My Oil Painting is Too Glossy
Viewing a glossy oil painting can be difficult if the artwork is placed adjacent to a window or other light source. Some artists may prefer a matt finish to an oil painting, for example if it is abstract as opposed to traditional art. How can the artist get a matt finish to an oil painting?
What Makes Oil Painting Shiny?
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| Matt or Gloss Varnish? Rachel Shirley |
Oil paints consist of two elements: the pigment and the vehicle. Pigments may be organic or mineral‑based, and modern synthetic pigments offer equal tinting strength and permanence. The pigment is suspended in a vehicle — in the case of oil paint, this vehicle is oil.
Shiny and Matt Oil Paint
Oil by its nature is shiny. Pale colours, particularly titanium white, are often blended with sunflower oil as it is non‑yellowing. Most other colours are blended with linseed oil. This high finish gives oil paint its lustrous, rich appearance, especially suited to detailed work and traditional oil painting.
When wet, an oil painting is particularly shiny. But the artist may notice some pigments dry more matt than others, resulting in a patchy appearance.
Although this may sometimes be due to the oil paint sinking into an absorbent support, it is more often caused by the individual nature of pigments and how they are blended with oil. Once coated with varnish, the painting will have equal gloss.
How to Get a Matt Oil Painting
The artist may obtain a matt finish to an oil painting in three ways:
- Adding an alkyd medium such as Liquin to the oil paint.
- Using alkyds in place of oils.
- Using a matt varnish once the painting is dry.
Using an alkyd‑based medium such as Liquin alters the properties of the oil paint by accelerating drying and giving a matt finish once dry. The alkyd medium should be added to the oil paint at a ratio of about one part medium to four parts paint.
Using Alkyds Instead of Oils
The artist may also consider using alkyd paints instead of oils. Alkyd paints offer similar properties to traditional oils but with a quick‑drying, non‑lustrous finish. Although sometimes called “alkyd oils,” they are not technically oil paints, as the vehicle is an alkyd resin rather than oil.
A matt varnish should be applied to an alkyd painting once dry to retain the matt look.
Matt Varnish for Oils
The third option, using a matt varnish for oil painting, is the most common. Varnishes offering different finishes are now available on the market. A matt varnish provides a tough and protective barrier against dirt and dust, just like traditional gloss varnish, but without the lustrous finish. Spray matt varnish can be obtained for a finish free of brush marks. A matt finish might be preferred to gloss for contemporary or abstract art.
Comments
So sorry to hear about your predicament.
It is not advisable to apply different types of varnish one on top of the other. I doubt that a overlaying the gloss with a matt varnish will have a satisfactory result.
The only way around this is to remove the glossy varnish with special varnish remover for oil paintings with the aid of cotton buds. Be careful that the paint does not come off with the varnish, which might happen if the painting was not completely dry before applying the varnish. (Oils take around 6 months to dry depending upon the thickness of the paint and the environment).
For speed, you can purchase quick drying varnish (also known as retouching varnish) for oil paintings in any finish you require. You can get matt finish and also silk, which lies somewhere between gloss and matt. You can't go far wrong with Winsor & Newton products.
The matt finish will minimize reflections bouncing off the painting. The quick drying varnish is designed for panic situations like yours.
I hope this helps. Good luck with the art show!
Thanks for q and good luck!