Out of every step in the painting process, varnishing is the one that makes my hands shake the most. Maybe because it’s the final layer. Maybe because after weeks of painting, the last thing I want to do is ruin it with dust, streaks, or one single hair trapped forever in the finish.
I still want to varnish though despite the fear because I want my paintings to last.
Years ago, I sold paintings to family members without varnishing them properly. Over time, I watched some of those pieces fade as the colors slowly dulled. Back then, I didn’t even know about lightfastness yet. It bothered me more than I can explain. I still want to take some of those paintings off the wall and repaint them! Since then, I’ve become almost obsessive about protecting my work and after a lot of trial and error, I finally found a varnishing system that works for me.
So I wanted to share it.
My Varnishing Tools
These are the tools I keep nearby every time I varnish:
The links below are affiliate links that help me run this page. Thank you so much!
- A thrifted clear glass bowl
- A soft large round acrylic brush and a soft square brush.
- A tiny scrubber brush
- Golden Isolation Coat
- My varnish of choice. I go between gloss, matte, and satin a lot depending on my mood!
- A piece of cardboard
- A spray bottle
- A clean table
- Art drawers for drying
- A vacuum
- Paper towels
- Clean water
- A lint roller
For a shopping list of the links above and more options click here
Nothing here is fancy. Most of my process is honestly just patience, cleanliness, and taking deep breaths.
Preparing the Space
Usually, I wait until I have several finished paintings ready so I can varnish them all at once. The full process takes me around 3 to 4 days, especially if flattening is involved, so I try to choose a part of the house I won’t disturb much.
Before anything touches varnish, I clean like a maniac.
First, I make sure I have a safe place for the paintings to dry. I use art drawers for the ones that fit, so I dust them thoroughly inside and out and wipe them down with damp paper towels. Then I vacuum everything. Floors, tables, walls, curtains, corners. Even spaces that seem clean usually hold hidden dust just waiting to drift directly onto fresh varnish.
After vacuuming, I leave the room for about 10 minutes so the dust can settle. Then I come back with a spray bottle filled with clean water and lightly mist the air and tables to pull any remaining particles down to the floor. I even go over the table again with a lint roller after I lint roll myself, but more on that below.
Even the cardboard underneath the painting gets inspected and dusted, especially around the edges.
It sounds excessive, but after enough ruined varnish coats, you start to realize dust and hair are basically the artist’s greatest enemies.
Preparing Yourself
Before I start, I also “dust” myself.
Clean clothes. Hair tied up. Washed hands and fingernails. Lint rolled shirt.
Then I wash the bowl and brushes I’ll be using. Brushes can secretly hold loose hairs and dust deep inside the bristles, so first I flick them near a window in a completely different room from the varnish room. Then I wash them with soap and water and flick them again just to be safe.
Applying the Isolation Coat
Once everything is clean, I place the painting on the dust free cardboard and begin the isolation coat.
I prefer using a soft round brush because it leaves fewer visible brush strokes than flat brushes do. But if it’s a larger painting, I usually reach for a larger square brush instead.
Before the coat dries, I inspect the painting carefully under angled light. This is where the tiny scrubber brush becomes my favorite tool. It lifts little hairs and dust particles far better than fingers ever could.
I used to try removing debris with my hands and usually just made things worse.
Just be aware that if you have to lift hairs or dust from the isolation coat, it may dry unevenly, so sometimes another coat is needed the next day.
After the isolation coat is applied, I check the back of the painting to make sure nothing seeped through, then place the piece carefully into the drawer to dry for 24 hours.
Then the bowl and brushes immediately get washed again and stored somewhere dust free too.
The Next Day
The next day, I inspect the isolation coat.
If it looks smooth and even, I move on to varnish. If I can still see uneven strokes or patchiness, I’ll apply another isolation coat and repeat the same drying process.
At this point, I usually dust the room again too. Maybe not full vacuuming this time, but definitely wiping surfaces down and using the spray bottle and lint roller again. Dust never really stops existing in a studio. You just learn how to fight it.
Sometimes after drying, the painting curls slightly. If that happens, I place it into my homemade “press,” which is basically just heavy slate stacked carefully on top with the painting placed between two thick gallery boards. Flattening helps tremendously with getting smooth, even varnish coats later on.
You can read more about my homemade press in this blog post.
Finally, the Varnish
After the isolation coat has cured and the painting is flat again, it’s finally time for the actual varnish.
I use the same brush and apply thin, even coats. Then comes the routine I probably spend the most time on. Inspecting the surface under light from different angles hunting for tiny hairs or floating dust.
If I find something, the scrubber brush lifts it right off.
Once everything looks clean, the painting goes back into its dust free drawer for another 24 hours.
If you don’t have drawers, I’d recommend using a room you rarely enter during drying time. The less movement in the space, the better.
The Best Part
After another day passes, the painting is finally ready.
If it still isn’t completely flat, I’ll place it back into the press one more time before framing. But once it’s smooth, protected, and glowing under that final coat, it feels worth every stressful second.
Varnishing still scares me a little every time I do it. I don’t think that feeling ever fully disappears as an artist. But there’s also something comforting about the routine of it now that I finally have it down to a T.
I always feel like artists deserve congratulations after finishing this daunting process. Seriously, give yourself a pat on the back, a sticker, or a well deserved cup of tea. It’s worth it knowing that painting now has a much better chance of lasting for generations.
Thank you so much for reading. I truly appreciate it!