How to Varnish an Acrylic Painting

Keep your artwork looking as good as the day it was completed by learning how to apply a varnish layer!

Join Opus staff member Colin Mitchell, and discover the ins and outs of varnishing an acrylic painting and why it is the crucial final step in an artist’s process.

Much like the glass on a framed work on paper, varnish offers a removable protective layer that shields your paintings on canvas or panel from dirt, dust, scratching and UV rays. From selecting your varnish, to applying an isolation coat, to completing the final varnish layer, Colin will walk you through all the steps as he demystifies this often intimidating process.

Watch How to Varnish an Acrylic Painting above and on the Opus YouTube Channel for an inside look into this process, then follow up with our in-depth article, Why Varnish? After this, you may wonder why you’ve waited so long to varnish!

Interested in some of the products Colin uses?
Golden Polymer Varnish
Golden Soft Gel, Gloss
Golden Archival Spray Varnish
Golden MSA Varnish
Golden MSA Solvent
Opus Gloss Medium
Opus Legato Brushes
Winsor & Newton Cotman Wash Brush
Liquitex Painting Knives
Artbin Twisterz Jar
Opus Exhibition Deep Canvas
Opus Essential Acrylic Colours