The layers beneath that are still trying to dry will shift and cause the varnish layer to crack.

[WinsorandNewton]

@Gimmal Finally varnish is meant to be a discreet layer that protects the painting and can be removed if needed. By varnishing too early and having the varnish sink into the paint layer instead of being a separate layer you will end up removing paint with the varnish if the painting gets dirty or scuffed. Unfortunately there is no way to reverse the process when you varnish too early. Please visit our website for more tips on varnishing.

[boogiekook]

i know your suppose to wait 6-12 months but It may get damaged before you even use varnish...

[nightmarefacility]

soluvar (by liquitex), thinned with spirits, applied with a sponge.  that's the best method i've found.

[kristenspaintings]

Thank you! Very useful information.

[kristenspaintings]

Thanks for mentioning the drying time before varnishing. I have been trying to find some information on that.

[Heronjim]

Thank you, exactly the information I needed!

[jackittafemme]

Nice and clear, I could love this instructor!...I did learn what I had to, which was the purpose of it...

Thank you Doug!!

[cheycheymon]

can i varnish the same way an OIL PASTEL? I like to do large oil pastel work but its to expensive for me to frame them since its recomended to use glass, specially museum glass which reduces the glare I've heard its possible but not recomended since it can not be cleaned after time but I plan on taking good care of my work but I would prefer no glass on my work and need advice PLEASE!!!

[NRegals]

u use two coats... one horizontal and one vertical... by the way thank you WinsorandNewton for this excellent video!

[c0kar7]

how many coats do you use on an oil painting?

[NRegals]

use two coats, one horizontal then one vertical.

[valeagrl1]

Hello. Thank you for the video. Can you tell me how long an acrylic painting should dry before applying varnish?

[alsypig]

If you are using Alkyd fast drying oil paints, do you still have to wait 6 to 12 months before varnishing?

[WinsorandNewton]

Since Alkyds dry in half the time of regular oil paint, it is recommend to wait 3 to 6 months before varnishing your painting.

[rhstube]

@WinsorandNewton If I use Liquin for fast drying in the entire painting, how much time i need to wait to aply the varnish?

[WinsorandNewton]

@rhstube We recommend 6 to 12 months for oils. Liquin speeds up the initial to the touch drying phase but because oils dry through oxidation (exposure to air). They need the full 6 to 12 months depending upon thickness to truly dry and be ready for varnish application.

[NolaGB]

If the Retouching Varnish is used and the canvas has dried the required time, is the final varnidh applied over the Retouching or must the Retouching Varnish be removed? Thank you for sharing this information ... it was very helpful. I hope you will share more with us through videos.

[10milesfromnowhere]

Great information, thank you!

[mnilandcom]

good info very helpful