Retouch Varnish Question

Richard Monro · 09-11-2005, 07:22 PM

Kim,

Is it the varnish or the paint that is tacky? It will make a difference as to what you will do. Try a test patch to see which is the culprit. I suggest using some paint thinner on a lint free cloth, like cheesecloth, and GENTLY rub the surface of the tacky area. If the tackiness comes off with little or no color your may have had a varnish that never set up because of the cold. If so GENTLY wiping the surface with solvent and clean cloth to remove the varnish will work.

If a lot of color shows up on the cloth, it may be a paint drying problem exacerbated by the varnish layer. I suggest a few more months of drying in that case. Any adhered dust can be removed with a very light rubbing with 600 grit sandpaper when the painting has completely dried.

Kimberly Dow · 09-11-2005, 07:46 PM

Unfortunately, I dont have the painting anymore and it is ..hmmm...nine hours away. I'm hearing about it being tacky, I havent confirmed that for myself. I have to fix it or re-paint it since it is owned by a collector. Ive never had this happen before. I cant imagine any more drying time would make a difference...it's already been since last March. I hope it is the varnish then. I wont get up to that area until November...so I have until then to figure it out.

Thanks for the info Richard!

Richard Monro · 09-11-2005, 08:23 PM

Kim,

You might also try contacting the company that manufactured the varnish. They probably have encountered the problem before and might be able to give you some good guidance.

Wish you success in solving the problem.

Richard Budig · 09-15-2005, 02:37 PM

If I'm not mistaken, retouch varnish is about 10 per cent varnish, and ninety per cent turp. Thus, your problem may well not be a retouch varnish problem. It should have dried long ago. Retouch varnish, as I understand it, and as I use it, is for briefly bringing up all the values to the same degree of "juiciness" so that you can get started on that day's painting in correct values and colors.

That leaves the paint, itself. What paint is underneath? Some colors are notoriously slow driers . . . alizarin, cad yellow . . . I think. If you have some heavy passages of slow drying paint, I would suspect them, first.

The drying part of the problem may be resolved if you can't get up there for another couple of months. It may be dry by then. But as previously suggested, you may have to sand with a very light grit, and repaint a passage. But, do it lightly so that it dries.

Alexandra Tyng · 09-16-2005, 09:36 AM

Kim,

A while ago I tried to buy some W & N matte retouching varnish and all the stores were out of it. This was when I used to mix matte and gloss to get a satin finish. After asking a lot of questions I finally found out that all the matte retouching varnish had been sent back, apparently because it "went bad." When I asked what happened when it went bad, I was told by a couple of store personnel that it didn't dry properly. This could have been true only of the matte version. Does anyone know whether something similar happens to the gloss version? I would check with the company on how to remove it.

Alex