Liquin As A Varnish? NO!

Over the years, I have heard of a few artists using Liquin as a varnish on their paintings. I’ve known it wasn’t meant to be a final varnish, or even temporary.

Yesterday I went to the local art store to pick up some new tools and products to experiment with (more about that later). While I was cruising around the store, I came across a flyer written by David Pyle, Director of Communications & Technical Education Winsor & Newton. He stated that “Liquin isn’t intended for use as a varnish.”

Liquin is a commonly used medium for painting. “problem with Liquin isn’t the clarity or the resiliency of the film (it has both of those in abundance); it’s that it dries too darn fast and to a solid and highly impermeable film.”

When Liquin is used to seal a wet painting, “Liquin will fully block any further access to the atmosphere and the oxygen that is absolutely essential to the drying of the paint film. Without oxygen, the oil is incapable of forming all those nifty linkages that turn it into a highly durable layer. The paint layer will never fully dry, eventually proving unstable in a number of ways. Moreover, Liquin isn’t soluble or removable (at least not in a way that leaves the painting beneath intact), making it virtually impossible for a conservator or restorer to work on the paint film when needed at a later date.”