How to varnish an oil painting with Gamvar
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- Опубліковано 22 лис 2016
- Learn my technique for varnishing my oil paintings with Gamvar by Gamblin. I'll give you some practical reasons why you should always varnish your paintings and teach you how to do it.
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I always use the GLOSS because I prefer shiny, but it does slowly loose the shine over years.
i'm worried that the gloss may be too shiny on a wall in a livingroom or gallery? i guess if you do a thin coat its not like gloss varnish on furniture?
most artists here are recommending the gloss, so I guess I will give it a shot and see what happens. Great tutorial BTW
In galleries the lights are on the ceiling for this reason so that they don't create glare on the paintings. I think a vast majority of oil painters use gloss. If you want high gloss, (shiny) do two or three layers. Just one looks sealed, but not shiny.
Really great presentation! I love your work and background music!
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been thinking of trying the Gamvar. You did a great job showing how you use it and it was helpful that you mentioned the importance of putting it on very thinly. I read some people say it could head up, and it sounds like the thin application would help. 👍 ...and beautiful paintings, BTW.
Thank you for this video and the nice classical music 😍. Your paintings are gorgeous!!!
Very helpful information. Thank you very much for sharing.👍
Your paintings are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that varnishes an oil painting like this. ;)
Great minds as they say!
Excellent instructions and great information. Thank you.
+Malgorzata Jaroszczyk So glad you enjoyed this and found it informative.
your paintings are beautiful
+Martin l. Oh, Thank you so much!
Thanks
Love your work.
So helpful. Thank you!
Finally an artist that is doing this the correct way. 🥰 I crinch when I see all the videos where people pour large amounts it gamvar on their paintings… 😬
Yes I agree. I hope more people will see this to understand.
!!!!! I was about to use it for the first time before I decided to come watch some videos first and I most definitely was going to pour the varnish on top of my canvas 😬
I like your choice of BGM!
I undertood need 6 year the oil paint dried...inside ,outside..you are a very good Artist..Elisa
Guenevere...thank you so much for sharing....!
I hope this helps.
Guenevere, thank you for this video. I trust what you say and this has really help.....
+Catt Vaughn Excellent! Good to know you are going to protect your paintings with varnish!
These are absolutely amazing!!! , and wow did that make your colors pop especially the candy corn
This was very helpful Thank you so much!
+Darren Szmata Your welcome glad I could help.
fantastic thank you
This was Nice .
Great video.
nice paintings
Beautiful paintings.
Thank you!
Thank you for this! I really hope this technique will solve my problems. How would you varnish a large one? Same small brush? How to avoid areas as they begin to dry?
excellent vid god bless!
This was really interesting. I always wondered how fine artists used varnish to seal their pieces. Since I tend to solely use paper, the sealant is a lot different in a way. 😀
+Inktangles Thanks, glad you found it interesting!
Great video, helpful since i'm trying out gamvar/gamsol for my paintings. I noticed you did not varnish the sides of the painting, why is that?
Thank you
I have an older unvarnished painting that is covered in dust and it looks so sad!😬 I wish I had known about varnish back then! lol. Very nice video 👍❤
+N. Ross Art if you would like to try to save it you can try brushing it gently with Gamsol to get the dust off and then Varnishing it. Sometimes the dust is really embedded but it is worth a try.
Hey that might work! Thanks
nice
Oh I just wanted to know if you have a special technique for writing with a brush and oil paint? It took me a very long time having to even the letters out by repainting in the background on the too thick strokes.
I tried an oil based sharpie.. and it worked and worked on pages and pages of practice on paper and then leaked as I finally felt ready to sign. I have done color pencil and signed with a pen… I like my signature just I think I need a few suggestions as to how to write with a brush
What is the minimal amount of time that you would wait to varnish an oil painting?
I love your work - I've been trying Gamvar also, and like it so far. How long do you typically need to wait before your varnish is dry and ready for handling?
I have found that Gamvar stays sticky for a while. I do like to give it at least a week before packing it or touching it with anything. Good question.
Do you varnish the sides?
I would like some tips on how to sign
MY painting. It looks ok.. but it was difficult with the brush… thank you for replying! So helpful
There are no rules. You can sign it however you want.
Fantastic...lovely girl...thank you...
Do you ever add glitter?
Excellent demonstration. Do you use Gloss varnish or Satin? thanks!
Gloss thanks for asking!
Hello, beautiful paintings and tutorial. I was wondering if the gloss finish produces a lot of glare when the paintings are hung on the wall in a home setting (not a gallery) ?
Gloss does create some glare, but it is thin so it follows the contours of the paint, so it's not like a huge white glare, it is just the higher areas. And usually it doesn't stay super shiny for long.
I love your tutorial. Thank you so much. What is that music I hear? I want to find it to play also on my computer. Is that Chopin?
Thanks glad you enjoyed the tutorial, and I had been a while since I made this video so I don't think I have record of what music I used. You could try using Shazam and see if it can figure out the music.
you didnt get those wet spots on the apples? =)
Those paint are wood or panel?...
For older oil paintings, it is not the product to use. The Gamvar is not able to seal the dryer pigments, even after several coats. Gamvar works fine for surfaces that have an even sheen. A bit disappointing.
Where you did buy the panel or canvas? thank you...
These panels are from American Easel, just google them.
Thank you!
Let me ask you something, may I use another solvent to clean my brushes after I used gamvar?
thank you
Yes you can you any brand of thinner.
Thank you , you're so kind, i didn't expect for a so fast answer
I've been wondering, how many applications of varnish can I safely apply? I like a 'thick' looking varnish to make the painting look older!
I haven't heard of people putting more than 3. But I don't see any reason you couldn't add more. But you would need to make SURE it is absolutely dry before adding another layer. You might want to look for info on traditional varnish rather than Gamvar
Great video! do you build those wood canvases yourself or can you buy them somewhere?
+Jessica Leonard I have built my own many times, I also have a carpenter who builds them for me. You can buy them at art stores but I think they are pretty expensive.
thanks so much! i just bought a pre gessoed panel at the art store to try and it was so slippery the paint just kept coming off as i tried to put it down! i probably have to gesso it myself too right? i really want to try painting on wood panel. thanks again! your work is gorgeous!
I have used wood panels and do an acrylic underpainting and it is less slippery when I use oil paint.
So satisfying! Great video, would you recommend varnish with Gamvar using a sponge brush? I guess I wouldn't be able to push hard to the surface to get the varnish fill in tight, but if the surface is generally smooth, I guess I can use a sponge brush? .. what do you think? Thanks!
I have never tried a sponge brush. I probably wouldn't because it is difficult to clean Gamvar out of the brush, so I don't used a nice brush for it. I have had brush get really stiff from not cleaning them out well enough.
Do you use matte, shiny, satin? Which photographs best? Thank you
Matte photographs best but I use glossy, and photograph before I varnish.
You said you let the painting dry for "a few weeks", but i've heard that at least 6 months of drying time is required before varnishing.. Did you use any speed up drying medium and how many weeks or months do you let them dry?
Months? Wow, why so long?
Emergency Drawings1302 oil takes a long time to fully ‘cure’
Unfortunately, I cannot get gamsol or gamvar or galkyd shipped to my location in the US Virgin Islands since it would need to be air shipped. What is my alternative? Could I find something else to varnish at Home Depot or local housepaint store? Any recommendation? I currently use linseed oil and odorless Weber natural turpenoid to mix paint, thin and clean brushes.
Hmm, that is a good question. I am not familiar with house paint materials for art purposes, but I would imagine a clear coat type of product would do the trick, just make sure your painting is completely dry. Wait one to two weeks to be sure. I have used the spray can clear coat before. It is not my favorite, but it dries quickly, so if I am in a rush I use it.
If you wished to "varnish" with a matt finish then you could order the Gamvar Wax - I think it should be OK by air. In the long term order some via sea freight (enough to last a year or two)
The main attraction of Gamsol is the low odour and enhanced safety compared with other oil painting solvents (e.g. white spirit), which are equally problematic for air freight, I suspect.
Gina, Damar varnish actually originates in chunks of a translucent gold color. The Damar you purchase in typical supply stores has been prepared in advance to make it liquid. It might be possible to acquire the chunks via air? I used to purchase Damar this way when I lived in Germany. Although it is a bit of a process to dissolve before you have a liquid varnish to apply, it might be a good answer for you.
Hi Guenevere, thank you for sharing! Can you advise if you used satin varnish or glossy varnish? Thank you!
I want to know the same thing. Satin? Or glossy? I guess it depends on the look you want your art to expres
I used glossy. I prefer the shiny look.
I used glossy.
@@GuenevereSchwien thank you!
@@GuenevereSchwien question: can one use glossy AND satin on different parts of one's piece, or would that be too obvious?
Do you use satin or gloss finish?
I usually prefer gloss finish.
I like signing my paintings with my initials also. Do you sign your full name somewhere else, like on the back?
I will sign my full signature on larger paintings too. But I like initials when space is limited. I write my name on the back. I guess I have always felt that signatures don't really mean anything. If you love a painting does it really matter who made it?
@@GuenevereSchwien
Hi, any tips where (which corner) to write and materials to use (like oil paint or pen) if it is at back of canvas. Thank you
how long should I wait to varnish my oil pain ting... I finished it a week ago
Depends how thick the paint is. If it is very thin it might be ready now. If it is thicker I would wait a month to be sure. It is better to wait so you don't need it up.
Isn't it better to use a synthetic brush to apply varnish, in order to avoid picking brush hairs from the surface.?
You can use either, I have definitely had synthetic brushes that shed as well. I think I was struggling with pulling dog hairs out as well. I wasn't in my usual studio when I filled this so I was making due with what I had on hand at the time.
Which company's varnish is best to use on canvas?
I do not know the best, I am only familiar with what I have used.
Hello, I didn't view your instructions before using this product and unfortunately, I put mine on a little to heavy and it left shining and dull spots and I can see brush like streaks or lines. The lines are shiny then dull. I've ruined a couple of paintings. Is there anything I can do to restore it?
The great think about Gamvar is that is was designed with the purpose of being able to restore paintings years later. That means that is sits on top of the paint surface and thus can be easily removed, compared to other varnish. I haven't done it but you can use Gamsol to remove it. It will be tedious and labor intensive, but it is designed to come off. I have only seen it doesn't with Q-tips. I would make sure you do it outside, or get a respirator. You will want to be careful not to remove the paint, don't press to hard and of the cotton ball comes away with thick color on it then you are removing the paint. Good luck.
Janet, There is a video on the Gamblin site where a guy shows how to remove the varnish. I was horrified when the same thing happened to me using the satin varnish, but it was on a large painting. Using other varnishes, if one sees streaks it means it needs a second coat. Not the case with this one. On some areas of the painting, it also removed color, and I had to go back and rework the painting. I am about to finish removing varnish from the second painting whcih didn't seem as badly affected as the first. This was the first time I had used Gamvar, as the Sennelier satin I have used for years can no longer be purchased in the States. I may go back to Damar, I haven't decided. But there are a lot of videos available on Gamblin's website.
Would Gamvar varnish cause yellowing over time?
I believe Gamvar is one of the best for not yellowing but they all do to an extent.
Can we use gloss varnish for acrylic also? Or it works only for oil painting?
You can use it for acrylic but there are acrylic varnishes that will dry faster. I am not that familiar with them, but I know you don't have to use something as slow drying as this.
@@GuenevereSchwien thanks for your help
Is that the gloss or satin?
Gloss, thanks for asking.
Can you use a heat gun to smooth it out?
Also beautiful work!
That is a good question. I would be very careful about using heat with oils. Varnish is very flammable, also heat can discolor the pigments of the paint, it will make the warm colors turn bluish grey.
Guenevere Schwien that’s a really good point, I definitely don’t want a fire! I keep debating if I want to go with resin or varnish. Have you ever tried ArtResin?
I have tried art resign once and would like to experiment with it most. I didn't have a good heat gun so I got tiny bubbles in the finish, luckily I used an old study to practice on. I have also tried having an auto body shop do a clear coat on my painting, I really liked the look but it off gassed for several weeks, so not ideal for in the home.
Ventilation requirements for this?
+AkiraFist You definitely want to do it in a ventilated area. I do might in the garage or in a room that will not be visited for 12 hours with the window cracked. You do not want to be sitting in the same room at a drying varnish.
Is it ok to use the liquid varnish on canvas pad that is not mounted?
I think you would want to stretch it first to make sure that the varnish doesn't crack when you do. If you are not going to stretch it at all then it is probably fine.
Awesome, I'll give it a shot, thank you Guenevere for replying!
+AutomHatter Your welcome, glad I could help. 😁
I had a bad experience with Gamvar on oil painting , after varnished a work this was sever months sticky...
Sounds like you out it on to thick. If you follow my technique this will not happen again. Has to be in very thin layers.
@@GuenevereSchwien Thank you for your answer!...
Is that gamvar gloss?
Yes. I prefer the glossy look.
Very interesting that she's using just tiny portions.
That is to help get an even coat, it likes to stick to itself, so going very thin prevents gaps.
Gamblin states in their instructions that this a the correct way to apply gamvar. It surprises me that “no one” reads the instructions… 😅
LOL! I know right.
how long should you wait to vanish?
+Tina Louise Garard The paint needs to be 100% dry, the drying time depends on how thick the paint is. For thinner paintings I would say minimum a week, if the paint is chunky and thick you might need 2 -3 weeks. Just make sure it is completely dry. Thanks for asking.
she missed a spot AAAARRRRRGGHHHH!1
Well CRAP. I just put a thick layer of gamvar on my painting and it looks horrible. 😭😭😭
You can remove it with gamsol
@@rachelann_art2348 very helpful. Thanks👍
13 minues and question not answered. Great painter, though.