Catherine Jo Morgan - Art for Energy™

800-305-0601

How to Buy Art - Varnishes for Paintings on Canvas

Does it matter if a painting is varnished?

Yes! If you like a painting enough to buy it, why not make sure it will last? If the painting will be framed under glass, then no varnish is needed. But if the paint is exposed to the air, then varnish is important.

I've noticed that many canvas paintings sold on eBay are sold unvarnished. Or they're varnished too soon, before the paint could possibly be thoroughly dry. This is apt to cause problems later on.

So - check before you buy! Is the painting varnished? How many coats? Usually 2 is the minimum. Is the varnish one of the new clear painting varnishes? The older damar varnishes yellow with age, while the newer painting varnishes stay clear.

Some of the newer varnishes include some UV protection. No one knows for sure how long this protection will last. But it can surely help for a while.

Varnishes for paintings - contents:

Restoring a painting

Donations are welcome

More information on varnishes for paintings

Varnish protects the paint from dirt and atmospheric pollution.

Varnish is a clear protective layer between the painting and - everything else - especially dirt. More and more, too, the air around the painting includes various pollutants. These may come from carpeting, upholstery, cleaning products, and - just the air outside.

Dirt and pollutants can eventually damage a painting. Sometimes the painting loses the vibrancy of its colors very gradually. Or the paint may actually start to come off. Varnish is an essential protection.

Paintings, like everything else in life, get dirty. It's nice if you can display your paintings in a very clean place. But your enjoyment of the artwork matters more.

Even when displayed in a very clean place, eventually a painting will get dusty.

Dusting a painting

Regular light dusting helps. Most conservators recommend a soft sable brush or its equivalent - as soft as you'd use on a camera lens. A makeup brush can work. You can hold a vacuum cleaner attachment a little away from the surface of the painting, to suck up the dislodged dust.

You can also use "canned air" if you're careful. Keep the can upright and spray lightly away from the painting to be sure no liquid comes out. Adjust the distance to the painting so the air flow is gentle.

Wiping a painting clean

Still, the time will come when your painting needs to be wiped with a soft damp cloth. This must be done very gently so as not to drive the dirt into the surface. A slightly dampened cotton swab may help.

Restoring a painting

Still later - decades later, we hope - the time will come when your painting needs more than this. That's when you - or your heirs - will be glad if the painting has a removable varnish.

A removable varnish is properly applied over an isolation coat. This means that the varnish can be removed without harm to the underlying paint. Then new varnish can be applied, giving the painting many more decades of vibrant life.

Usually an art restorer does this job. The American Institute on Conservation has online help for finding a suitable professional for this.

Golden Paints has an excellent article on cleaning acrylic paintings. A printer-friendly version is also available, in Adobe Acrobat Reader format.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Get Adobe Reader for .pdf files. This is an especially nice format for printing articles.

Donations are welcome

This is another way you can support my writing. It's not at all required - just an option. If you'd like to donate, just click on the button below. A secure form will open up and you can choose the amount you'd like to donate. This will be done via PayPal's secure site.

More information on caring for your paintings:

Caring for Your Paintings - an article from The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works 

More information on varnishes for paintings:

Introduction to Varnishing - from Golden Paints, makers of fine professional acrylic paints

Golden MSA Varnish with UV Resistance - to be brushed on

Golden Archival Varnish with UV Resistance - This is the spray varnish I now use most - 3 coats - over an isolation coat of soft gel gloss medium, as Golden recommends.

More information on professional restoration:

Guide to Choosing a Conservator - from The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.

Guide to Painting Conservation - from the Smithsonian. The site has many useful links as well.

Links to Conservation Information - from the Canadian Conservation Institute.
 

Back to top of page

cjmorgan.com home page

Join my Art Collectors Club and get special offers of discounts, previews, and more.

Email me to receive a free monthly newsletter. Your information will be kept completely private, never shared.

Sample newsletter (Oct. 2004)

News

Site Guestbook