Varnishes work well with oil and acrylic because the paint films are relatively thick and separate from the surface. What types of finished surfaces can be varnished? If you have pictures like this, we recommend you keep the varnished work behind glass and think about how to improve your technique for the future. But while varnish will certainly help with this, once the varnish is on it cannot be removed without damaging the work. Sometimes artists varnish their work to help stabilise surfaces with added texture or damaged layers. You can read our article on oiling out here. Instead, you should “oil out” those sunken areas using Artists’ Painting Medium.
If the colour has sunk then varnishing should be avoided. If your painting is dull, it is easy to confuse the need for varnishing with the dullness created by colour that has sunk into the surface. When the time is right, the varnish itself can be removed and the painting re-varnished to make it look as good as new.
Over the years, dirt and dust will stick to the varnish, rather than the painting. Varnish protects the painting from dirt and dust and evens out the painting’s final appearance, making it all equally glossy or matt. Adding the right varnish, in the right way, is a sound investment to ensure your finished oil or acrylic painting stays looking its best.
