Natural Earth Paint Varnish ca. 240 ml in glass bottle

€34,95
Article number: 248
Availability: In stock (96)
Delivery time: NL and BE 1-2 days - Rest of Europe 2-6 days

Natural varnish of Natural Earth Paint, made with plant based archival ingredients using time tested recipes from the renaissance. Natural Earth Paint natural Varnish is a superior UV resistant final protection for paintings, woods, crafts, stone etcetera

  • Fast drying to a water clear finish
  • Superior final protection for paintings, wood, crafts, stone
  • UV reistant and durable
  • removable
  • non yellowing
  • gloss finish
  • hand crafted in small batches.
  • made with plant based archival ingredients using time tested recipes from the renaissance.

FAQ

VARNISH 
Q: What is the drying time of the Natural Varnish?
A: 5-10 minutes
Q: What exactly makes it eco friendly? What are the ingrediënts? Are the ingrediënt sourced in an eco friendly manner? Is the product bio-degradable? And are the ingredients suitable to be additives in cardboard or paper recycling and/or can they easily be broken down/removed without damaging paper fibers? 
A: Yes, the Natural Varnish is made with 100% plant & food-based ingredients. It does contain alcohol (made from grain) so care does need to be taken for flammability. The exact ingredients are proprietary as this formulation took many years to develop. It is completely biodegradable if left out in the elements and won't put any strain on the environment if left to decompose.  
Q: What are the ingredients used in your varnish?
A:  The varnish is a vegan-friendly, plant and food based, proprietary blend and we are currently working to patent the recipe, so we can't give the detailed ingredient list at this time. 
Q: Can the oil paint be used on its own, or do you need to have some sort of varnish once finished?
A: You don't need any varnish on the oil paint because oil paint is in itself very archival, durable and UV resistant. However some people add varnishes to increase the gloss shine, to  bring out the colors and make it "pop" more, to give it an extra layer of protection or even out the painting if there are some areas that are glossy and some matte.
Q: Can the varnish be applied to glass or steel?
A: In the limited testing we have done, the varnish does adhere to glass and steel. We recommend using caution to protect the surface from scratches after it is applied (especially the glass) as it may still scrape off. And we recommend you testing it on your application as well.
Q: How do you give the varnish a matte finish?
A: Once the varnish is completely dry, gently rub the finish with 4000 steel wool, 800 grit sandpaper, or a pumice stone in order to provide a matte finish.
Q: How does you natural varnish hold up on wood outside?
A: It's not designed to be 100% waterproof but it will hold up for a while on wood outside but will need to be re-applied periodically.
Q: How long do you recommend an oil painting dries for before it is coated with Natural Varnish? Does the Natural Varnish fuse to the oil painting or is it truly removable?
A: As for drying time, that varies widely depending on pigments used, the thickness of paints, the number of layers and the surrounding environment. Our oil paints behave just like conventional oil paints in regards to dry time, so as you will see when searching the internet, the recommended wait time is anywhere from several months to over a year! Ultimately it's up to you as to how long you want to wait before varnishing, but overall the longer you can wait the better. NOTE: There isn’t any water in oil paint to evaporate (unlike acrylics which dry by evaporation) so traditional oil paints dry by oxidization, which occurs when the oil reacts with oxygen in the air and hardens. This is why you shouldn’t varnish an oil painting until it is fully cured, as putting varnish on a partially dry (to the touch) painting won’t allow air through the varnish layer and will stop the painting from drying properly and fully.
And yes, the varnish is truly removable by gently rubbing with alcohol on a soft cloth. 
Q: I’d like to make my own polish/wax with a hardening oil. I think your walnut oil, beeswax, and a solvent would work, but I’ve only see citrus solvents used in the formula to help speed up the curing time. Do you know if I could use your walnut oil and Eco-solve in place of the citrus solvent?
A: The answer is yes (kind of) but one must use very little oil, and very little Eco-solve since it is a paste wax not an oil finish. There are differences between the two solvents, but overall it will be a drying wax that will buff to a nice luster once applied.
Varnish - Cleanup and Disposal
Q: How do I clean the varnish? What is proper way to dispose of varnish and rags?
A: The varnish is best cleaned using any alcohol (rubbing alcohol or any high proof alcohol). As for disposal, you should be fine to rinse the varnish down the drain since it is all natural, plant-based ingredients; however be sure to flush with plenty of water as well. Also, please be mindful that used rags with varnish residue are potential flammable, so you want to safely store and/or dispose of them in a sealed metal container.
Varnish - Apply to Dried Oil Paintings
Q: How long do I wait before varnishing an oil painting?
A: As for drying time, that varies widely depending on pigments used, the thickness of paints, the number of layers and the surrounding environment. Our oil paints behave just like conventional oil paints in regards to dry time, so as you will see when searching the internet, the recommended wait time is anywhere from several months to over a year! Ultimately it's up to you as to how long you want to wait before varnishing, but overall the longer you can wait the better.
NOTE: There isn’t any water in oil paint to evaporate (unlike acrylics which dry by evaporation) so traditional oil paints dry by oxidization, which occurs when the oil reacts with oxygen in the air and hardens. This is why you shouldn’t varnish an oil painting until it is fully cured, as putting varnish on a partially dry (to the touch) painting won’t allow air through the varnish layer and will stop the painting from drying properly and fully.
Varnish - Apply to Collage & Acrylic
Q: I’m a collage artist working with handmade papers and acrylic that are affixed to wood panels with acrylic medium. Would your varnish be appropriate for my paper based work?
A: Yes, our varnish should work great on collage or paper work. The varnish is safe to use on acrylic canvas paint.
Q: Can you apply acrylic paint on top of a layer of dried varnish?
A: In our testing we have not been able to get our artist acrylic medium to adhere on top of the varnish. Other paints have worked fine but we suggest you do a test sample with your own materials.
Varnish - Maloof Oil or Danish Oil Blends
Q: is it possible to mix this varnish with an oil to make my own Maloof Oil or Danish Oil type of blend?
A: No, it is not possible to use our varnish in such blends. You can apply the varnish first, let it dry, then add a layer of walnut oil in order to give the appearance of Danish Oil, but the ingredients must be used separately. 
Varnish - Applying to Large Areas
Q: Can I use varnish on a large area, like the exterior siding of tiny home? Can I use a sprayer?
A: Yes, the varnish is usable for such an application. If you wanted to spray it on, just use a 1:1 ratio of varnish-to-alcohol to thin it enough for spraying.
Varnish - Applying to Gouache and Watercolor or Paper
Q: Can I use varnish on a gouache or watercolor paints? What about areas paper that haven't been primed?
A: The varnish works on all types of paints, but it's effectiveness and appearance can be impacted by the paper used and the types of paper fibers. We suggest doing a sample test first before applying to a finished painting
Varnish - Applying to Gold Leaf and Stretch Canvas
Q: Can the varnish go over imitation gold leaf before adding water mixable oil paint? Also, could you tell me how hard this product dries and if it is suitable for use on stretched canvas, as some varnishes are prone to cracking on a more flexible surface.
A: Yes, the varnish would work over gold leaf and yes, you can paint water-mixable oils on top of the varnish. Also, it is a flexible varnish so it's designed to be used on stretched canvas. It dries fast, in just a few minutes.
Q: Regarding the natural varnish you have for sale, will this prevent my paintings from going yellow over time or will it just adad a gloss coverage to my artwork?
A: The varnish will just add a gloss layer of protection, bring a luminous depth to colors and even out matte and glossy areas if needed. 
Q: A woodworker says that he prefers to wipe on varnishes with a dry rag rather than brush them on because he doesn't like brushstrokes. But he says our varnish dries so fast that when he tries to wipe it with a rag it gums up and pulls fibers off the rag into the varnish. He asks, is there any way to make it dry slower?
A: The varnish can be applied with a lint free rag with ease. There are two techniques. Either wipe it on and don’t over wipe or apply another coat till dry. Or learn the French polish technique which needs to be researched ( plenty on line) and practiced.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_polish

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/french-polishing/

https://youtu.be/F6A_-MXbkDg

Sorry I didn’t answer about something to add to make it dry slower. The answer: nothing the doesn’t adversely effect the finish. We apply it with rags all the time. But only when the rag is wet with the varnish. 
Q:  If I had to remove varnish from the painting, what do I need? Let’s say I wanted to change the painting after I varnished, do I need to remove the varnish or do I need to sand the section I want to repaint?
A: You can carefully remove varnish with alcohol or you can sand it down with fine steel wool. Or you can paint over an varnished area and then re-varnish.

 

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