We get more questions about varnishing than with any other stage of the painting process.
Varnishing should be an almost mechanical process undertaken to give your painting a protective coating with the surface quality you prefer (gloss, satin, etc.) and possibly an enhancement of colour contrast. But, if you leave it till the last moment and use a varnish you are not used to, you can ruin the work you are trying to protect.
Anxiety and disappointment can be avoided if you do sample pieces using the same materials as the painting and varnish them, not the painting, until you get the effect you wanted. Ideally, temperatures should be 18 C – 24 C, with relative humidity between 50% and 75%.
Water-based varnishes are tricky to apply and not removable if you dislike the effect, so we suggest they should only be used by artists who have already tried the above experiment.
NOTE: If you wish to preserve the unique, velvety, matte surface quality of Atelier Free Flow, do not varnish Atelier Free Flow paintings. Instead, protect them under glass instead.
We recommend and prefer our Chroma Solvent Finishing Varnishes, because they can be used on all our Chroma paint brands, such as Atelier Interactive Acrylic, Atelier A2 Lightfast Acrylic, Jo Sonja Matte Flow Acrylic and Archival Oils.
Application is by brush (a broad house paint brush), and clean up is with mineral spirits. If applying multiple coats, allow 24 hours drying time between applications. Choose from these finishes:
Apply as is for a full gloss, usually one coat. To reduce gloss add Invisible Varnish to your taste. Try 2 parts varnish to 1 part Invisible Solvent Finishing Varnish, up to 1:1 for less sheen.
NOTE: These varnishes have an anti-mould additive which is diluted if you add turpentine, so to maintain the mould protection for tropical conditions dilute with Invisible Solvent Finishing Varnish instead.
This is our most popular, most unobtrusive varnish.
This varnish offers mould protection without altering the look of the painting.
This is an attractive feature of all these solvent varnishes, which can be cleaned at some later date by swabbing with mineral spirits.
We get more distressed phone calls about water-based varnishes which did not behave as expected, than on any other subject. Here’s what you need to know about the Atelier Varnishes.
As with most water-based finishes, you can handle painted objects when they are dry to the touch, but maximum durability is not achieved until varnish reaches its cure time (at least 2 weeks under normal conditions).
Atelier Universal Medium/Varnish offers several advantages.
Use as a Medium
It is very liquid and can be added to the paint for fast-drying, thin layering techniques, but its main use is for varnishing.
Use as a Varnish
As with most water-based finishes, you can handle painted objects when they are dry to the touch, but maximum durability is not achieved until varnish reaches its cure time (at least 2 weeks under normal conditions).
Polyurethane provides the toughest finish available. The three types of Jo Sonja Polyurethane Water Based Finishes available are Gloss, Satin and Matte. All varnishes have excellent brushing qualities and may be used inside or out to provide durable, long term protection. These varnishes dry clear and are non-yellowing. They have excellent corrosion, chemical, scratch and wear resistance.
A slight milky appearance may occur when applying Jo Sonja’s Satin Varnish. This is normal and is more obvious on dark backgrounds. The milkiness should disappear as the varnish dries and cures. Sand lightly if 24 hours lapse between coats to ensure good adhesion. Apply at least 4 coats for maximum protection.
As with most water-based finishes, you can handle painted objects when they are dry to the touch, but maximum durability is not achieved until varnish reaches its cure time (at least 2 weeks under normal conditions).
Jo Sonja Decoupage Varnish is a heavy-bodied version of Gloss Varnish for artists who like to finish their projects with a thick, lacquer-like coating. It has been specially formulated for decoupage and collage artists to hide the edges of cut paper. Applying 8-10 coats of Decoupage Varnish is equivalent to 35-40 coats of thinner varnishes.
As with most water-based finishes, you can handle painted objects when they are dry to the touch, but maximum durability is not achieved until varnish reaches its cure time (at least 2 weeks under normal conditions).
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