Daler Rowney watercolor varnish may be difficult to find, but it’s not a problem because you can use the more accessible Golden MSA GLOSS varnish as your first protective coat. If you want to use just one layer of protection on your painting Golden MSA MATTE brushed varnish will do excellent job. I have applied it to many of my gouache studies and it has dried to an invisible coat, leaving the paintings with their original matte finish. You only have to keep in mind that Golden MSA brushed varnishes have to be slightly diluted with turpentine or mineral spirit before application. The manufacturer recommends adding 1 part of turpentine to 3 parts of varnish, but I prefer adding turpentine in a smaller proportion, like 1 to 5, just to thin the varnish a little bit. Golden insists that the mix should be fresh for every new application which means that you need to have a small glass jar which you could use to dilute the varnish when you need to use it. To save the information provided in this video you can download it in the free pdf at the link below: color-mastery.com/varnishing-gouache-paintings
This is awesome! I simply thought I couldn’t varnish my gouache paintings due to the fact they can get reactivated. This is such a great video thank you!
I’ve just signed up for the course after viewing this tutorial on varnishes for gauche paintings and thanks for the PDF, too! So pleased your tutorials/workshops are in closed-caption/subtitles! Looking forward to getting started!
This is outstanding! I was totally unaware that you could do this. This could be a game changer 👍😉. I really appreciate how well done and thorough this video is. Thank you so much! I’ve loved your work for quite a whole, but being able to varnish them and make them look like oil and not need glass, awesome!
I am glad your enjoyed this tutorial, Christine! I too love how gouache paintings look after varnishing and am going now to varnish all of my gouache paintings :)
Thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial video Lena. It is probably one of the best videos I have seen (on RU-vid) which explain the varnishing process for protecting/enhancing paintings.
Your videos are always of high quality and the graphics are very particular. Your method is really good, but I always paint watercolor on the spot, and watercolor does not need to be processed like this.
Lena, Thank you for your generosity in providing this information on varnishing our gouache paintings. I will try the glossy finish but think I might like the matt better. I enjoy the velvety look gouache has. Your online class was terrific! I am becoming a more confident painter after finishing it.
Thank you, Maria! I am so glad that you enjoyed the course! I love the velvety look of gouache too. I would recommend you try Golden MSA Matte varnish. I tried it after finishing this video and found that it is even more matte than the Talens one that I used in the video. It makes the surface of the painting really matter while keeping the colors clean and vibrant. I love it.
So easy to listen to you, and a very comprehensive video along with great insight, thank you. Please forgive this next comment, but what a lovely accent you have, cheers Paul
Many many thanks for this beautiful video and excellent research. You are extremely generous with your knowledge and talent. I am very grateful and full of admiration for your work
This is perfect timing. I have some gouache pieces I want to varnish. This is such excellent information. I appreciate your videos! The painting of the dog....I love that one.
Lena, this was exactly what I was looking for in a tutorial to mount and preserve my gouache paintings. I'm downloading the guide and really enjoyed the how-to video. Very easy to follow. Love your art style! Thanks again, Jessica Meisner 😘
Excellent video. Thank you. I downloaded the PDF for future reference. I love the look of the gloss varnish. It really does create a depth and richness that wasn’t visible before because of the matte quality of the gouache.
I have been searching online and there's just minimal information about gouache paintings, or rather, they don't recommend to do so because it will ruin the colours of the painting. But after looking at your video, I am so glad I didn't give up finding information about it. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!
This is a very helpful video. It is so thorough and I truly appreciate all of the time you put into this video. I love the way your varnished paintings look! Gorgeous work! Thank you!!!!
Wow that’s a lot of work for preserving a Gouache painting! I am definitely pleased & appreciative 😃 that you took the time to share this knowledge with us. I learned quite a lot about how to make my paintings archived correctly. I had thought that you could only frame them under glass, so I am thrilled to learn this. Thanks ever so much for sharing this knowledge with us! I hope you’re enjoying & having a wonderful day & week! ❤
This has to be by far one of the best tutorials I’ve seen! Your speaking manner, your precise instructions and your artwork made this informative video a pleasure to view. TY!
Fantastic explanation. We cannot get the Daler Rowney Watercolor Varnish here in the US, but Golden Archival Spray Gloss can also be used. Golden describes the same process, but you make it understandable by showing it!
A beautifully produced video with all the concerns and questions I had in my head answered fully and carefully. I imagine it must have taken you a long time to make it (just fixing all those paintings onto mountboard/foamcore must have been quite a job)! You’re so professional and thorough in your approach that you’ve given me complete confidence to do the same with my gouache paintings. I have many from your (fantastic) online course that need this process so I can frame them at last and not need to use glass. Thank you for sharing such a generous presentation.
Thank you so much, Caroline! I am so glad you have found this tutorial helpful. I apply this method of varnishing to all my new gouache paintings now and it works perfectly every time. Varnish makes the gorgeous gouache colors even more vibrant and beautiful which was a surprise for me when I first started to varnish my gouache paintings :)
Thank you!! I’ve been trying to figure out how to protect my gouache! I only just discovered gouache a little over a year ago and it is becoming my favorite medium. Your insights are much appreciated!!
I was wondering how to to this, and found the exact answer I needed. The only thing is that maybe it is better to seal the board with golden gac100 which is archival, instead of using pva glue. Thanks so mucho for this video. Love your work too.
it's amazing and I really want to thank for your generosity to share with us this amazing information. I am a watercolor painter and it seems these information are suitable for watercolor too. Thank you a lot . I tried to find such an information but never find in this comprehensible way.
I am glad you have found this information helpful, Sabina. You are right, this method of varnishing might be suitable for watercolor too. Although, I would test it thoroughly on rejected watercolor paintings before varnishing a finished piece because varnish can change the appearance of unpainted paper making it look greasy like oil does. Not all varnishes do that but some do.
Like others, I've always wanted to know how to do this. Your video makes it so clear how it should be done. Love your paintings! Do you have a favorite brush resource?
Thank you! I am glad you have enjoyed this video. With gouache, I use brushes for acrylics and mixed media. My favorite brushes are Raphael Precision flats and small rounds, but I also use Da Vinci junior synthetic flats. All synthetic brushes wear out quickly so there is no need to buy expensive brushes. Most brushes for acrylics will do for painting with gouache as well.
Thank you for such a detailed process video, Lena! 😊 I've been using cold wax medium to as a protective layer for small gouache paintings, but after watching this, I'm going to try some varnish, too!💙💙
You are so talented and generous! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I’m just learning gouache and love it. I’m also impressed with your camera work. What do you use to film yourself? Thank you.
Thankyou! This is so informative! I just cannot understand how the paint doesn't dissolve when that first coat of varnish is applied. I fully expected it to mix together but it didn't! I know it dissolves in water so this was a real surprise to me!
Exactly, gouache paints dissolve in water and since the varnish that I applied directly to my painting was not water-based the painting layer didn’t react to it in any way :)
@@LenaRivo I see that now. Although later on in the video you mentioned an acrylic varnish you could dilute with a little water, but you used the one for oil and acrylics. I would probably be a bit unwilling to put water with it myself but I think I will try the ones you used. I have a gouache painting that I need to seal for an exhibition in January so it's been very helpful to see what you have used and the results 😁
@@LenaRivo I see that now. Although later on in the video you mentioned an acrylic varnish you could dilute with a little water, but you used the one for oil and acrylics. I would probably be a bit unwilling to put water with it myself but I think I will try the ones you used. I have a gouache painting that I need to seal for an exhibition in January so it's been very helpful to see what you have used and the results 😁
Sarah Churchill hi Sarah. I only said that water-based polymer varnishes can be used for the final coat. You don’t need to dilute them. Water-based varnishes can only be applied to the isolation coat. They can’t be applied directly to a gouache painting. As for the exhibition, I would recommend you learn more about their ruler/policies, if varnished gouache paintings will be accepted because, for example, some watercolor competitions do not accept varnished watercolor paintings.
Hi, Lena. Thank you so much for this video, it's definitely the best tutorial on how to varnish gouache paintings on yt. I've watched it multiple times but I still don't get why do you need 3 coats. Isn't the first coat already non-removable therefore could be considered an isolation coat? What would happen if I applied the third coat (removable varnish) directly onto the first coat (non-removable varnish)? I'm only asking this because in my country it's very hard to find these materials and (when I find them) they are very expensive, so I'm looking for alternatives to this method. Also, have you tried to seal gouache paintings with bee's wax? Thank you again for your time.
Hi Felipe, this complex varnishing process might be necessary only for artists who sell their paintings and would like to make them more archival and fully restorable. The final coat should be removable for restoration purposes. Over decades, simple dust can create corrosion on the surface of the varnish and if the varnish is removable it can be renewed. So this varnishing process makes varnished gouache paintings more archival. If you apply the third coat directly to the first coat the third coat won’t be removable. The isolation coat (the second coat) is what makes it possible for the third coat to be removed. You can, absolutely, use just one coat of varnish or wax varnish if you only want to protect your paintings from moisture. I have never tried wax varnish because I know that wax reacts to the ambient temperature changes which means it can become softer then the temperature is high. I don’t like that. I would rather choose a single coat of any archival non-yellowing varnish. Also, I store and sell most of my gouache paintings unvarnished. I like the velvety finish and chalky look of unvarnished gouache paintings. Although, dark paintings benefit a lot from varnishing, they become brighter and more colorful.
@@LenaRivo thank you so much for your response. It helped me a lot. now I have the information I need to make a decision about my paintings. Thank you again.
So inspiring! Thank you so much for the very clear and detailed demonstration, I’m so happy it’s possible to vernish gouache this way! The result is stunning! Your art is so good btw 😻
Has anyone found the Daler-Rowney watercolor varnish in the United States? Please let me know! I have been looking for it or anything comparable and have had no luck. Can't be shipped from Europe directly because haz mat regulations I am guessing? Lena, thank you so much for this amazingly thorough instructional video! I believe it is the finest on the subject I have seen. Thanks so much for your effort and time! Best wishes to you and your family
Hi John! I am glad you found the video helpful. You don’t need that Daler-Rowney varnish. It’s really difficult to find, even in Europe. You can use any mineral spirit brushed varnish with the same success. For example, Golden MSA brushed varnish or Golden Archival Aerosol varnish. They both can be used for the first and third coats (with the isolation coat applied in between). Also W&N Artists Gloss varnish can be used the same way. A couple days ago I applied Golden MSA Matte brushed varnish directly to one of my gouache paintings and it dried into an invisible layer without changing the values in the painting. That’s not quite an archival solution but it still works and looks fantastic :)
I have never used it (to be more specific, I have avoided using it), so I don’t have a certain opinion about it. I don’t know if an isolation coat would adhere to a wax medium layer and even if it would adhere to it waxes are somewhat sensitive to the ambient temperature changes, so it doesn’t seem a good idea to use them for a coat that comes in direct contact with a gouache painting. A wax medium certainly can’t be an isolation coat because it can be dissolved with solvents. Probably, it can be used as the final removable coat, but I wouldn’t used it for the first two coats.
Wow, this is such a important video you made here Lena. Thank you for opening my eyes on the whole process. I wonder what would happen if you had uncovered paper parts, like the white parts of a watercolor painting (showing the paper through), would it be great looking? I, in fact, don't know what they exactly do with watercolor art pieces to get them archival. Are watercolour paintings varnished in museum? I ask because I paint on black paper and have a lot of paper showing through in my paintings (the background is showing, sometimes entirely nude). Also, how do you take care not to have dust getting on your pieces while it is drying? Thank you!
Normally, watercolor paintings should be framed behind glass because varnish always changes colors and the finish of a painting to some extent. I have heard that some watercolor competitions don’t even accept varnished watercolor paintings. So, I am pretty sure that in museums they always keep watercolor paintings behind glass. I wouldn’t recommend varnishing a painting done on black paper because paper when varnished gets a wet look and it often absorbs varnish unevenly which may result in a slightly patchy look. So, only painting that are completely covered with paint look good when varnished. Having said that, if gouache was applied in thinner layers in some places on a dark paper, with varnish those layers may become a bit more translucent (because they will basically become wet with varnish and stay that way) which can result in a darker appearance of the painting because the dark or toned paper can show through a bit.
To avoid dust sticking to my paintings, I usually clean my studio very well before beginning to varnish. I clean all the surfaces and mist the room with water so that all the dust in the air drops down. Then, I varnish my paintings, trying not to breathe, and then, I leave the room and stay outside until the varnish is dry 😁
« paper when varnished gets a wet look and it often absorbs varnish unevenly which may result in a slightly patchy look. So, only painting that are completely covered with paint look good when varnished.« Hm... That’s what I was suspecting. Thank you very much for all these precious informations Lena. I really appreciate. Happy painting!
Excellent video! Thank you. I personally prefer Matt finish. The white orchid painting had lovely mid blue background which went very dark after varnishing - it lost that mid tone. Just my opinion. Overall they look very fresh and obviously going to be preserved for a long time.
I am glad you enjoyed this video. Yes, that blue background in the orchid painting changed in value significantly, but now I feel that the painting looks as I intended it to be. I painted that background with a dark gray-indigo blue but when it dried it became much lighter. Varnish makes colors in gouache paintings look wet which means that the colors start looking as they looked when I mixed them on my palette. I can’t say that any of the paintings that I varnished look worse now than they looked before varnishing. Contrasts in that orchid painting became stronger but all the colors are there and I think the painting looks great. Although, I must admit that varnishing gouache paintings is a bit scary when you do that for the fish time as the dark and middle value colors change in value significantly.
Thank you so much for this video Lena! May I ask you how do you store your mounted gouache paintings? I've thought about placing them in plastic sleeves covering the painting on both sides with acid free paper, but I don't know if there is a better way...
You need to read the labels, Ellen. On the label of the varnish I use in the video it is said that that varnish is suitable for oil and acrylic paintings, but W&N also have varnishes that were created specifically for oil paintings and shouldn’t be used for acrylics paintings, so reading the labels is very important.
Hi ! Your video is amazing, you are quite generous in your explanation and I like how professional you are about the process. I wanted to ask you, I am from Quebec and I was not able to find the Daler Rowney varnish in Canada. Do the kamar varnish give those same deep vibrant color as the daler rowney varnish ? If it's not the same kind of effect, do you of any other brushed varnish that work as good as the Rowney ? I have acess to Maimeri gouache varnish, but I don't know anything about them. Thank you !
Thank you, David! I am glad you found this tutorial helpful. You can use Golden Archival Gloss spray varnish instead of the Kamar varnish. (For some reason I like Golden varnishes more). It will make the colors in your paintings richer and more vibrant, but you may need to apply it in a couple of layers to achieve an even coat similar to the one a brushed varnish can produce. The Kamar varnish would have the same effect. I have never tried the Maimeri varnish for gouache and tempera. It should work too, so you definitely could give it a try. I don’t know any other brushed varnishes for watercolor and gouache. Although, I think that Golden MSA brushed varnish should work for gouache too because Maimeri is also a mineral-spirit varnish. If it works for gouache Golden MSA Gloss should work too, but this is just my assumption. I am not 100% sure. The Golden brand recommends using their Archival Gloss spray varnish to varnish watercolor painting. Any gloss varnish will make your paintings more colorful and bring back the dark values. I have noticed that paintings with mostly dark and middle-values shapes benefit the most from varnishing. I hope this helps :)
@@LenaRivo Wow, such an amazing answer, thank you Lena. I was wondering after checking out the golden brand varnish, it normal for it to be removable ? Would you still advice to use that first in your 3 coat process ? And in your experience did you try the krylon UV archival varnish ? It claims many of the same thing as the golden, but is a lot cheaper. Thank you for the support you bring to your community and your generosity, it is much appreciated !
@@lunatikkid I have a can of the Krylon Kamar varnish, but I tried it only once before recording this video. It worked well. After that, I read its reviews on amazon and many people complained that something was wrong with its sprayer. I don’t remember what it was, but I got the impression that many people were not happy with that varnish. This is the only reason I am afraid to recommend it now because I didn’t test my can enough myself. It worked well the first time, though. So, you should probably try it. There are still many more positive reviews on it than the negative ones. Kamar varnish is said to be removable which means you can use it for the first and the third coats. It’s the same for Golden Archival spray varnish because it is removable too. Spray varnishes have to be applied in light coats form a distance, so it is usually necessary to apply two or three coats to get a uniform coverage. In, any case, I would recommend you first test this method and your varnishes on some test pieces (like I did before recoding this video) because this is an involving process and it can take some time to master. Even things like “your working space should be very clean before applying the varnishes” matter a lot because the first two layers can’t be removed, therefore if a fiber or a cat hair gets onto your painting when you are varnishing it you will have to spot and remove it quickly with a needle or something like that. For this reason, “a good lighting and the glasses on” matter too :))
I am a big fan of your painting style and amazing youtube video full of useful tips! Can I ask a question about how you clean your varnish brush after using it? Do you use oil brush cleaner or just normal masters brush cleaner soap thing? I used Windsor newton watercolor varnish you recommended but having a difficulty to clean that brush.. it would be great if you share how to clean brushes. 🙏
Thank you 😊 The Daler Rowney watercolor brushed varnish that I used for the first coat in this video should be cleaned off with alcohol. The Winsor and Newton gloss varnish that I used for the final removable coat has be cleaned off with turpentine or mineral spirit. I am not sure what W&N watercolor varnish is, but if it can’t be removed with mineral spirit or turpentine then alcohol has to be used. Soap for brushes is usually used after you have cleaned them with the right solvent. Thus for example an oil painter has to first clean their brushes with mineral spirit or turpentine and only then use soap. I hope this help :)
I was touched because it was a kind video that I was looking for so much! (ºㅁº) In the 3rd stage of the varnishing(coat #3), I'm going to use the GOLDEN MSA ACRYLIC MATTE VARNISH which you recommended for matte finish in the pdf data. In this video, you used TALENS's product right from the bottle with a brush. Is it OK to use GOLDEN's product in the same way? or should I have to add any other supplies?
I am glad you found this video helpful! Golden MSA matte varnish is fantastic. I have never seen a matte varnish that was so matte :) However, all golden MSA varnished need to be thinned down before application. Here is a video on how to do that correctly: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HTyeeNhTW_E.html
Thank-you for this wonderful informative video. Your paintings are fabulous and I appreciate you sharing all of this information. I was wondering however about Dorland’s Wax which I have put over watercolor paintings? Would this work also for the gouache paintings? I am just getting interesting in this medium and I found your channel just a day ago and I am in love with the way you paint and want to try this out. I would be interested to know about the wax if it works and if one has to do the same process of the previous layers of varnish and put the wax on last. Thank-you for your response in advance.
Hi Katerina, I have never used Dorland’s wax or any other wax to seal my gouache paintings and I wouldn’t recommend it for the process I described in this video (unless you use wax as the final removable coat) because wax by nature never really dries, it only hardens and it stays reactivate to the ambient temperatures which means that in hot conditions it can become softer. I am aware that many painters use waxes to seal their paintings. While it’s totally okay to seal an oil painting with wax (because it can be removed at any time), sealing a gouache painting with wax doesn’t seem right to me. It’s only my opinion though. I prefer using varnishes to seal my paintings.
Thank-you so much Lena Rivo for your prompt answer and information on this subject, I truly appreciate this. I have used the wax on the watercolors and I like the effect, I was just wondering if gouache would act differently. I might try a small sample just to see. However, wax as a final varnish is also a good idea…at least it seems to me something to try as well. Thank-you and have a wonderful day!
In that regard, you definitely can use wax for sealing gouache paintings just like you use it with watercolor paintings. It will make the colors richer and it will darken the values (which every varnish does too) , but since you already used it you should be aware of those effects. Testing first is always a good idea :)
Hi Lena- Thank you so much for this wonderful informative video!! Your work is amazing. I love the feeling of light on the objects. I have been unable to download the pdf. Would you be able to provide a link for me? Thank you so much, Patti
Hi Patti! Thank you so much for your kind words 😊 You can download the pdf inside the course. In the Welcome module, there is a lesson called How to Varnish gouache paintings. The pdf is attached right under the video in that lesson. A couple days ago I received an email from you and replied to it the same day. Since I didn’t hear back from you, I am not sure if you received the email or not. (My email sometimes go into spam…) If you didn’t receive it please let me know.
Hi Lena! Thank you so much for your prompt reply to my question about the pdf for varnishing gouache. I was able to download it just now. I didn’t receive your earlier email in response to my question about not being able to access the next modules. Would you be kind enough to resend for me? Again, I am so inspired by your work and clear instructions. I have painted for years in acrylic but I am drawn to gouache as a second medium. My goal is to be able to paint light on objects with such brilliance. Thank you for all of your efforts to help me reach this goal. Sincerely, Patti Tapper PS- If you have a moment my work can be seen at pattitapper.com
@@patriciatapper7657 I am glad you were able to download the pdf, Patti! I have just resent the lost email. Your work is beautiful! I love the cleanness of the shapes in your paintings and the strong designs! Gouache is the perfect medium for the painting technique you use and you will be able to apply everything that you will learn in my course in painting will acrylics as well! I hope you enjoy the course 😊