Oil Alkyd Varnishes at Opus
Oil Alkyd Varnishes at Opus
Oil Alkyd Varnishes at Opus
PICTURE VARNISH
This is the final coating for oil,
alkyd and acrylic paintings. Its purpose
is to create a uniform finish and to
protect the painting from dirt and
atmospheric conditions. A picture
varnish should only be applied to a
thoroughly dry painting 6-12
months for oils, 1-2 months for alkyds,
24 hours to 2 weeks for acrylics. A painting with
delicate glazes may take less time to dry and should
not be left unvarnished for too long.
RETOUCH VARNISH
This solution is the same as a picture varnish, but it
contains more turpentine, so it will not form a skin or
create a high gloss when it is sprayed or applied with a
soft brush. The purpose of a retouch varnish is to
recreate the original color appearance of wet paint on
areas where the paint has dried out or appears to have
sunken-in. It is applied only over those areas which
DAMAR VARNISH
Damar resin, also spelled dammar,
is tapped from the damar fir tree found
chiefly in Indonesia and Malaysia and
is the most traditional varnish for oil
paintings. It appears in stores as clear
or slightly yellowish, dusty crystals
about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) in
diameter. Gum turpentine is the solvent
of choice for the artist wanting to dissolve damar
crystals as other solvents either dissolve the resin
incompletely or are difficult to store safely in the
average studio. Damar varnish yellows with age, and
its films become brittle. This is caused by exposure to
ultraviolet light, present in most lighting systems, and
is nearly unavoidable unless you use special filters
over the light source. Yellowing and embrittlement are
also caused by oxidation, which in turn is encouraged
by exposure to ultraviolet light. Although Damar is
reversible varnish, its repeated removal and
replacement to counteract yellowing are significant
problems for conservators charged with the care of a
work, since the process can ultimately be harmful to
the painting.
VARNISHES AT OPUS
ECO-HOUSE Damar Picture Varnish: This damar
varnish is made with a combination of damar pine
resin and ECO-HOUSE Mild Citrus Thinner with small
amount of linseed stand oil for elasticity. This varnish
can be used as a final picture varnish over well-dried
oil paintings. It yields a glossy protective finish. For
reduced gloss, ECO-HOUSE Citrus Thinner can be
added.
Page 1
O
P
U
S
Framing &
OPUS Vancouver
1360 Johnston St
604-736-7028
Art Supplies
OPUS Kelowna
1357 Ellis St
250-763-3616
OPUS Langley
20484 Fraser Hwy
604-533-0601
OPUS Victoria
512 Herald St
250-386-8133
www.opusframing.com
Page 2