Varnish: Is it as clear as it seems?
When is a portrait finally done? There’s not a clear checklist that works every time, but there is something. The ideal moment should usually be that final brush stroke— the dramatic one that dots the eyes with a single, shiny white highlight. That’s when you step back and it should all just feel right.
In reality, there’s not always a single moment. Most of the time, I only feel like a painting is finished when I can step back from the easel and not hate it. That sounds harsh, but what I really mean is that here is a moment when all the research, all the calculations, and all the intensity of the process starts to ease up.
There’s a point where I’m just not so intensely critical about the portrait anymore. Things did not go all according to the plan going in (and they never do!), but where changes happened, things still make sense. Maybe they even lead to a better outcome. I can look at where the process has lead me and those voices in my head are silenced. “Alright,” they say instead, “We made it work.”
Is it a little weird to talk to yourself when you paint? Sure, but before you charge me with insanity, I recommend taking just a little more time to at least listen to the voices. At the very minimum you can start to pay attention to the conversations you have with yourself. That’s alot of what my painting is. The surprising and even unspoken parts are the most important to the work.
Today, the small voice that has been telling me to varnish my paintings finally got loud enough to have its way.
While I know I’m not insane with how I finish a portrait, I will plead guilty of putting off the varnishing process. It is criminal how many paintings I’ve finished, but have just not added that final clear coat.
To be fair, the process has taken a lot of time for me to learn. I tried different products from diffrent brands. The first ones I bought were way too glossy and I felt embarassed to have finalized a serious painting with such a sugar-high shine.
I also needed to learn to really respect the drying time of oil paints. While I and all oil painters love how slow the process can go and how long it can last, that seriously comes into play when varnishing as well.
One of the coolest science facts (and painting IS science) is that oil paints may dry to the touch on the surface, but they are still moving beneath. Chemicals are still shifting, still finding their right spot.
Most experts recommend that painters wait at least 6 months before varnishing the final piece.
For someone like me with dopamine issues. That means things sit even longer than they are supposed to.
But today, with my focus set and my new products tested, I put on the varnish! I used Gamvar Gloss. I love it because it is light and not overpowering. Also it just brings the whole painting back to life.
I didn’t realize that I had gotten used to the faded look of the portraits. When I put the Gamvar on today, it was like seeing them again with fresh eyes.
It was beautiful to experience the portraits like I had when I decided to put the brush down for the last time.
