Very nice! It’s not necessary to seal it. Just treat it like a regular watercolor painting, unless you want to frame it without glass.

Richard

Very nice, Ann. Love the effect you achieved.

Terry

…As you can see I don’t have a steady hand. The painting has not been sealed in any way…

I wish my hand were that unsteady.

Richard

Ann, this is lovely! What you see as an unsteady hand, I see as nice soft edges!

I’ve been told that casein can be varnished, but when I tried that, the varnish just soaked right into the paper. I asked an expert and he said that I can seal the paper before painting on it with acrylic medium and acrylic primer, and then the varnish will sit better on the top. I haven’t tried that yet though, so I’ve been framing with glass.

Jamie

I’m not a fan of any varnishing on caseins, myself. If you look at the MSDS for the 123 Primer, it lists chalk, limestone, and pigment content, which seems certain to cause a value change on the work. Maybe a clear shellac; I believe Shiva’s varnish is a shellac. The commercial liquid shellacs (Zinsser) have been processed (lubricated maybe?) to extend the shelf-life. Acylic polymer mediums I’ve seen discolor the casein surface (milkyness.) Acrylic resin matte varnishes might be a decent choice, but I’d recommend testing it out first. Painting on an acrylic medium seems too slick. Although, it seems to stick okay, the brushstrokes are more apparant.

David, you are a fount of great information, thank you. I may have worded the info incorrectly from Mr. Molnar. The Zinsser is to be applied as an absorbent ground over the gessoed canvas or board before painting, not as a barrier layer. …

Oh, I see. I thought you meant he recommended using the Sealer as an isolation coat. My bad. :o I’d still be wary of the Zinsser primer, even casein itself can be used to make a good gesso.

Information isn’t hard to come by, it’s the accuracy of it, including mine, that should make you cautious ;).

I’ve been told that casein can be varnished, but when I tried that, the varnish just soaked right into the paper.

I can’t think of an instance when works on paper would be varnished. They are almost always matted and framed under glass. The paper must not be flush with the glass. (My husband is a conservator, so I get all kinds of useful tips—but I’ve also framed my own drawings and pastels in the past). There is no need to varnish watercolors or gouache, and casein on paper is similar in consistency.

Once casein is completely dry, it becomes impervious to water. Works on paper are fragile in other respects, of course, which is why framing under glass is the best option. If your casein paintings were on canvas or panel, you could certainly choose to frame without glass and not varnish either. Varnishing, or applying an isolation coat, will certainly change the surface of your painting in a way you might not like, unless you want a glossy finish. You could of course spray a VERY light coating of matte varnish—but try it on an “experimental” piece first. All you will do is seal the surface—varnish on paper will not be removable.

I’ve been struggling with the same issues with my own casein paintings (on panel, not paper) and have decided—no varnish. I emailed Golden about this, and while you can use a light MSA Varnish spray on caseins, they haven’t really done extensive testing on that issue.

Mat your casein on paper, and frame under glass, and you’ll be safe.
:thumbsup: