Help - varnishing issue

[pastelmimigt]

I used a spray damar varnish on Monday (4/30) on some acrylic paintings and they're still sticky today! Does anyone know what I can do to speed up the drying time? Bring them outside or would that be bad because of the humidity? Leave them inside with the celing fan on?

Thanks,
Michele

[Antiqueteacher]

Sweetie, I use Watercolors. . .they dry! Sorry, no info.

Katherine

[marionh]

Sorry you're having problems and I hope that they dry properly for you.
It might be best to ask this in the acrylic forum.

I thought damar varnish was for oils, but can't really answer your questions. Maybe placing them outside in the sun which would speed the cross linking might work.
Please let us know if you get an answer.

[pastelmimigt]

Thanks for your replies, ladies.

I've placed them under a ceiling fan in a closed room and they are finally drying. Just a little tackiness here and there. Not sure if it's the fan or just time, lol. My guess is that outside wouldn't be good because it's very humid down here in the deep south.

I'm so relieved. But you can bet I'm not going to use that varnish again. The can said it was for oil, alkyd and acrylic paintings.

Acrylic on canvas users - what do you varnish your paintings with?

Thanks,
Michele

[bluefish]

only good quality acrylic varnish, brushed on (i.e.-Liquidtex final varnish or the varnish medium) - never Damar......it will yellow in time......O.K. for oils because they will probably yellow in time and crack.......that's the beauty of acrylic.......

[pastelmimigt]

bluefish,

Thanks so much for commenting. I'm definitely going to ditch the damar varnish. I bought some Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish the other day and will brush that on my next paintings. Do you know how long I should wait for the paintings to dry first?

Thanks,
Michele

[GailT]

Sorry to hear of your varnish issues, Michelle. I use a spray varnish now over acrylics on canvas because I've had numerous disasters with brush-ons - even top quality. A lot seems to depend on weather conditions, and extreme temperatures or humidity are dangerous. The spray I use is Nuart Picture Varnish (matte) which is fine for oil or acrylic. So far, so good! It's an Australian product, so not sure if it's available where you are. Gail

[bluefish]

Michele

you will be fine with the product you purchased.......and the nice thing about using that product is you can paint over, make corrections, etc and re-varnish with it......humidity slows the drying time and could reflect a haze if applied to heavily......I usually do two light coats......since you are in Alabama (hi,ya'll).....I'd do it in an air conditioned room.....I've done hundreds of paintings this way, which are in public and private collections worldwide.....

allow the acrylic paint to dry for a period before varnishing.....thicker paint longer.....acrylics dry by evaporation and are porous.....but the varnish is acrylic also, so the water in the paint can still get out......

hope this helps........'blue

[pastelmimigt]

Gail - thanks for replying. I think I'll stay away from the sprays as I have to use them outside (screened-in porch) and it's way too humid down here for things to dry at a decent rate.

'blue - thanks for your comments. That makes me feel relieved that I'll mostly likely be happy with the varnish I purchased to paint on (instead of spray). I'm definitely going to do it inside (i.e. AC, ahhhh) because of the humidity down here (yes, hi y'all ). I paint thinly, so I'm pretty confident the paintings will be dry enough. Still, it's good to know that the varnish won't prevent the paint from drying more if it needs to. And it's good to know I can paint over it - I think... Ha, ha if you know what I mean. (Sometimes (ok MOST times) it's hard to say "OK - it's done!")

Michele