My Painting Checklist | Why to Varnish | How to "Oil Out" a Finished Oil Painting Before Varnishing
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- Опубликовано: 18 янв 2020
- I explain here for oil painters why I "oil out" all my paintings before adding the final coat of varnish.
Learn more about my artwork at ArtByCedar.com.
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This was amazing! You answered so many of my question all in one video :) Thank you 🙏
best explanation on oiling out and varnishing.Thank you!!!
This is an excellent video and invaluable tips - the 'Checklist' you propose is a great tool. Thank you 🙏🌳
Perfect timing for me too. Thanks for this video, you made it all perfectly clear.
Thank you for sharing your painting procedure!
Excellent resource. Really appreciate your checklist.
Thank you for this video! great explanation!
the right information I was looing for! thank you millions!
Thank you for info and keep making videos. You are awesome!
Thorough video...thanks for sharing! 👍😉
Thanks for making this video, it helped me so much with finishing off my paintings and even helped me to sell my first painting!
That is so wonderful, congratulations on the sale!
EXCELLENT!! Your list sounds a lot like mine!
Thanks for sharing such vital info
Hey this was really good thanks gonna try this gloss.
Terrific video, I'm chuffed to bits to see such talent. Bloody well done. From England, God bless.
Thanks for this! It was super helpful
so helpful thank you!
I’ve just completed my first ever oil painting….something that I’ve wanted to try all my life and finally got motivated to buy what I needed to begin. Upon completion, I was wondering how long I would have to wait for the paint to dry before applying a varnish….this video has answered that question, now to order the products used by you so I can be prepared to protect my work!
Thank you, much appreciated! 👍🙂
So happy you are following your talents! As an oil painter, I found this great info too. Also, Kevin Hill Painting (or something like that) here on YT has great lessons that really taught me a lot. I buy all my supplies from him and I'm not a paid promoter. Keep being creative art is great for the soul.
Hi, I just discovered your channel from a link someone put in a Milan Art Institute Facebook group. I subscribed. This is very informative. Thank you for posting such an educational video. I look forward to watching more of your videos soon.
I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching!
Excellent info -- and timely for me. Thank you, Cedar!
Thank you for this info!
So helpful thank you
Very helpful, thank you! If you do a quick Google search, the general advice is to wait 6 months for oil paint to dry. That's impractical! I was glad to hear you say it's not necessary to wait that long.
It is necessary with many varnishes! But with Gamvar specifically, it is safe when dry to the touch.
Very informative! Thank you for sharing:)
Thank you
Thank you for this clear cut, helpful video. I Didn’t know about the isolation coat, though I do oil out . Most of my paintings dry in about 4 days, but I noticed some remain tacky for weeks with a heavy odor (usually it’s the ivory black that does this,any brand). Do you know why this happens and how I can avoid it ? Thank you
Unfortunately, oil paints just take a long time to dry! Sun, air flow, and warm temps will help to speed up drying time, but there's not much more you can do. (Besides switching to acrylics!)
Hi! Thank you for the tip ! Can we use Gamblin products to oil out if we used liquin as medium for the paint layers?
Yes!
Me encanta tu video. I suscribe. Abrazo desde España.
Muchas gracias!
Thank you for this video, very well explained. I wanted to ask something: I put Gamvar varnish on one of my paintings and it's not glossy everywhere. Do you advice to remove varnish with Gamsol, let it dry and then do oiling out before applying varnish again? I wanted to do this but I'm not sure if it will be ok. Thank you!
I'm sorry I seem to have missed this comment when you originally posted it! Varnish has an effect of evening out the sheen, same as oiling out, so you could simply add one or two more thin coats of varnish, and that may do the trick. The additional benefit of oiling out before varnishing is that you then have that isolation coat in between, which is nice in the event of cleaning/restoring the painting in the distant future. But not having an isolation coat isn't the end of the world, so it depends on how much effort you want to put in.
Hi, thanks for the info! Not sure if I missed it but how long do you have to wait for the oiling out to dry before being able to varnish? Does oiling out take a long time to dry like the painting itself?
If you're using Gamvar as your varnish, you can varnish as soon as your painting is dry to the touch. Depending on temperature/climate, I'd give it a day to a week. Just touch the surface to be sure it feels fully dry.
Thanks for your information
Do you whipe off the excess of galkyd/gamsol mixture?
Thank you
No, I know some people wipe it with a rag, but I just spread it very very thin when I apply it.
Thank you I have learned so much from your videos! I have been working in mixed media. For example painting the sky and distant details in acrylic and the foreground/animals in oil. How should go about the isolation coat? Thanks any advice would helpful.
If the top layer is oil, isolation coat should be oil.
Shona exactly as you would any oil painting, as I describe in this video. :)
@@ArtByCedar Good, sounds like it is okay to oil out the acrylic sky without damaging the painting. Thanks!
Thank you for your information. and to show your beautiful paint, How long takes for the varnish to dry?
Give it a day or two. If you're in a hot or dry climate, it will dry quicker.
GOOD EXPERIENCE
This video plus your answers to the questions in the comments have helped me a lot since I've just finished an oil painting and unsure how to varnish. Seems doing an isolation coat is beneficial prior to varnishing with gamvar. But after application ,how long or how do i know if the isolation coat( galkyd + gamsol) is dry and ready for varnishing with gamvar?
🥺Hoping my question will be answered even tho this video is 3 yrs old.
When it is completely dry to the touch. This will depend a lot on the temperature and climate.
I've switched over completely back to acrylics now, so it's been a while. But if I recall, galkyd lite dries relatively quickly, especially if you're applying it very thin.
With oils, when in doubt, wait a little longer.
Thank you that was a very interesting video!!! I usually paint the background of my painting with an acrylic solid color and then I paint the subject with oil colors. Do you think I can oil out all the painting (acrylics and oils) before varnishing? Thank you so much!
Yes! As I'm sure you know, you can paint oils over acrylics, but never the other way around. Oiling out before varnishing should give the whole painting an even sheen and provide an isolation coat.
Thank you very much this was very helpful 😊
What would your advice be for someone who paints the underpainting with acrylic and the top layers with oil. I worry there is some acrylic showing through. I use liquin as a medium. Can I paint a full layer of liquin over the whole thing? I am glad you mentioned gamer being ok over acrylic.
It's not a problem, and yes, you can paint over the whole thing with any oil medium. (You just can't go in and add more acrylic.)
@@ArtByCedar Thanks for your reply.
Thank you for this vid. I am new to "oiling out" my painting and doing an isolation coat. In other words, my paintings up until this time have no isolation coat : ( I completed an oil painting mid-July. I used gamblin oils- when can I oil out? The varnish I plan to use is Grumbacher spray (the toxic kind! I spray outside wearing a mask!) so I am waiting a period of time to varnish. Should I oil out now? Thanks so much!
You can oil out as soon as your paint is dry to the touch.
Cedar Lee thank you so much!
Will you do a video just on photographing your art
This is old, but most of it still applies: ruclips.net/video/MSn0b6lNjJ8/видео.html
It has only gotten easier, since smartphone cameras are so incredible these days!
Oiling out changes vibrancy and contrast of the painting. I personally take pictures after not before. I aim to document its final appearance.
For oil paintings, yes. I work mostly in acrylics these days where this is not a consideration. I just had to re-watch what I said and now understand the confusion. You are correct--for oil paintings I would photograph after oiling out, especially if there is an uneven sheen before. So yes, for oil paintings move the photographs to the end of the list. :)
Thanks this was great. But how do you oil out a painting with a heavy impasto layer? The oil will collect in the crevices and give the painting a really weird look - or you wipe off too much oil off the high spots and its uneven again. Oh, and how do you prevent beading? I recently oiled an old painting out as a test and while it looked good at first, beads started to form after about a day and now it looks as if there was glitter on its surface.
It sounds like you're applying it too thickly. You can use a vigorous scrubbing motion with your brush, trying to cover as much area as possible with as little varnish as possible. You can then use a dry brush to feather it out even more, dabbing any excess off the brush onto a paper towel. You can also try diluting your varnish with 10%-20% gamsol to spread it even thinner.
For oil paint, the isolation coat you said, 5050 oil and solvent. What is the solvent? Paint thinner? Thanks!
Yes, traditionally turpentine, but I prefer "odorless" options like Gamsol.
Cedar, can you please advise what I can do with this problem? I didn't hear about oiling out before. I finished my oil painting and coated it when it was dry to touch, but the surface didn't coat evenly, there was no adhesion between painting and varnish in some places.. I did a second coat and it is still not evenly coated..:( I use Gamblin products. I didn't have similar problems before, and I am a relatively new artist. I hope you can help me in some way with this.. Thank you!
It's hard to say. Is your paint very thick? Maybe it wasn't fully dry? I might give it a couple weeks longer to dry and try again. Maybe you are applying your varnish too thickly?
I'd probably(very carefully) remove the varnish, leave the painting a couple weeks to be sure it's dry, then oil out, let it dry again, and varnish again, being careful to apply each layer very thinly.
I've never experienced varnish not adhering at all, so it might not be a bad idea to get some feedback from the company.
@@ArtByCedar thank You so much for the reply and advise! the paint is not thick, but I guess you are right: I should have wait a bit longer before varnishing.. I just applied the third layer and it looks slightly better now. Because the painting has an abstract elements it is not the huge issue in this case I guess. I am afraid to damage it by removing the varnish coat.. (I haven’t done this yet)
I will try to remove the varnish and do like you said if there will be similar issue next time..
Thank You so much again!
I’ve just found your channel and already watched many videos of yours. You do amazing and helpful content👏🎨☺️❤️
hi there! thanks so much for the video. I oiled out with 1:1 ratio of Gamblin Galkyd and Gamsol. It helped, but I'm still experiencing more shiny spots than others... Is it suggested to do another oiling out coat with the same medium mixture or will this mess it up more? Thanks:)
You can do multiple coats, just make sure it's completely dry in between and apply it very thinly. Think of it as if you were painting very thin glazes of color. You can carefully build up many layers in an oil painting.
@@ArtByCedar thank you so much :) I mainly use oiling out as a final layer before varnishing so this is very helpful!
Wow great video and thanks for sharing. I find it very interesting and educational as well. What type of oil do you use for the oiling out? Take care, blessings and be safe. Looking forward to more videos!
I'm a fan of Gamblin's Galkyd Lite thinned with Gamsol. However, the 50/50 principle is the same regardless of whatever oil and solvent you are using.
Gamlin say 50/50 if you use a mix of Galkyd/Gamsol,
but 60/40 if you use a mix of Galkyd Lite/Gamsol as Galkydlite already has some Gamsol in it.
Could you please advice me how I could remove excessive oil medium on the painting. I am unable to paint over it. Please to hear from you. Thanks.
Assuming the painting underneath is dry? You can gently wipe it off with a soft clean rag or paper towel.
If the paint underneath is not dry and wiping it would mess up the painting, I'm think the best thing to do is wait until it's dry before touching it. (At least, I would.) Good luck!
Thanks for explaining! Do you oil out and varnish the sides of the painting?
Yes, *I* do, but that's because I always continue my painting around the edges of my canvas. My paintings can be hung without a frame, for people who like that simple modern look, but usually with the option to add a frame if you want. So the edges are always completely finished, including varnish.
@@ArtByCedar That makes sense. Thanks!
I am all for using Gamvar which is non-yellowing with age. However, Galkyd or any alkyd medium such as Liquin have noxious fumes and yellow with age.
What's your preferred oil medium, Virginia?
@@ArtByCedar linseed oil, even though it too can darken, at least it can be bleached back out in sunlight.
I have a series of oil paintings on panel 24" x 24 (very thinly painting). I've never varnished my work. Unpacking these panels, I found chips and scratches and am now repairing. I'm wondering if varnishing would help protect them from scratches and chips. Also, now I'm wrapping them in Tyvek; cardboard corners, etc. Any other suggestions? Much appreciated.
Yes, after you fully restore the paintings, adding a coat of varnish will definitely give a layer of protection for the future. Think of it as a first line of defense. In the future, if the painting gets scratched, it will be the varnish taking the damage rather than the paint underneath.
@@ArtByCedar Thank you so much, Cedar Lee, for the information. I've been painting for 60 years and never varnished. My paintings have always held up fine on canvas, but I really don't take good care of my own work. I'm a process person, but there has always been a lot of interest in these pieces on panel and I used poor choices for storing. Thank you again. I like your video and found it interesting, thoughtful and helpful.
Hi there, I'm new to your channel and I sincerely apologize if this was already answered elsewhere. No need to respond if so, I'm sure I'll find it while I'm binge watching.
Could you explain why you oil out and varnish after taking photos rather than before?
Is it better to have the paintings as matte as possible for the photos? Thank you for creating so much helpful content!
Yes, that's part of it. You definitely can photograph after varnishing, but then you have to watch out more for glare. This is only a small thing, but I say take any opportunity to make things a little easier for yourself!
And for me, it's also because those finishing details (adding the hanging wire, writing info on the back of the piece, isolation coat and varnish) happen in tandem with the documentation of the art, which is time-consuming.
I need to take my photos as early as possible so I can get on with editing and saving the photos, titling the work, using the images in any videos, working on the blog post for that art and getting images uploaded onto my website and the product up in my shop, if it is for sale. Then, by the time I've finished all those steps, in theory, I'll be finishing the last step of varnishing around the same time.
It's just the system I've found works best for me. :)
Yeah I'm wondering about the same thing, I would like to take pictures before the final varnish, but many parts of the painting are so dry and dull, I have to oil out (5050 linseed+terpentine) several times in the hope I get an even appearance.
Some say, oil out with a brush, only the parches the need it, but at then I only end up again with an uneven appearance and some oil bleeding, where to much oil hasn't been absorbed. Would you say, that after a couple of days waiting, I should oil out the whole peace again, then after waiting an hour or so, removing the excess with a cloth for the best result?
Then after a day take pictures?
Thanks you!✌😁
How many layers of varnish can you put on your paintings? If you do 2 layers do you need to do anything before painting the 2nd layer?
I usually do 1, but yes you can do 2 layers. I think I've even done 3 before, when I wanted an extra glossy finish. Just make sure the first layer is completely dry before doing the next. Make sure you apply each layer very thinly.
Dry to touch dont always work even if you use gamvar varnish since aplying the varnish can remove small paint particles that cause unwanted effect. Some oily colours need to be fully dried to avoid this problem. I use red that is very oily but has great piqment value. I'll have to do rub test before applying the gamvar with soft cloth. Even after months cloth sometimes get a little red to show that not-fully-dried.
Rub test is a good idea if you're using paint that takes a long time to dry!
How soon can I apply varnish after oiling out ? and I just use linseed oil
With most traditional varnishes, you have to wait several months. With Gamvar, as soon as it's completely dry to the touch. (Usually a week or so.)
Wait so is oiling out just an isolation coat that you let dry before varnishing? Im new sorry
Yep!
Why does some parts of my oil painting reject the oil/varnish layer?
Diane, it sounds to me like you're experiencing "sinking in" which I describe starting at 05:12. Some pigments absorb more oil than others, so it sounds like after you've "oiled out" by applying a thin layer of oil, some of your pigments have absorbed more of the oil than others so the sheen is still uneven. I would apply additional thin layers of diluted oil until you see that the sheen is even across the whole painting. There is no harm in building up additional layers. I would keep the layers very thin and do more of them, letting it dry in between, rather than doing one thick layer. Hope this solves your problem.
why doesnt solvent remove the oil paint if you are removing the old varnish? thanks.
It would, if you kept going. An application and wiping off of solvent will remove a thin top layer of whatever is there, but it won't instantly remove the whole painting without many repeated applications/wipings.
So this is why an isolation coat between the painting and the varnish will protect your painting. In the future, if the varnish needs to be removed to clean the painting, and the art restorer accidentally removes a little too much of the surface, they will end up removing some of that isolation coat rather than any of the paint underneath.
You can remove just the varnish without touching the paint underneath, without an isolation coat, but you have to be VERY careful. (The image comes to mind of art restoration experts working for many hours by the centimeter with tiny cotton swabs.)
@@ArtByCedar thanks!
Hi Cedar, can I oil out a painting more than once?
Yes. You can add many glazes and thin layers onto an oil painting. Oiling out is just one more very thin layer. Just make sure to let it dry between layers.
And then I use Gamvar satin varnish
Do you just use linseed oil and the solvent?
I like to use Gamblin's Galkyd Lite and Gamsol. But yes, 50/50 oil medium and solvent, doesn't matter what kind.
It can matter what medium you use, Galkyd or Galkyd lite is best for assuring no yellowing as it contains no oil. Galkyd slow dry and other alkyd mediums contain oil and can yellow in an isolated coat.
Can I use unrefined linseed oil for oiling out??
Yes. Most oil mediums will be fine. Some are more prone to yellowing over time. You may be interested to Google "oil medium yellowing test" and you'll find a rabbit hole of interesting articles comparing the relative yellowing of different mediums.
@@ArtByCedar thank you so much
Skip to 4.00 - where she gets to the point.
She might be gearing her content towards beginner artists looking for guidance on starting their studio practice. ;)
At 1:10, what do you mean by "at least one that shows the scale of the painting"? Sorry, but English is not my native language and I am not familiar with what that means.
Hello! The scale is the size, compared to the size of other things.
For example, when you put a person next to a really large painting, it shows how large it is. Just the painting alone, you cannot tell the size.
For a small painting, if you show it next to a coffee cup, or held in a person's hands, people can see that it is small.
@@ArtByCedar, thanks for explaining. So I'm supposed to hang the paining on the wall, stand next to it and have someone take a photo of me and the painting?
4:00 is tutorial
I have to point out that the "varnish after the painting is dry to touch" only applies to retouching varnishes and not final varnishing, so this is not good advice. It is still necessary to let the painting dry from 6 months to 2 years depending on the thickness of paint. Otherwise the paint will start cracking after a while.
This doesn't apply to Gamblin's Gamvar varnishes. Gamvar is a permanent varnish developed developed by conservation scientists at the National Gallery, and it can be applied when the painting is dry to the touch. If you want to use it as a retouching varnish, you have to dilute it with Gamsol to apply it thinner.
@@ArtByCedar that is not entirely true. It is how it's advertised of course, however the effect of using any varnish that does not let the painting oxidize properly is debatable. Gamvar is also known to create issues with application such as beading which is often reported by upset artists who used it after performing the "fingernail" test. Virgil Elliot who is an expert in oil painting always recommends waiting at least 6 months after finishing the painting.
Retouching varnish does not need to be diluted, the whole point is that it already contains higher percentage of solvents which is why it is considered somewhat acceptable (depends who you ask - the producer will always say it's safe) to use it over a painting that's been drying for at least a month. I would argue that people who use very heavy impasto should wait anyway. More conservative painters don't recommend it at all. They argue that this may cause problems with restoration in the future.
@@KatarzynaOleskaArt that is fair. There is never any harm in waiting to be extra safe, especially with very thick paint.
I was saying that if you wanted to use Gamvar as a retouching varnish, you'd have to dilute it, because it is not a retouching varnish, it is a permanent varnish. It was in fact developed by conservation scientists for this purpose.
Thin application is important. And for anyone not sure their painting is dry enough, waiting longer is always prudent.
In another word oil out means glazing ,isn't ?
Oiling out is only oil thinned with solvent, and applied to the entire canvas as a final coat over the finished painting.
Glazing is also thinned oil, but with a small amount of color added. You can use glazing during the painting process to build up many layers of subtle color with the colors underneath showing through.
Hello maam. I'm very attracted to you
A minute into the video, I heard 0 about oiling out . Not good, sorry.
Skip to 4:00
And thanks, I've changed the title of this video to better describe the content. 👍