Something that I really like with the use of Liquin in this regard is the satin finish. It is very conducive to much of my subject manner and genre. However, every now and then someone recommends a matte or satin varnish to me that should be “just a good” in this regard, but every one that I have seen looked super patchy. Recently I say someone post how their painting looked after applying Gamvar satin varnish (one coat.) Ahem No thank you.
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That looks more like poor application rather than bad varnish - too many brush strokes and not allowing it to settle and level out quick enough. But that’s still an argument in favour of liquin - I’ve got to say that in trying it in place of varnish - applying a coat of liquin is far easier with less chance of messing up and getting this kind of poor result. It also dries a lot faster too.
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Very true Martin! There’s a good deal of moving parts here that we don’t have access to. Nonetheless, I’m hopeful that the artist can salvage the work.
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Yup tried it as well and it did work great for one painting but not the other. I called George and asked him about that and he said if the painting has allot of uneven areas of glossy and matte because of sinking in, this streakiness will happen. He suggested his isolating laropal varnish to start and then regalrez finishing varnish after it dries…a day or two later. It worked great.
I’m hoping i’m not asking a question already answered that I may have missed and my apologies if so. This article seems to contradict others you have written about alkyds and varnishing, maybe they were just older (I haven’t gone back to find them). I’m mainly asking as I have a lot of severe health issues so paint without any chemicals, the exception being varnishing. You mention later in the responses about waiting 1-2 months before varnishing, does that mean you always put a varnish over the Liquin once dry or do you use the Liquin as a final layer?
Currently I use Gamblin solvent free liquid and M Grahams Walnut Alkyd. Do you have any experience with these? Basically I would like to use one of these as a sealing layer instead of a varnish. Out of the two I prefer the M Graham Walnut Alkyd as it has a similiar viscosity to linseed oil while the Gamblin is more syrupy.
Alternatively, do you know of any varnishes that don’t contain any solvents or other toxic chemicals?
Thanks for any advice you may be able to offer.
I use mastix resin in turp for glossy and homemade beeswax+carnauba wax paste for satin matte finish . I never used Liquin for painting or anything else I think alkyd resins are on a bad rep , I will try to dig out where I read it but for me I would rather have slight yellowing than alkyd crackling or falling apart. For any medium I use stand oil or walnut or poppy with turpentine.
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Hey Craig—My apologies–I hope I haven’t posted something contradictory in regards to Liquin. Let me know if or when you find where I might have done this so I can rectify!
Some confusion here is my fault over my use of the term “varnish.” My response in regards to length of time of 1-2 months* is in regards to any type of final coat. (H*onestly though, I lean a little early if my exhibition schedule is pressing.) But to be clear—I do not add anything over Liquin when applied as a final coat.
Unfortunately, I do not have any experience with Gamblin solvent free liquid and M Grahams Walnut Alkyd. I would recommend doing some controlled testing and seeing how it works. I’d be very interested to know how it turns out.
Hi Anthony,
I think it was the article Varnishes used as Final Surface Coatings (U. of Delaware) that I had read and was referring too. Looking at it now I realise that you were just posting someone else’s article that I somehow took to be yours. If not this article it would be a similar one. My applogies for making that mistake, but the contradiction it created was what led me to assume you had completely changed your views over time.
With regards to your answer, do you wait 1-2 months before applying the Liquin final coat or do you apply that straight away and then wait 1-2 months to ‘cure’ before sending the painting? If the latter, is that because the liquin dries harder over time?
As for testing, are you referring to yellowing, hardness or something else? If hardness, any ideas on how to test this?
Sorry for pestering and thankyou for your time.
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OMG Craig you never pester—talking shop is one of the main reasons for this site. Please never hesitate to ask questions or contribute to the discussion. I always appreciate it.
To your question—I aim to wait 1-2 months before applying the final coat of Liquin. Like I said though, sometimes I shortcut this if I am on a very tight schedule—but not by much at all.
As to testing–I meant that I would start with something as informal as varnishing (with your mixture) a section of an old painting or study and letting it sit for several months to see if there is any short-term issues of note (visual or mechanical).
Thanks.
One of those duhhhh moments because I never thought to do ‘part’ of a painting as a test. Thanks for bringing that ‘moment’ of stupidity to the forefront 
.
Thanks again.
Craig Hofman
0414 514 674
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