A varnish question

[Marcus Lim]

Hi Patt,

I'm glad my knowledge benefits you. One tip I'd like to share is that you might like to do a test first: before you varnish, give a gentle wipe on the painting surface with spirits (I used turps). If there are traces of paint on the wipe, then the painting isn't totally dry yet.

And not forgetting that after varnishing, place it with the painting face on the wall than right side up so that dust will not be trapped onto the varnish. Hope these additional tips help you further.

Finally, my thanks for your compliments. I continue to work hard and do the best I can

[Lani Powell]

In applying the varnish, should you paint it on in one direction only?

Or (as I have read elsewhere) should one apply the varnish in one direction, let that dry, and then apply the varnish in the perpendicular direction?

In practice, the application of varnish has proven to be so stressful to me that I have not dared to go back and apply the varnish in the perpendicular direction after the initial application has dried and I wonder if I would have been pleased had I tried it.

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Lani Powell

In applying the varnish, should you paint it on in one direction only?

Or (as I have read elsewhere) should one apply the varnish in one direction, let that dry, and then apply the varnish in the perpendicular direction?

Hi Lani,

In answering your question, I would think there are different schools of thought - one being applying one perpendicular to the other.
For me, what I did was applying with random (but concentrated) strokes over parcels of areas of the painting. As I did that on a elevated plane, e.g on a table facing the light, I constantly check for areas where I did not cover with my brushing. And when I've more or less covered the painting fully with varnish, I then bring my brush to the shorter length of the painting (still facing the light) a put another brushstroke using one direction only. It's important to note all this steps in the process are completed within that same period of time.

And so far I have wonderful results with this procedure!

[Lani Powell]

For some reason, varnishing my paintings has been a source of real anxiety to me. Must be the fear of ruining something I've worked so hard on -- especially after it has already been sold. Thanks for the reassuring advice.

[Juan Martinez]

Lani, Patt, Marcus;

If I may, I'll add to what's already been said. First, retouch varnish shouldn't be a problem at this point for the reasons already stated. Even if some paint were to come off if you wipe it with turps, which is likely even after a month, if you use a spray retouch varnish instead, it won't be a problem. If the client picks up the paintings and they (the paintings) have just recently been sprayed, they'll look well saturated and at their best. Over the next few months, though, they will fade back to a more sunken-in look. The client will not notice this, however. When you go back in a year, or in 6 months (if you are able) to give them their final varnish, the paintings will pop back to their original glory and impress your client even more!

Yes, varnishing is very stressful for many people. Conservators tell me -- and this is the practice I follow -- that you should use as little varnish as possible, and as few brush strokes. Use a soft-haired, wide brush. Dip it in the varnish, but blot it first on some absorbent paper so that it isn't dripping with varnish. The layer must be as thin as possible. One stroke across the painting, and then one back, is all you should do on that spot. That is, don't go over the same area repeatedly. Move on to the next zone right away. Depending on the size of brush and size of painting, you'll be able to do differing areas of a given painting with a given size of loaded brush. You should at least have enough varnish on it so that you can go across the breadth of the picture in one stroke. If another layer is needed, wait at least a day, but not much more.

I hope that makes sense. Less is more.

Further, using less varnish makes it less stressful, too, as does waiting as long as possible before applying final varnish. The room for varnishing should be well ventilated and warm. Everything; the varnish, the canvas, the brushes, etc., should all be warm. Don't heat them in an oven, but see if you can somehow raise the temperature in the room for a while, or turn off the air conditioning, or some such thing.

One more thing, if you have let the painting cure for 6 months to a year, then first clean the surface of the painting by going over it with a clean, damp -- not dripping -- sponge. Then let it dry for at least half an hour or more before varnishing so that no trace of water vapour remains. Water is a major enemy of varnish, which is why in humid climates it can ocassionally be a problem to apply varnish. Marcus?

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Juan

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Juan Martinez

Even if some paint were to come off if you wipe it with turps, which is likely even after a month, if you use a spray retouch varnish instead, it won't be a problem. If the client picks up the paintings and they (the paintings) have just recently been sprayed, they'll look well saturated and at their best. Over the next few months, though, they will fade back to a more sunken-in look. The client will not notice this, however. When you go back in a year, or in 6 months (if you are able) to give them their final varnish, the paintings will pop back to their original glory and impress your client even more!

Thanks for the update Juan. I certainly didn't realise a retouch varnish is that useful for us!
On the varnishing process, I admit i was rather apprehensive about doing it at first, but i decided to push for it as i keep noticing mould growing on my paintings - that certainly highlights another issue about using damp sponges on my paintings !

Having said that, the pressure is actually on during the work process itself, as varnishes tend to dry pretty fast - brush-dry at least. So i agree with Juan's method to apply thinly to the paintings. Allan's attention to covering by parcels is great to minimise your worries about the job.

When i recently varnished my painting for the first time, i loaded the brush with enough varnish that it doesn't drip, and brush the painting gently in criss-cross method, slowly expanding the area covering with varnish - and doing this with constant checking by the window. That helped solve my issue with quick-drying and varnishing the painting adequately.

I almost forgot about the cleaning process. Yes, paintings done 6 months or longer needs to be cleaned. Either use a dry brush to sweep over the painting, or brush with turps over the paintings and allow it to dry. Or best do both processes. So with all these thoughts here i hope Allan, Juan and I - the three musketeers of varnishing - has solved your problems for you, Patt!

[Allan Rahbek]

[QUOTE=Marcus Lim]For me, what I did was applying with random (but concentrated) strokes over parcels of areas of the painting. As I did that on a elevated plane, e.g on a table facing the light, I constantly check for areas where I did not cover with my brushing. QUOTE]

Marcus is right about the way of applying the paint in suitable squares and finishing the parcel before going on to the next parcel.

I am a trained interior painter and have painted many doors in glossy alkyd paint. The problem was always to cover the surface by painting wet into wet. The only way to do that was by dividing the area into parcels that were not too big.
Say, if we have a painting that is 10" wide it would be wise to divide it into two parcels of 5"X 5".
That way you will soon be finished with the two first parcels and get to the next row and paint wet into wet under the first parcel and so on...

The way to spread the paint is to dip the brush so that it hold a lot of varnish, but not so much that it is dripping. Put on the varnish with a few vertical strokes and then spread the varnish with horizontal strokes to make sure that the liquid is all over the surface. Finish the applying with some very light vertical strokes all over the parcel.

The varnish will then float perfectly into an even layer.

As Marcus also said it is important to stand by a window or under a light so that it is easy to see if the surface is perfectly covered.

Allan

[Juan Martinez]

Thanks Allan and Marcus. You've added very helpful information on varnish application. This should come in handy, particularly for bigger pieces.

Best.

Juan