That’s so helpful Nikita. I had no idea you could mix the varnishes. I use Gamvar Gloss as it really makes colours pop, but the shine can be annoying if the light hits it a certain way.
Hi Nikita, that is so great, thank you so much for the video. I have been using Gamvar gloss on my oil painting and acrylic paintings and I love it.I will definitely try the gloss satin combination on my next painting.
Thank you. A few questions: Can you use this varnish over an older previously varnished painting using a different brand of varnish? Also, how should I clean the brush? Thanks.
@@susanweidman3525 Hi Susan, I think it depends on how long ago the other varnish was applied. If it was years ago, you probably want to remove the other varnish first before applying a new layer. Depending on the resin that was used in the other varnish you’ll need a different solvent to remove it. You may want to reach out to Gamblin to get an exact answer: gamblincolors.com/contact/. For cleaning the brush, the best way I’ve found is to put a small amount of Gamsol (odorless mineral spirit) in the same dish that I used for the Gamvar, let the brush soak for a minute, and then press the brush into a paper towel. I’ll let it soak again for another minute and then let the paper towel absorb any remaining liquid. If the brush dries a little tacky, this process can be repeated and then washed with soap and water.
My brother sent me a piece with cardboard backing. It has an inscription. Any advice on how I can preserve the inscription on the cardboard, which was written with a Sharpie-type pen?
@@francfrog2650 You could ask someone who specializes in art preservation. Personally, I’d take a high resolution scan or photo of the inscription. I’m not sure how much varnishing would help. Cardboard is not archival.
Tried the gloss varnish, and it is amazing, so easy to use. It looks perfect, but need to see how the painting looks after it is dry. Does this product have UV protection? I do not have Gamsol, so I wiped it really well, and then, used soap and water. I was surprised at how little varnish was needed. Curious to know what happens if you use 2 or 3 coats. Would it look more like resin? Thanks again.
@@susanweidman3525 nice! I posted a photo comparing one layer of varnish to two layers of varnish in this article: www.nikitacoulombe.com/varnishing-oil-paintings - as you can see, two layers of varnish is always shinier than one layer, regardless of the sheen being used (matte, satin, gloss). Gamvar does not protect against UV light exposure and does not contain Ultraviolet Light Filters and Stabilizers (UVLS). Gamblin states, “If one paints with lightfast colors, UV light should be of no concern. Colors with an ASTM Lightfastness rating of I or II do not require further protection from UV light. A highly lightfast color does not fade with age, even when exposed to constant sunlight.”
@@NikitaCoulombe Wow! I am impressed with your knowledge! I have been using Golden Archival spray varnish, and it works well with no brush marks, and it drys pretty fast .Grumbacher Final Varnish gloss does not keep its shine. It is cheaper, but I will not use again. Since I am an acrylic abstract artist, I do like mostly a gloss finish. I am interested to see how Gamvar’s shine compares to Golden’s shine. Also want to see if Gamvar leaves brush marks. I have it covered until it dries. 48 hours I am assuming. Have a great weekend!
Hi Cassandra, thank you! I just reached out to Gamblin to double check and found out that their product expert is on sabbatical. My initial thought is to wait till after you have stretched your canvas to varnish. Definitely check in with them later this summer, they usually get back with answers within a couple of days: gamblincolors.com/contact/
Hi Cassandra, Mary from Gamblin is back from sabbatical and just replied back on your question: "It’s fine to use Gamvar on both stretched and unstretched artwork. The application is the same, the choice to apply stretched vs. unstretched would be a matter of personal preference that should not change the result of the varnish appearance." Hope this helps!
I varnished a painting in gloss but I don’t love it. It could be challenging to remove because the painting also has oil pastel and I’m worried removing the gloss could smudge the oil pastel that’s on the oil painting. Can I add matte over the painting to dull down the gloss finish or will it just be glossy even if I do that?
Hi Tiffany, varnishing oil pastels is tricky, I think most people recommend putting it behind glass vs varnishing. That said, you could try applying a very thin layer of matte varnish over the gloss - it might be worth it to create a sample piece on a scrap that looks similar to your painting, varnish it with gloss then varnish it in matte to see how glossy it'll still be. Another option would be to take Q-tips and use Gamsol to carefully remove the gloss varnish.
@@tanyagupta9830 any of the varnishes mentioned would be fine over acrylic, it really depends on which sheen (matte, semi-glossy, or glossy) you prefer. If you like a glossy look you can also try Golden Waterborne Varnish, which is a removable acrylic polymer varnish with UV protection that is made specifically for acrylic paintings.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:10 - Varnish brush
0:20 - Gloss varnish
0:39 - Gloss + Satin varnish
0:55 - Satin varnish
1:36 - Satin + Matte varnish
1:51 - Matte varnish
2:14 - 2 hours later
2:30 - 48 hours later with second layer
2:54 - Bird’s eye view
Interesting, I never thought to mix the satin and gloss varnish! Thanks so much for the info!
@@manda023 yes, you can make your own custom blend!
Great presentation. Thank you for your clear, concise information.
@@lorilatham5732 thank you, Lori, glad the video was helpful!
That’s so helpful Nikita. I had no idea you could mix the varnishes. I use Gamvar Gloss as it really makes colours pop, but the shine can be annoying if the light hits it a certain way.
Thank you, Enzo! I agree with you about the gloss being a little too shiny sometimes.
Excellent overview and a very clear-cut demo of Gamblin’s varnishes. Thanks for posting
Thank you, Kurtis!
My uncle drank a gallon of varnish ..he had a horrible death but a lovely finish
Hi Nikita, that is so great, thank you so much for the video. I have been using Gamvar gloss on my oil painting and acrylic paintings and I love it.I will definitely try the gloss satin combination on my next painting.
I'm glad this was helpful, Timothy! I like the gloss/satin combo too.
Marvelous to see this in comparison!
@@providencevalleyfarm5270 glad it’s helpful!
Thank you! 😊
@hristiyanavalkova6665 welcome!
Great video, thank you!
@@philtolfreeart thanks, Phil!
Thank you. A few questions: Can you use this varnish over an older previously varnished painting using a different brand of varnish? Also, how should I clean the brush? Thanks.
@@susanweidman3525 Hi Susan, I think it depends on how long ago the other varnish was applied. If it was years ago, you probably want to remove the other varnish first before applying a new layer. Depending on the resin that was used in the other varnish you’ll need a different solvent to remove it. You may want to reach out to Gamblin to get an exact answer: gamblincolors.com/contact/. For cleaning the brush, the best way I’ve found is to put a small amount of Gamsol (odorless mineral spirit) in the same dish that I used for the Gamvar, let the brush soak for a minute, and then press the brush into a paper towel. I’ll let it soak again for another minute and then let the paper towel absorb any remaining liquid. If the brush dries a little tacky, this process can be repeated and then washed with soap and water.
@@NikitaCoulombe Thank you so much!
@@susanweidman3525 You're welcome!
My brother sent me a piece with cardboard backing. It has an inscription. Any advice on how I can preserve the inscription on the cardboard, which was written with a Sharpie-type pen?
@@francfrog2650 You could ask someone who specializes in art preservation. Personally, I’d take a high resolution scan or photo of the inscription. I’m not sure how much varnishing would help. Cardboard is not archival.
Tried the gloss varnish, and it is amazing, so easy to use. It looks perfect, but need to see how the painting looks after it is dry. Does this product have UV protection? I do not have Gamsol, so I wiped it really well, and then, used soap and water. I was surprised at how little varnish was needed. Curious to know what happens if you use 2 or 3 coats. Would it look more like resin? Thanks again.
@@susanweidman3525 nice! I posted a photo comparing one layer of varnish to two layers of varnish in this article: www.nikitacoulombe.com/varnishing-oil-paintings - as you can see, two layers of varnish is always shinier than one layer, regardless of the sheen being used (matte, satin, gloss). Gamvar does not protect against UV light exposure and does not contain Ultraviolet Light Filters and Stabilizers (UVLS). Gamblin states, “If one paints with lightfast colors, UV light should be of no concern. Colors with an ASTM Lightfastness rating of I or II do not require further protection from UV light. A highly lightfast color does not fade with age, even when exposed to constant sunlight.”
@@NikitaCoulombe Wow! I am impressed with your knowledge! I have been using Golden Archival spray varnish, and it works well with no brush marks, and it drys pretty fast .Grumbacher Final Varnish gloss does not keep its shine. It is cheaper, but I will not use again. Since I am an acrylic abstract artist, I do like mostly a gloss finish. I am interested to see how Gamvar’s shine compares to Golden’s shine. Also want to see if Gamvar leaves brush marks. I have it covered until it dries. 48 hours I am assuming. Have a great weekend!
@@susanweidman3525 that’s great to know re: golden archival spray varnish and grumbacher final varnish. Have a great weekend as well!
Hi there, I love your content! I typically work with oil paint on unstretched canvas. Is it safe to varnish it and then stretch it?
Hi Cassandra, thank you! I just reached out to Gamblin to double check and found out that their product expert is on sabbatical. My initial thought is to wait till after you have stretched your canvas to varnish. Definitely check in with them later this summer, they usually get back with answers within a couple of days: gamblincolors.com/contact/
@@NikitaCoulombe thank you so much for taking the time to do that! Wishing you great success with your channel 😊
@@CassandraRichards thank you!
Hi Cassandra, Mary from Gamblin is back from sabbatical and just replied back on your question: "It’s fine to use Gamvar on both stretched and unstretched artwork. The application is the same, the choice to apply stretched vs. unstretched would be a matter of personal preference that should not change the result of the varnish appearance." Hope this helps!
I varnished a painting in gloss but I don’t love it. It could be challenging to remove because the painting also has oil pastel and I’m worried removing the gloss could smudge the oil pastel that’s on the oil painting. Can I add matte over the painting to dull down the gloss finish or will it just be glossy even if I do that?
Hi Tiffany, varnishing oil pastels is tricky, I think most people recommend putting it behind glass vs varnishing. That said, you could try applying a very thin layer of matte varnish over the gloss - it might be worth it to create a sample piece on a scrap that looks similar to your painting, varnish it with gloss then varnish it in matte to see how glossy it'll still be. Another option would be to take Q-tips and use Gamsol to carefully remove the gloss varnish.
Which one is best one for Black and white acrylic portrait?
@@tanyagupta9830 any of the varnishes mentioned would be fine over acrylic, it really depends on which sheen (matte, semi-glossy, or glossy) you prefer. If you like a glossy look you can also try Golden Waterborne Varnish, which is a removable acrylic polymer varnish with UV protection that is made specifically for acrylic paintings.
Do u have to dilute this varnish w water before applying
@@mejjodinamalagg6158 no, definitely do not add water to the varnish
@@NikitaCoulombe thnk u❤️
@@mejjodinamalagg6158 for sure!
I dont think a black painting is the most appropriate for comparing the varnishes. I really could see no difference between any of them.
There’s an obvious difference
If it helps, I also showed the difference on a red background in this video.