How to varnish a painting done with acrylic craft paint

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How to varnish a painting done with acrylic craft paint

by Maggie
(District of Columbia)

Reader Question: I have painted on gessoed canvas with acrylic craft paint. Do I put varnish on the completed work or should I use something else?

Hi Maggie,

Even though you used acrylic craft paint and not artist acrylics, it is still a good idea to varnish your finished painting.

I would recommend varnishing the finished painting with a water-based acrylic polymer varnish, such as Golden Polymer Varnish or Liquitex Acrylic Varnish. This will seal and protect your artwork.

If the brand of acrylic craft paint that you used also offers a varnish, then you might want to use their brand of varnish, since they are meant to go together. You can check the website of the brand you used to see if they also make varnish.

Whichever brand of varnish you choose, follow the directions on the bottle for proper application. You can also read my instructions on how to varnish acrylic paintings to get an idea of how I do it.

Hope that helps!