Some of the best artists do not varnish their oil paintings while others swear by it. This can be very confusing for many budding oil painters.
Perhaps you are one of them and can’t help but wonder, do you have to varnish oil paintings?
Technically, no, you don’t have to varnish oil paintings, but you should. Your most prized oil paintings would be vulnerable to damage without a coat of varnish. And a little visually off too with regards to realism.
Varnish acts as a protective film safeguarding oil paintings from dirt build-up, moisture, yellowing, scuffs, and other damaging impacts. It also helps to give the painting that beautiful patina it takes on over time. Many artists wouldn’t consider their piece truly done until it has been varnished and dried.
You can rest easy knowing the paintings you truly care about and worked so hard on are safe while in transit, and when displayed or stored for many years.
It is also essential for aesthetically transforming your work into the illusionistic masterpiece it is. Varnish unifies any sheen imbalance, which is a common phenomenon with oil paintings.
Now that it’s clear why you should varnish your oil paintings, it’s time to explore what is available in the market.
But what’s the best varnish for oil paintings? The best varnish for oil paintings must offer long-term protection from UV rays while enhancing and protecting the color of your work. Traditional varnishes work well, but take time to apply and dry and yellow slightly, so some opt for synthetic varnishes for ease and less alteration of color.
This post is the perfect guide to the best varnishes for oil painting. You’ll learn how to pick one like a pro using our expert selection criteria. We also point you to the top varnishes for a variety of categories. Let’s get started.
Varnish For Oil Paintings: 5 Things To Consider
There isn’t a one size fits all kind of varnish. You have to choose among several options to find the right one for your specific needs.
To guide your way, here are some key things to consider:
1. Type of Varnish
Varnish is broadly categorized into two groups: traditional and modern varnishes.
Traditional varnishes were primarily natural resins such as mastic or dammar. These centuries-old favorites are loved for their excellent gloss and preservative features.
They’re classics for a reason and may hold extra appeal for their historicality. However, they tend to be unstable, yellow from UV exposure, and crack quickly. They will last a long time but will need replacement.
These shortcomings helped give rise to synthetic varnishes. These tend to be less glossy than their natural counterparts but they are non-polar, giving them great stability, elasticity, and clarity.
From a purpose perspective, varnish can also be classified as retouch varnish or final coat varnish. Therefore, you have to ensure that your chosen brand corresponds to the stage of the painting.
2. Type of Finish
Do you want your oil painting to get an optically glassy reflective look or dulled effect? Your desired appearance detects the type of finish you give preference to.
Glossy varnishes enhance color saturation, three-dimensional forms, and depths of the oil painting. Conversely, matte options mute tones and disperses light to flatten any sheen out.
High sheen options are ideal for realistic paintings, while flat varnishes are best suited for abstract paintings. You might also like a satin sheen, which is neither shiny nor dead flat.
3. Duration of Drying Time
Oil paintings are snail-paced when it comes to drying completely. Historically, varnish demanded a six to twelve months drying period for the paint before application.
However, contemporary brands have slashed back this time significantly. Some are applicable as soon as an oil painting is dry to touch.
You may also want to pay attention to the time needed for the varnish to dry. If you are doing recent pieces, pressed for time, need to ship the work of art, or just impatient, this detail is of utmost importance.
4. Ease of Removal
Once embedded with dirt, jarred, and looking old and tired, the varnish has completed its mission. Special solvents such as turpentine, white spirit, or acetone are necessary to wipe it off and replace it with a fresh layer.
You obviously want an easy time doing this, but some types of varnish tend to be stubborn. Difficulty removing varnish could potentially ruin the painting if you are inexperienced.
5. Application Technique
There’s plenty of brush-on varnish options for fans of the good old brush.
If you are more comfortable with the aerosols; the fast, easy modern technique of coating stuff, there are spray varnishes. They are particularly ideal for paintings with fragile, coarse, or highly textured surfaces.
5 Best Varnishes For Oil Painting
Oil painting is the least forgiving compared to watercolor, gouache, and acrylic painting. If you’ve gone to that much trouble to create your masterpiece, you just can’t afford to go wrong with your products.
So here’s our best picks:
Rank | Product | Finish |
---|---|---|
1. | Gamblin Gamvar Gloss Picture Varnish | High gloss |
2. | Krylon Spray Matte Kamar Varnish | Matte |
3. | Winsor & Newton Dammar Varnish | High gloss |
4. | Winsor & Newton Retouching Varnish | Transparent |
5. | Grumbacher Picture Spray Varnish | Gloss |
Given the sheer number of varnish options, choosing one for your specific needs may be an uphill task. To give you a head start, browse below for our round-up of the best varnish for oil paintings.
1. Gamblin Gamvar Gloss Picture Varnish
If you are after a beautiful gloss that makes colors pop, Gamblin Gamvar performs beyond and above our expectations.
Packaged in an 8.5 oz bottle is a transparent synthetic varnish with the ultimate sheen. It dries like a crystal clear glass overlay. The glossy coverage brings forth color richness and more realistic depths and forms in any oil painting.
It also possesses all the goodness of contemporary varnishes lacking in natural resins like shorter wait time and UV and crack resistance.
You can varnish your oil paint as soon as it is dry to touch – no need to wait for it to age for months. And the best part is, the coat dries within a few hours. With anti-yellowing and elastic properties, your layer of beauty stays transparent and whole for a long time.
In addition to giving outstanding results, the consistency is easy to spread for a hassle-free application. Plus, it is self-leveling and guarantees an even film.
Gamblin Gamvar is an odorless varnish, so you don’t have to put up with nauseating fumes.
It is a great value as you get a lot of product for the price, and a little goes a long way. Three thin coats are enough to produce amazing results.
You can remove it with relative ease using Gamsol.
2. Krylon Spray Matte Kamar Varnish
Artists looking to add a final clear coat free from glaring sheen will delight in this product. From the Krylon paint masters, you can only expect great results.
This varnish from Krylon is an alternative way to bring out your colors nicely minus the gloss and at an unbeatable price.
Unlike traditional gummy stringy resins, this spray formula expels the varnish in a smooth, consistent jet, layering the surface evenly.
The anti-yellowing coat dries into a solid resin within two hours to become a protective feature on your oil painting.
You do not need special agents to remove the film once it needs replacement. Some white spirit or distilled turpentine and a soft cloth will do.
We suggest applying it outdoors or where you can get ample ventilation because, like most varnishes, the smell is concentrated but fades away with time. As with many serious art supplies, breathing in a concentrated amount over and over isn’t ideal.
This is a quality varnish that offers you the aesthetic edge and protection artists desire for their oil paintings.
3. Winsor & Newton Dammar Varnish
There’s no need to overthink when it comes to Winsor & Newton products. Like other oil painting products from this trusted brand, this dammar varnish is the best you can get your hands on – especially if you’re looking to go traditional.
It is quick-drying and will leave a gorgeous, high gloss, especially to your oil paintings. It will yellow and darken with time, but many prefer the classic look it gives their work.
You can always plan ahead for this darkening and adjust your colors while painting. And when it’s time to remove and replace, simply use a little distilled turpentine.
Do not judge its lasting capacity by the size of the bottle. A little oil often goes a long way. But if doing large scale painting, you can upgrade from the 250 ml to the 500ml bottle.
There’s really nothing negative to say about the quality of this varnish. Most artists affirm its stellar performance and beautiful results. Besides, dammar varnishes have been trusted and beloved for centuries. There’s no better review than that!
4. Winsor & Newton Retouching Varnish
Whether you are looking to improve adhesion of different layers of paint or a temporary protective coat for your oil paint project in the intermediary stage, Winsor & Newton has you covered.
Their retouch varnish comes in an 11-ounce spray can. Spraying eliminates your chances of upsetting parts of the oil painting that are yet to dry compared to a brush-on version, which is great for beginners.
It forms a transparent coat that not only protects your unfinished work from dirt and other elements but also revives those dead-looking spots.
It livens up dull, dried paint for an even professional appearance when reworking the painting.
You can paint over it or remove the coat.
5. Grumbacher Picture Spray Varnish
Grumbacher offers everything you are looking for in a varnish in a convenient, easy to use aerosol can.
The 11 oz varnish forms a glassy, anti-yellowing, fast-drying, flexible coat of protection over dry oil paintings. The paint underneath remains intact and secure from wetness, soiling, and abrasions.
The nozzle sprays the varnish with an excellent flow and great coverage. When applied slowly in even strokes, the non-dripping formula will form a film that sits uniformly for a balanced appearance.
For a high shine and best protection, you’ll definitely need more coats. But there’s ample product in a can for at least two standard-sized paintings.
You’ll also love that it dries within a few hours to a day maximum, a refreshing switch from traditional brush-on varnish that remains tacky for days.
It is ideal for oil paintings that are at least six months to ensure complete curing.
When the varnish is ready to be replaced many years from now, you have three options to remove the coat effortlessly: Grumbacher pure gum spirits of turpentine, Grumtine, or odorless spirits.
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