Canvases painted with tempera or oil paints must be varnished. A high-quality coating will give the colors brightness, intensity and shine. In addition, the varnish film protects the paint layer from dust, grease, smoke and airborne contaminants.
Instructions
Step 1
Determine when your painting can be varnished. According to the rules, this should be done no earlier than a year after writing the canvas. Until this time is reached, the painting must be protected from dust, tobacco smoke and contamination.
Step 2
Select the topcoat you will be using. In this area, mastic, acrylic-styrene, dammar varnishes are used. But the best is acrylic pistachio. It has great transparency, special elasticity and retains its properties for a very long time. An important parameter of a varnish is its freshness. More than 3 months should not elapse from the date of issue.
Step 3
Find a flute brush for applying varnish. The width of this tool is selected based on the size of the canvas. For small paintings, take a flute with a width of about 50 mm, for medium - at least 100 mm. The thicker the varnish you choose, the shorter the flute bristles should be.
Step 4
Clean the dust and dry the painting in advance. Before starting work, for better polishing, the varnish should be warmed up. To do this, put it in a water bath with a temperature of no more than 40 ° C.
Step 5
If you want to avoid the high gloss of the varnish, the varnish must be thinned. This is done in a 1: 1 ratio by adding fresh pinene. In the cold season, you can take a little more thinner. For a slower drying of the varnish, it is diluted with white spirit, however, this substance has the properties to penetrate deep into the picture through microcracks and form stains.
Step 6
Place the painting on a table if it is small, or on an easel if it is large. Install the light source on the right side. Apply the varnish with a flute, moving from the top, parallel to the bottom edge. Make your movements smooth and wide. Apply a little polish to the brush to avoid dripping.
Step 7
Then polish the applied varnish while it is damp. Do this with a dry flute. The polishing is stopped when the brush starts to stick to the varnish. If the coating is too thick, remove the excess with a flute dipped in pinene.
Step 8
15 minutes after the end of the work, you need to install the picture obliquely, with the front side to the wall. This is necessary to protect the canvas from dust. Also, the varnished painting should be protected from low temperatures and humidity.
