Thank you very much Mary

Thank you very much!

Thank you Jenny😁 I know the sinking feeling when things don’t work out during the varnishing process, especially when the painting took months to complete…even more so when it is a commission about to go to the new owners. I will be very happy if this video helps a few artists to avoid my mistakes!

That’s great! Gamvar is also the best for the way that I work at the moment. The three most important things for me is the short time frame between completing the painting and varnishing, the reduced toxicity and the ease of removal/replacement of the varnish. Like anything else Gamvar does have its limitations - I don’t know if you have watched my videos “Oiling out an oil painting with Galkyd and Gamsol before varnishing” and “How to varnish an oil painting - demonstration”. In these videos I demonstrate how I go about my varnishing process. Let me know if you have any extra tips on how to use Gamvar 😁

Thank you very much😁My actual subject was a very inquisitive fluffy young hyena. I was taking the reference photo from a very low angle with my head almost touching the ground and he was looking at me very intently as if trying to figure out “who is this crazy man and what is he doing doing down there?”😊

Your’e welcome, thanks for watching!

Agreed😁

Thank you very much 😁In my opinion the waiting period really depends on the painting method that one is using. I use Liquin Orininal from Winsor&Newton in all my layers and I paint in very thin layers. We live in South Australia where it is usually quite warm with relatively low humidity so that also helps my layers dry quickly - usually overnight. I have varnished within a week on several occasions without any problems. If you do not use Liquin and if you use thicker layers of paint it will be a totally different ball game. There is a video on gamblincolours.com where they recommend that you varnish when your thickest layers are dry and firm, they do mention that it can take up to six months - my thickest layers are dry within a few days or less. If there is no urgency to varnish the painting I prefer to wait for a few weeks if possible, sometimes longer. All alkyd mediums do not dry at the same rate either, Galkyd does take longer than Liquin to dry. I had occasions where I oiled out with Galkyd and Gamblin where I couldn’t vasnish within a week even if I wanted to because the layer was sticky for a few weeks - usually when it is raining and cold. I do not know how often you have used Gamvar before, but if you don’t gave a lot of experience with Gamvar I would recommend that you use Gamvar on smaller paintings that are not too precious to you over an extended period of time and see how that works for you before using it on paintings that you just can’t afford something to go wrong with. Sorry that I couldn’t just give you a short and precise answer, hope this helps a bit…

@@christodelportart8258Thank you for the detailed answer! I don't use Liquin or Galkyd, as I am trying to paint odour free. I even use Zest It as a safe thinner. Also I paint with some slightly impasto brush marks. My country is Germany, so a bit cold and damp. I guess this means I am in for the long-drying times! I have never used Gamvar, so I will experiment on smaller less important panel first, as you suggest.

I don’t know if you are aware of the Gamblin Solvent Free Fluid painting medium that contains an alkyd but no solvent, Gamblin also makes a Solvent Free Gel. This gives you a very safe option but with alkyd to help with the drying time. Might be something to look at if you haven’t done so already…@@mattylamb658

To me it seems like the colours are slightly more vibrant with the gloss. If that was my main priority I would use the gloss. I my case it is not my main priority - I prefer to compromise a little bit on the contrast and vibrancy and use mainly matte for my paintings. By using the matte it is possible to view my paintings from any direction without bright reflexions of light from the surface. With the matte the blacks doesn’t appear quite as dark as compared to the gloss. I have a bottle of matte, satin and gloss and I have experimented with all 3, I would suggest that you do the same and see what works best for you. I apply a very thin layer of varnish, so I would be able to have the painting vertical within an hour or two but I prefer to leave it horizontal overnight if possible. It might take a few days to reach it’s maximum strength, I would prefer a week if possible before packaging a painting after varnishing, I do not like anything to touch the surface before it is at full strength. I had cases in the past where people were quite eager to get their painting on the wall - I have sometimes transported a painting lying flat in my car and personally hung it on a buyer’s wall the day after varnishing and just let it cure on their wall. If somebody else has different experiences please let me know, I am always happy to learn from other people’s experiences and not just my own 😁

I am using Winsor&Newton that is based on linseed oil and safflower oil but I am using a bit of Liquin mixed with my paint. Do you use your paint straight from the tube or are you using some kind of medium to help with the flow? The medium that you use to mix with your paint is the important thing. This will play a big role to decide when you will be OK to varnish. Some artists oil out between layers to have a fresh surface to work on, I am specifically oiling out just before varnishing to give me an extra protective layer. Let me know about your medium that you are using and I will do my best to answer your questions - I might not have all the answers but I am happy to share what has worked for me over the years 😁

I am using a bit of liquin too so it dries quickly.

The oiling out process that I am talking about in this video is specifically just before varnishing. I would use galkyd and gamsol because I want a strong protective layer that dries quickly so that I can use Gamvar to varnish within a few days if needed. The galkyd is in the same class of products as the liquin so I find it a good match. If you use linseed oil this layer will take much longer to dry compared to galkyd. If you are oiling out between layers to get a fresh wet layer to paint on that would be a completely different situation and would come down to personal preference. To me it is important to have the painting ready and varnished as soon as possible, other people would not be pressed for time and might be happy to varnish the painting after 6 months. I just find it difficult if I have to go back and varnish a painting if it is already in someone else’s house, sometimes impossible if it has gone interstate or overseas. I think it is important to experiment with this on paintings that you might not care for too much just to make sure that you get your technique right and to make sure that this will work for the specific way that you paint. All the best 😁@@chrismarshall8217

I only use oils so I cannot comment on the acrylics😁 I know exactly what you are talking about - those shiny and dull patches…Gamvar behaves differently compared to other varnishes that I have used before. I used the gloss from Winsor & Newton close to 30 years ago, the coverage was quite even, it was probably easier to get an even coverage compared to the Gamvar. Until a few years ago I was using a lot of spray on varnishes, the best one was the satin from Golden - it was amazing to see how that could even out the shiny and dull spots on a painting. The fumes just became to much for me, I was doing the varnishing outside with a proper mask but even the residues on my clothes and the smell when I eventually brought the painting inside was way too strong and I was concerned about the longterm effect that it might have on my health. I started using Gamvar after that. I was also frustrated with the dull and glossy areas with the Gamvar untill I started oiling out with Gamsol and Galkyd before applying the Gamvar. I did a video on that too, I don’t know if you have tried oiling out before. I find that it is much easier to get an even shine since I started oiling out first. I mostly use the matt and I apply one very thin layer. Gamvar might not be for everybody but for me it was worth the while to switch because I can apply it much sooner, it is much easier to remove and it is much less toxic. Things can go wrong with other varnishes too, I have experienced that and some of them are close to impossible to remove then. There is less of a chance to damage a painting removing Gamvar compared to a lot of other varnishes but there is still a chance. When you oil out with Gamsol and Galkyd it forms a protective layer that will reduce the chances of any damage to the painting too. I mix Liquin from Winsor & Newton with my paint in all my layers - it forms a very strong bond and also lessens the chances of damage when varnish is removed. If the paintings look dull afer removing the Gamvar you can maybe oil out one painting and see if the colours are restored. I don’t know if this helps, I am always learning new things like all the rest of us but I am happy to share some of my experiences wherever I can😊

I am having this issue right now and trying to find the best way to fix it. 6 commissions to deliver this week!

@@alaskabennetts I’m not sure which medium you are using, I only use oils so I cannot comment on acrylics. I get much better results if I oil out with Gamsol and Galkyd before applying Gamvar. This reduce the ability of dull patches to absorb the varnish and then cause dull patches to form after varnishing too. I mostly use the matte, I find it easier to get an even surface compared to gloss. I would definitely recommend to trial Gamvar on paintings that will not be sold before using it on commissions, it might not be the ideal varnish for everybody - no varnish is perfect, at this stage the advantages of Gavar is outweighing the disadvantages considering my specific needs and the surfaces that I work on. All the best with those commissions, I know how frustrating it is when you have spend endless hours working on a painting and the varnish is just not delivering the needed results…

Hi Chris, once I am sure that my painting has dried properly I will oil out - I use Liquin in all my layers and I paint very thin too. I would normally give it 2 weeks after my last layer of paint if possible before oiling out and then varnish 2 weeks after that. These times might be very different for other artists - people are always talking about 6 months before varnishing and I am sure that it would be appropriate for people using slow drying mediums and work in thick layers. Personally I never had any problems with varnishing so soon but I have to add that sometimes (often) I would work on a painting for a few months so my previous layers will be well cured by the time that I apply the final layer of paint.

I try to avoid absolute symmetry , I like the composition better that way, some people might prefer to do things differently 😁