# Varnishing acrylic painting. do i need to do it?



## Miscellanea arts

hi! first post here so sorry if i mess up 


Im creating a series of paintings in my final uni exhibition in acrylic paint and water mixable oil layered together. As in image attached they have a lot of dark tones which get kinda lost in the matte finish, should i try varnishing to help better display the dark tones? what kind of varnish would you recommend for the media ive used and what finish? Lastly is it worth the risk as my first time varnishing on a piece and one with a harsh deadline? 

sorry for the low quality photo and it only being a WIP but hopefully it gets the idea across :,)


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## acrylgiessen

Hi Miscellanea arts, yes i definately would recommend to varnish your artwork. That way, you can protect it against UV light and prevent the colours from fading. Also the colors will pop out more, also the dark ones. Varnishing is not a big deal, I'm sure you'll finde a lot of videos about it on Youtube. Best regards Thomas


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## diane w

I would add more light to bring out the wonderful art work. Remember the light against dark is what makes a great painting...


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## Stephy

Hello,

Here an interesting blog about how to Varnish Acrylic Paintings
https://bellamysworld.com/blog/how-varnish-acrylic-paintings


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## Aviyo1

Nice Information


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## Steve Neul

More than anything a clear coating will protect the painting and make it easier to keep clean. Myself I've quit using oil based varnishes. An oil based varnish yellows with age changing the color of the painting. Blue skies have a green tint to them and white paint starts looking cream colored. The finish needs to be acrylic to remain clear and the easiest product to find is Polycrylic. Also being a furniture refinisher, I just put polycrylic in a sprayer and spray my paintings but it can also be brushed. With oil based paintings a person needs to wait six months to a year before clear coating depending on the thickness of the paint. With acrylic in reasonably dry weather it could be ready in a week. Damp weather makes any paint dry slower.


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## Aviyo1

Nice Information. rangextd wifi extender


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