Yes and yes. Varnish is put as a coat or layer of see through material that preserves the painting underneath it. For oil painting wait till the painting is dry than put couple coats on it with a brush. For acrylic paintings lot of artists use varnish because it makes it look like oil painting though it is really not needed for acrylic paintings to protect it. Varnish is sometimes used as medium when mixed with turps and linseed oil. There are quite a few kinds of varnishes and some of them you can use right way when the painting is dry to touch and some of them have to be used when paintings are completely dry.
Check this web site
http://www.painting.about.com/cs/paintin鈥?/a>Questions about varnishing a finished painting?
I did a quick search and it appears a similar question was asked and answered on ';Yahoo! Answers.'; See this link http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?鈥?/a> .
Another helpful link that explains the varnishing process is http://painting.about.com/od/paintingfor鈥?/a> . Check out http://www.liquitex.com/techniques/liqui鈥?/a> .
The information on the link pages concurs with my personal experience varnishing paintings. The paintings are better preserved by protecting the paint from dust, smoke, and other pollutants.
Acrylic paintings can and should be varnished. Varnish damaged by pollutants should be removed per the manufacturer's recommendations. The painting can then be re-varnished.
The following text was copied from ';The Varnished Truth.'; The .pdf document can be found at http://www.liquitex.com/educational/Varn鈥?/a> .
';Why varnish?
It makes sense why most artists don鈥檛 varnish their acrylic paintings. After all, the surface dries quickly to a durable surface. It鈥檚 flexible. It can be wiped clean. So, acrylics don鈥檛
need that extra protection like oil paintings, right? Wrong.
While it鈥檚 true that acrylics dry fast to a durable and flexible film, there a number of compelling and irresistible reasons for varnishing. First and foremost is that acrylic paint films, even when fully dry, remain porous. This means that any cigarette smoke, atmospheric pollution, grubby fingerprints, and everyday dirt and dust that comes in contact with your painting surface is subject to becoming part of the paint film. While it may not seem like much over a week or a month, the accumulation of grime within the paint film adds up over the
course of years. Varnishing is one way to thwart the build up of that environmental grime.
Here are some other great reasons to varnish:
鈥?Protection against surface abrasion during shipping or exhibition
鈥?Boost the brightness and color saturation
鈥?Adjust and unify the surface sheen to gloss, matte or semi-gloss.
鈥?Protect colors from ultraviolet light. Any varnish will afford some protection but those with UV inhibitors offer extended protection from color fading.
鈥?Allow for easy cleaning without fear of removing the paint film.';
The final decision rests with the artist who may or may not be concerned with the longevity of his or her creations.
If you do varnish an acrylic painting, make sure you follow the manufacturer's direction with regard to the number of days the painting should be allowed to dry.
Recommendations for waiting to varnish an oil painting can vary from 3 months to 6 months to a year, partly depending upon whether the local climate is hot or cool, dry or humid.
To fully understand varnishing of completed paintings it is important to know why it is done with oil paintings and only sometimes with acrylic paintings.
The two purposes for varnishing a completed oil painting are:
1. Protection from dirt and, to some extent, UV rays. The coating is applied in such a way so it can be removed later and a new coating applied. Dirt builds up and the varnish itself yellows over time. This is designed to be refreshed.
2. To create a uniform finish. Due to the varying characteristics between the different pigments used in each color of the painting, the mixtures dry with varying degrees of shine. Some areas ';sink in'; which means they dry flat without any shine. These variations cause the colors to appear incorrect which, in turn, distracts and distorts the perception of the composition. The varnish creates a uniform satin, matte or gloss surface finish and, in effect, dresses up the overall look of the art.
The final varnish is applied after the painting has completely dried. This typically take 6 months. Oil paint does not dry though evaporation, it oxidizes and dries from within. It is more accurately described as ';cured'; rather than dried. A final varnish should not be applied during the curing stage because the painting needs to breath, actually it is more like exhale as it releases gases. A special varnish called a retouch varnish can be sprayed on wet paintings during this curing stage when it is important to present the painting with a uniform shine. A retouch varnish is a different type of varnish and it allows the breathing during the cure stage to continue.
As for acrylic varnishing, the purpose for it is UV protection and surface uniformity. Acrylic does not need to be varnished and a painting can be cleaned periodically without one, unlike oil paintings. There are mineral spirit varnishes for acrylic as well as polymer based varnishes. The oil based varnish is stronger.
http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/var鈥?/a>
Varnish, A protective liquid or spray coating used as a finish coat on oil paintings. I have never heard of applying a varnish to acrylics. I paint with oils and have for over 25 years but I don't use varnish at all and my paintings are fine.
Years ago I used to do some art restoration work. The majority of the time that involved removing the varnish because of yellowing and darkening to the point you could not see or fully appreciate the artwork. I don't like using varnish at all and don't recommend it.
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