Sealant for art on canvas?

Mecianne

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
Posts
2,229
Loc
Alabama
Customer brought in 18x24 acrylic on canvas. Son wants her to frame it. Son also told mom we would need to seal the canvas with a 'special' kind of spray. Does acrylic really need a sealant? Should I get her to call her "artist" son for the specifics? Hmm....help
shrug.gif
, please.
 
Acrylic does need to be sealed. There are both spray on amd brush on products available, and they come in varying degrees of surface luster. I would check with the artist to see what they normally use.
 
Well, he's not really an artist in the formal sense. He lived with a painter in New Orleans for awhile and she helped him paint this little landscape. I think it's the only thing he's ever done, so he may not know much more about it than myself.
 
Acylic paintings, just like oil, need to have a synthetic removable varnish applied after they dry. Oil paintings generally need 6-12 months to dry, acrylics dry much quicker and should dry completely anywhere from 1 to 7 days.

As Wally, said the varnishes come either brush on or in an aerosol spray. Various art material manufacturers supply these. I generally use Winsor Newton, both brush on and spray.

The best approach is to brush on the first coat, let it dry (about an hour) and then several light coats of spray working one direction one time and at 90 degrees for the next coat.

There are two purposes for the varnish:

1.) Cosmetic: The varnish will give a uniform sheen or matte surface depending on the varnish selected. Acrylic paints mostly have a matte finish when they dry. Oil paints vary in their degree of sheen depending on the color used. A final varnish will even out the sheen to the desired degree of glossiness. I generally find a semi-gloss to be the most attractive varnish.

2.) Protection: The only way to effectively clean any painting is to remove the final varnish from the painting thus removing the dirt and grime accumulation from atmospheric polutants such as smoke. If a painting has not been properly varnish, these polutants will impregnate themselves into the top layer of paint on a painting and are very difficult, if not impossible, to remove without taking away a portion of the top layer of paint, thus destroying the painting.

Years ago, oil paintings were painted with a final coat of damar varnish. Damar varnish is more difficult to remove than the new sythetic varnishes and tends to yellow over time. Synthetics are easily removed with patient care using mineral spirits, Acetone, Toulene and other substances and combinations of them.

Dave Makielski
 
Dave,

You can't depend on most artists to understand the varnishing process. I'd guesstimate that fewer than 10% are attuned to/or care about varnishing their work.

Oil colourists sell their paintings usually well before they are dry enough to varnish and generally fail to inform the purchaser about the need for varnishing.

Unfortunately, only those artists that truly care about the longevity of their work concern themselves with varnishing their canvases and using colors that are not fugitive (fading) or substrates which will live longer than it takes them to cash the purchaser's check.

This is the reason that I believe it is the framer's responsibility to their clients to be well informed about the processes and procedures needed to protect the investment of their client. We go on to no end about preservation framing on this forum, but talk very little about assuring that what is brought to us has been properly handled prior to the customer entrusting us with their work. If we are not that person within the chain, who will be?

Dave Makielski
 
Sorry to have to make a quick other point...

Often I hear...shouldn't the artist be the one to decide how they fix,varnish,stretch,etc... their work?

Carry this one step further...shouldn't the artist be the one to FRAME their work?

Same argument in my eyes.

Dave Makielski
 
Originally posted by Dave:
...Carry this one step further...shouldn't the artist be the one to FRAME their work?

Same argument in my eyes.
I see it differently. Coating the artwork changes its condition. Proper framing does not change the condition, but keeps it as-is.

Artists know art, framers know framing, and their skill sets are different.
 
A good option for those who are uncomfortable varnishing a painting (and I don't think this should be a self-taught skill), is to glaze the piece.

Glazing oils and acrylics has been discussed ad infinitum here, so I'm not proposing to open that can of worms again !, but I think it is a good, safe alternative to varnish.

Rebecca
 
I think one goes into un-chartered territory when the framer starts modifying the art brought in by a customer, be it a coat of varnish, a touch up or a sealant.

We have a policy of not doing any of the above, as the art will not be the same again. If the client insists, they'd have to sign a waiver and we are not liable for anything.
 
Back
Top