How to varnish an acrylic painting and feel the sense of satisfaction of a beautifully finished piece

Varnishing a finished painting provides a protective layer but the process of adding the finishing touches feels way more than just that!

I will chat through some of the ways I like to work and share some insights into how to go about it. First, here’s some information to guide you.

In terms of sealing or finishing, if you are happy with your acrylic painting and do not intend to work on it anymore, you do not necessarily have to apply any kind of coating on it. But applying a couple of thin coats of varnish will make the surface easier to clean.

Sometimes I notice an uneven surface to the painting with areas that appear shiny and areas that look duller. If this is something that is intentional then its ok to leave it but by adding a coat of varnish this difference will be evened out.

Varnish contains UV light stabilisers.

If your artwork has some sensitive media on it – sensitive to water for instance – then a coat of varnish will offer protection.

Adding a coat of varnish with also even out some of the uneven textures to the paintings surface – smoothing some of the ridges and troughs.

The coat of varnish can be removed for conservation purposes.

Adding a gloss varnish will change the colour depth in your work – gloss deepens the colour and definitely feels very satisfying to see the richness of your chosen colours more fully.

Take a look at this painting where I applied a gloss varnish. There’s a wonderful depth to the colours once you apply the gloss which is exciting but the high sheen can also be a bit of a problem. One way that I occasionally overcome this is to then apply a cold wax medium. I rub this onto the painting once the gloss varnish has fully dried, wait about 30 minutes, then rub it with a soft cloth. The final result is like a polished pebble – rather lovely indeed.

On this painting I applied a satin varnish – my favourite option – and the unevenness and difference in the paint surfaces, the dull and the shiny was removed to give a lovely unity to it.

I do hope that this has been helpful. There are some excellent websites to give further guidance – Golden Artists Colours being one.

It’s very difficult to take photographs that really show the differences on the painting surfaces so if you are not sure trying out the varnish of your choice, I would highly recommend working on a separate piece of work that feels less precious as your first step.

Why not come and see the paintings up close! I have several exhibitions and shows throughout the year or you can book a visit to come and see me in my studio.

Here’s a link to see what’s coming up – https://gilldrew.co.uk/events/

Happy creating
Gill