Mediums and Varnishes - the Breakdown
Of course the painting process is important - however! Mediums and varnishes are just as important. It can add so much to your painting, and finish it off in the best way. So, here’s the lowdown of the different types of mediums and varnishes that I use. Obviously there are more mediums and varnishes out there - but what advice can I give on something I haven’t used?
Mediums -
A medium is essentially something that you can add to your paint or your painting to add just a little more to it. It’s always fun to experiment with mediums and see what new ideas you can come up with.
Iridescent medium - have you ever wanted to make any one of your paints metallic? Say hello to iridescent medium. It has very little pigment, apart from a white pearlescent shimmer. It can be watered down and layered on top to add a shimmery finish, or you can mix it with any other paint to make it metallic. Mix matte and metallic - have fun! I used iridescent medium when painting fish for On The Rocks, just to add some difference between the fish and the ice surrounding it.
Texture paste - it pretty much does what it say on the jar. Add texture to your painting - either by mixing it with paint or using it by itself. A perfect combination is texture paste and a palette knife - there you can really make some amazing texture. This works best for landscapes or anything abstract.
Varnishes -
A varnish is the last step to the process. Varnishing brings out the colours of a painting, and also protects it from dust, liquid, heat and UV light. You spent a lot of time on this painting, make sure you protect it!
Satin liquid varnish - not quite gloss, but not quite matte - just middle of the road satin. It’s the best of both worlds really, in my opinion at least. You’ll get the depth of the colours that comes with a shiny varnish, but you’re not going to lose as much detail if the surrounding light is too bright. If you want to start with paint-on varnish, I think satin is a good place to start.
Matte liquid varnish - the point of matte varnish is to varnish a painting without any sheen. It’s essentially not going to make any difference in your paintings look before or after varnishing. Since its matte, it’ll diffuse the light, which will keep the same level of contrast between the dark and light. Matte varnish is my preference but it always depends on what you’re painting and what kind of look your going after.
Satin spray varnish - satin varnish, in an aerosol can. It basically makes the entire varnishing process a lot easier as you can start with light layers and add more if you want. It’s just another form of varnishing and it’s dependant on what you prefer. But just remember! Focus on ventilation and wear a mask.