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Virgil,
Thanks so much for responding to my email and contributing to my post. Once again, I'm amazed by the effort and care you give to provide us good and useful information. Everybody who reads this post on damar varnish should copy your contribution and save it for reference.
All you folks out there in Oil Painting Land, Virgil really knows his stuff. Pay attention.
In 1973, I was painting without the addition of any painting/glazing medium at all. For a while I used Ralph Mayer's concoction -- stand oil plus damar resin -- but I found it very difficult to use when I wanted to do sensitive high finish detail work.
In my case, I would not have messed with the little painting at all if it had been done by anybody else. Since it was mine, I was none too careful, knowing I could repair any damage I would inflict.
Naturally, acetone cut the damar, as did denatured alcohol. It never occured to me to use mineral spirits to stop the solvent action. Oh well.
I was pretty rough on the painting when I removed the varnish. In spite of being beaten up, the painting actually held up pretty well. Paint is tougher than we expect sometimes.
I recently cleaned another painting, done in 1976 and varnished with damar. In that case, I got the varnish off without too much trouble. I don't know why. It too had appreciably yellowed -- was beginning to take on a golden tone.
Anthony,
I too use damar retouch varnish from time to time. I don't think it contains much damar, for the gloss doesn't last very long. I believe it might be mostly solvent.
You won't notice any yellowing in the final damar varnish for maybe two decades. Remember too that in the past collectors were fond of that yellowing. They called it "gallery tone." I wouldn't worry much about it. Perhaps you can get Virgil to jump in again and give you the authoritive word.
Bill
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