Dave Bernard, Gamblin Colors, Dec 2017 FINAL SEALING OF PAINTING
If your Cold Wax/Oil painting contains less than 1:3 cwm:oils, you can varnish with Gamvar.
If your Cold Wax/Oil painting contains more than 1:3 cwm:oils, avoid Gamvar as the solvent in Gamvar may cause the wax to dissolve. Instead, varnish with a thin rubbed-on coat of Cold Wax Medium.
Allow to dry 24hrs for a matte finish or gently buff after 4-6hrs with a soft cotton cloth for a satin sheen.
CWM vs GAMVAR VARNISH
Both Gamvar Varnish and CWM can be used as a final coat to protect a painting from an accumulation of dirt/dust which can embed in an oil painting over years. Both can be removed with Gamsol and reapplied if necessary at a later date.
CWM alone, vs CWM mixed with Galkyd Gel, is BETTER as a final thinly rubbed-on finishing coat over a CWM painting for two reasons:
- No color (Galkyd Gel does have some color from the resin) and
- Removability. The G-Gel makes it less removable vs cwm on its own.