Have you tried removing the retouch varnish?

No I have not, I have not tried that method before with fear some of the black paint will come off. What is the best method for removing retouch varnish?

It depends upon its composition. If it is true, bona-fide Damar Resin Varnish, you must use Turpentine to remove it.

If it is something like Soluvar, a synthetic resin, you will also need to use Turpentne to remove it. (I found that out after trying to remove Soluvar with Odorless Mineral Spirits, and it turned into something like rubber cement.)

If it is GamVar, another synthetic varnish, it can be easily removed with Odorless Mineral Spirits. It will dissolve, and you can then wipe it off.

The use of Turpentine is always a crap-shoot, because it is strong enough in its solvent action that it can remove some of the paint, as well, especially if the varnish was applied before the painting had cured thoroughly. But, the removal of SOME paint is almost always inevitable, but is is often quite slight.

I once varnished a painting, it dried, I framed it and put it into a show. Months later the varnish became sticky, and tacky for no apparent reason. Go figure.:clear: I removed the varnish, and re-applied the same varnish. It dried, and stayed that way. I blamed it on my use of Galkyd Lite as a painting medium, but the alkyd enthusiasts claimed that I was nuts.:lol: Still, it is the only painting that ever did that drying, sticky thing, and it was also the only painting I ever did for which I used Galkyd Lite.

I used windsor newton retouch varnish. What would be the best option? Also, Any good advice for removing the hairs that are stuck on the canvas ? Some have told me a standard tack cloth, but would they just be pressing the hairs into the tackiness more or would it sufficient raise them right off?

Yes, a tack cloth works well for removing hair and dust that are not imbedded into the surface of the varnish, but it won’t remove anything that is not relatively loose.

I have no idea of the ingredients in Winsor & Newton Retouch Varnish. However, if it is related to Winsor & Newton’s “Artists Varnish”, now THAT is a synthetic varnish, and it can be easily removed with Odorless Mineral Spirits, without harming the painted surface beneath it. My guess is that it probably IS a dilute version of “Winsor & Newton Artists Varnish”.

The procedure would be to try removing the varnish with a bit of OMS very discretely at one corner of the painting, first. Notice whether the solvent is actually dissolving the varnish to the point where it can be wiped off of the painted surface cleanly, and completely. If it seems to work, then gradually work your way out toward the remainder of the canvas.

The secret is to allow the solvent to do the dissolving, and refrain from employing much rubbing, or scrubbing in the process. Lay a solvent-laden piece of lint-free, cotton T-shirt material on the surface, and allow the solvent to work; then gently wipe the varnish off until you are down to the painted surface. That has worked for me a couple of times when I had to remove varnish because of some damage to it.

thank you for this extremely helpful response. I will give it a go. If I am in the situation where paint begins to come off, should I keep going and just let the paint fully dry and then do a new layer of retouch varnish over it once it is bone dry to see what the results are?

Throw out that retouch varnish.

Before you start, it might be wise to contact W&N to inform them about the problem, and ask for advice on what removal method they would recommend.