Using damar varnish on paper?

[Samuel Seed]

Hi everyone,

I've been using damar varnish on my finished paintings on canvas and boards, but now I'm looking at these india ink drawings on paper and I wonder what would happen if I varnished these drawings with damar.

Of course, the obvious answer is, "Try it and see what happens", but I'm reluctant to put the time into mounting a paper drawing onto a board just to see if this varnish (or simply the wetness of the varnish) will bubble it, smear it, or eventually destroy it.

So I ask you, have you ever tried such a thing, and if so, what were the results?

I'm somewhat familiar with the technique of spray varnishing drawings, which, if absolutely necessary, I will purchase some and use it, but I'm not so interested in buying more stuff.

Okay, that's it, thanks in advance.

[DaveGhmn]

I have varnished (actually, shellacked) 100% cotton paper. It becomes translucent -- not as fully translucent as oiled paper -- but it didn't bubble. Shellac, in fact, proved to be an excellent binder to the support, in this case wood. It takes several coats to attain an even finish, but that's the nature of shellac.

I've also shellacked inkjet printout using non-archival, dye-based ink on quality paper, but with no claims of cotton content. I shellacked half of the full-color printout and left the other half uncoated, then placed it in sunshine for several months. The shellacked half retained its color, where the uncoated side faded noticeably, giving credence to the claim that dye-based inkjet inks fade more owing to oxygen exposure than to UV energy.

[llawrence]

Damar varnish as a final varnish for oil paintings is intended to be removable. Over time it will darken and crack, and pick up some damage and dirt as it protects the painting - hence the eventual removal and reapplication. It's removed with solvents. The damar will persumably also darken and crack on paper, and the big question here is whether it will be safely removable there, or if the solvents required for removal would damage the ink drawing or paper. Dunno - better ask over at AMIEN. If it is not safely removable, then you'd have to resign yourself to introducing an aging element to your ink drawing that wasn't there before. Maybe it would be safer to mat and frame behind glass instead.

[CareyG]

My question is, why do you want to varnish ink drawings?

Fixative for drawings is not the same as varnish, if that is what you are talking about.

~!Carey

[Samuel Seed]

For the same reason I want to varnish paintings.

[Termini.]

My question is, why do you want to varnish ink drawings?

Fixative for drawings is not the same as varnish, if that is what you are talking about.

~!Carey

Damar varnish can be used as a fixative. Many of the commercial spray fixatives are shellac based.

[Termini.]

Hi everyone,

I've been using damar varnish on my finished paintings on canvas and boards, but now I'm looking at these india ink drawings on paper and I wonder what would happen if I varnished these drawings with damar.

Of course, the obvious answer is, "Try it and see what happens", but I'm reluctant to put the time into mounting a paper drawing onto a board just to see if this varnish (or simply the wetness of the varnish) will bubble it, smear it, or eventually destroy it.

So I ask you, have you ever tried such a thing, and if so, what were the results?

I'm somewhat familiar with the technique of spray varnishing drawings, which, if absolutely necessary, I will purchase some and use it, but I'm not so interested in buying more stuff.

Okay, that's it, thanks in advance.

The problem with damar on paper may be the least of your worries. Ask yourself if you want to apply something with turpentine in it, over india ink.

[stapeliad]

For the same reason I want to varnish paintings.

:confused: If by that you mean protecting the final piece, frame it under glass. I don't see the benefit of varnishing, or even using a spray fixative, on india ink.

[CareyG]

In addition to what Jessica and Termini mention, I don't see anything like a varnish being removable when applied on absorbent paper.

Termini, could you expand a bit on what you mean...both damar and shellac are resins, but as you mentioned, one uses turpentine and the other uses alcohol...it seems to me that would make a difference in choosing which to apply, but I admit I don't really have any solid information behind that.

~!Carey

[Samuel Seed]

I'm just going to give this a try. I'll post photos during the week ahead.

[Termini.]

In addition to what Jessica and Termini mention, I don't see anything like a varnish being removable when applied on absorbent paper.

Termini, could you expand a bit on what you mean...both damar and shellac are resins, but as you mentioned, one uses turpentine and the other uses alcohol...it seems to me that would make a difference in choosing which to apply, but I admit I don't really have any solid information behind that.

~!Carey

Carey, if one is painting on a rigid support, damar varnish in spray form can be applied over charcoal, or pencil, as a fixative. I prefer spray shellac for several reasons. For one, it dries faster, it seems to level the surface better over built up charcoal, etc., and it is unaffected by turpentine, which is present in some of the mediums that I add to paint. I also think that it is more durable, for the way that I work. Neither of these should be used on stretched canvas. Very often commercial varieties of spray fixative are based on shellac, and I wouldn't use them on a stretched canvas. If folks do, less is likely better. They are fine on canvas laid down on panel. For stretched canvas, I will generally complete the drawing, and then trace over the pencil, or charcoal lines with a thin burnt umber/ultramarine mix, and when dry, apply a wash of thin umber over the whole thing, washing away any charcoal that remains. Very often when pencil is used, much of it remains present.

Shellac provides an excellent barrier, and is often used by fire restoration professionals to cover the walls after there has been a house fire, etc. Not much will penetrate through it, and once applied, things won't bleed through the layer, even smoke odor. As such, it provides a nice barrier to keep oil from soaking through into wood and causing paint to sink, or become underbound, and when applied some measure is absorbed by the wood, and acts as a sizing (doesn't allow the panel to absorb/release water, and glues to the fibers together to mitigate problems with changes in temperature).

One way that I often prepare a panel is to get precut hard wood panels from Lowes, or Home Depot. Then I will sand them smooth (front/back, and sides) Then roll on several layers of white pigmented shellac, to front/back and sides. It dries quickly, and since there is no water, but rather the shellac and pigment is in a solvent of denatured alcohol, it prevents the wood from warping. Since denatured alcohol evaporates quickly, layers can be built up quickly. I generally will apply 3 or 4 layers, allowing each to thoroughly dry, and sand in between. On the last layer, I sand with a 400 grit or sometimes even a 600 grit sandpaper, to create a very smooth surface. Maybe a 200 grit sandpaper if using charcoal for the drawing, as you want some tooth with charcoal. Then I complete the drawing on the panel. After this I apply a coat of clear shellac via spray. Some real zealots mix it themselves, and apply with mechanical sprayer. I use a commercial spray shellac, and although some would want to nail a person to a cross for using commercial prepared shellac, really, they are a high quality product. The shellac serves as a fixative, and also acts as an additional primer over the panel. When dry there is a drawing on panel ready to be painted on, without the possiblitity of paint, affecting the composition, or color being affected by mixing with charcoal/pencil. At that point, I will generally mix a little burnt umber with odorless mineral spirits (turpentine being a stronger solvent tends to act to remove this tint layer, even while it is being applied, so I use OMS), scrub it over the painting, and wipe off excess with paper towel, to tint the panel. Oil paint sticks to shellac, like they were made for each other. Once dry, it is relatively hard to scrape off even with a sharp palette knife. After the layer of tint, the painting can be started, and built up however one works, following fat over lean. If one prefers a canvas texture, a piece of canvas can be glued to the panel with PVA glue, prior to application of the white pigmented shellac.

As a side note, if using shellac to prepare a panel, the painting should be completed in oil paint. Although this is the oil forum, painters who use acrylics may also read. If one paints with acrylic over a surface prepared with shellac, when the work is dry, one can take their fingernail and scape the acrylic right off. With a dry layer of oil paint, one will more likely tear their fingernail off if they try that.

Shellac shouldn't be used over anything with india ink, as shellac remains soluble in alcohol, and some recipes for india ink make use of shellac as a component. Although for the most part the ink will not bleed through, the image can be effected. With regard to a work of fine art, one wouldn't want to assume those risks.

For the most part, if one traces over their pencil, or charcoal lines with a thin lean paint, and allows it to dry, one could bypass the need for fixatives alltogether.

All just opinion, as everone has a different way of doing things, and that is what makes the world of art go around.

As Louis and Jessica have mentioned, it stands to reason that simply mounting under glass would indeed be the best protective measure regarding the question posed. Indeed Carey, as you say a varnish can't be removed when applied on absorbent paper.

[llawrence]

Good info Termini, thanks.