As a general rule, you should always varnish your acrylic work when possible. Varnishes are applied over dry paint films and have several purposes. The first and most important function is to protect the painting surface from the environment and protect the pigments from ultraviolet light. Secondly, varnishes can be used to change or unify a painting's surface sheen. Liquitex varnishes come in several different sheens, which can all be intermixed for a customized sheen. Liquitex varnishes are either permanent or removable and can be applied to both flexible and rigid supports. ARCHIVAL PERMANENT (non-removable): For interior use only/ Excellent Leveling Properties/ Non-yellowing/ Translucent when wet dries clear.
DIRECTIONS
- Before varnishing, ensure paint surface is fully dry (72 hours-two weeks depending on thickness) and your space is well ventilated and dust-free.
- Choose your desired format and sheen. Always do a test before applying to your work
- Place the work to be varnished flat on a table - do not varnish vertically
- Stir varnish gently before use (to avoid bubbles) or shake well. Do not thin with water
- Use a clean wide, flat soft-hair brush/pad/airbrush/spray to apply. Apply in long even strokes to cover the surface top to bottom while moving from one side to the other
- When using Liquitex Matte or Satin Varnish, apply no more than 1-2 thin coats as thick applications may result in cloudiness when dry. If more than 2 coats are desired, first varnish with Gloss Varnish to the desired thickness and apply Matte or Satin Varnish as the final coat
- Allow at least three hours dry time between coats
- Thin coats are better than one thick coat which will take longer to dry, may dry cloudy, drip or sag during application and has a greater chance of showing brush strokes when dry
- Avoid vigorous over-brushing as it may result in a cloudy finish. While working, inspect the varnish layer at all angles for bubbles. Even them out immediately
- Once you leave an area, don’t go back over it. If you do, you risk dragging partially dry resin into wet, which will dry cloudy over dark colors. If any areas were missed, allow to dry completely and re-varnish
