Liquitex Satin Varnish 946ml

This stuff is great. Perfect protective layer for different artworks. Very easy to apply and dries quickly. I applied two coats to my acrylic painting for deeper coverage and it looks great. The painting is protected and the colors are more bright and alive. See how I apply this varnish to my picture in the video.

A good start to using varnish

This is my first time using varnish on my acrylic paintings. The Liquitex Satin Varnish is easy to use and dries very quickly. It gives a nice sheen to the finished work, but sometimes it makes the color of the painting look a little more saturated than the original, but not as much as a matte finish would look. I have alternated between one and two layers of varnish, depending on the size and style of the painting. For some of the larger paintings (16x20), I found that 2 layers were necessary in order to get a smoother surface of varnish and ensure all areas of the painting were covered equally. For the smaller ones, depending on the coloring and texture, I found one layer was sufficient and looked nice.

Classic good looks!

As an artist, this is my favorite product to protect my work. Flat/matte finishes are trendy. Gloss is, well, shiny and not for me. Satin is perfect. It enhances the color, seals the surface and helps to protect without taking over the piece. It has my stamp of approval as a classic finish.

Fantastic, studio changing product for ceramics!

Writing reviews because of the #sweepstakes prod. I use Liquitex Varnish and their Ultra Heavy Gloss Medium for doing hydroabrasion (also called water abrasion & a number of other terms) on porcelain and bone china before they are fired. Instead of shellac, wax, or modge podge which almost all ruin your brushes, or aren't heavy duty enough, or don't fire out well enough in the kiln, both the Liquitex products you can use your best brushes which help you create the best designs, by painting the varnish or medium on the dry clay surface, sometimes layering more varnish/medium to get more raised areas after you use a damp sponge to wipe away the clay in between the varnished areas, which leaves the protected areas dry and raised in relief.Most products just have so ... MoreWriting reviews because of the #sweepstakes prod. I use Liquitex Varnish and their Ultra Heavy Gloss Medium for doing hydroabrasion (also called water abrasion & a number of other terms) on porcelain and bone china before they are fired. Instead of shellac, wax, or modge podge which almost all ruin your brushes, or aren't heavy duty enough, or don't fire out well enough in the kiln, both the Liquitex products you can use your best brushes which help you create the best designs, by painting the varnish or medium on the dry clay surface, sometimes layering more varnish/medium to get more raised areas after you use a damp sponge to wipe away the clay in between the varnished areas, which leaves the protected areas dry and raised in relief.Most products just have so many drawback and the Liquitex products have zero drawbacks for this process, which when used with a clay that will fire translucent leaves beautiful designs that can be highlighted with various ceramic colorants or left complete white and translucent, polished with diamond pads. It is a water based product so it comes off my brushes easily and I can keep my best brushes in good shape. I add a little vegetable dye to it usually so I can see my designs better and how thick I have made them, but that burns out in the firing, and this product cleanly burns out in the kiln with no increase in fumes like with shellac, And unlike some of the other products used for this technique, it burns out without a trace, not leaving grungy bits that have to be cleaned off or even dremeled off. It also really doesn't smell like the shellac does. I have tried shellac, various kinds of wax-ceramic and non-ceramic, and modge podge, which was supposed to be the savior for this technique but it turns out Liquitex mediums and varnishes actually are! Only drawback is I contacted Liquitex customer support to get technical info on UV resistance & aging data for another project & they never answered.

First time using varnish

I make abstract paintings with heavy body acrylics, and this seems to work well. Because of my thick application of paint, the varnish sometimes pools in weird places, but that's because I created weird places for it to pool! I just need to be more careful about varnish application!I like the semi-gloss, it's not too shiny. I add a bit of glitter to it before it dries, it seems to be holding on really well. I'll eventually be trying the matte.

High Praise for this Trusted Item

Liquitex Satin Varnish is my go-to for the optimal appearance and protection of my completed paintings. My clients take comfort in the fact that the pigment of their purchased works will be protected from harmful, color-fading UV rays. The final sheen doesn't bounce too much light as gloss finishes do. My favorite thing about this Satin varnish is that after application, the colors of my paintings become more vibrant. Though the application technique will take some practice, there are a host of online tutorials to utilize. Use soft, wide brushes, several light applications, and don't overwork it! Thought the manufacturer doesn't suggest this, I have had success thinning this product: 9 parts product, 1 part water.

Hot dog!

Very happy with this product! This was my first time using a varnish, so I was worried I might mess up and ruin days of hard work. The gloss sheen on this was crystal clear, and it was amazing to see how much it livened up my painting.I would recommend using a nice big brush strictly for varnishing as that would make the process much smoother. I didn't have one and used an old brush, luckily the painting size was small so I could work very carefully to avoid glaring brush strokes.*also READ DIRECTIONS! Don't apply varnish until the paint is completely dry! I waited at least 55 hours/2 1/2 days before applying the first coat, and that was a bit earlier than the recommended time.**Something to think about: I didn't fully realize when I bought it that this varnish ... MoreVery happy with this product! This was my first time using a varnish, so I was worried I might mess up and ruin days of hard work. The gloss sheen on this was crystal clear, and it was amazing to see how much it livened up my painting.I would recommend using a nice big brush strictly for varnishing as that would make the process much smoother. I didn't have one and used an old brush, luckily the painting size was small so I could work very carefully to avoid glaring brush strokes.*also READ DIRECTIONS! Don't apply varnish until the paint is completely dry! I waited at least 55 hours/2 1/2 days before applying the first coat, and that was a bit earlier than the recommended time.**Something to think about: I didn't fully realize when I bought it that this varnish is non-removable! Meaning, there's no need for the extra protective coat in between the paint and the varnish layer which is more convenient. Now I'm no art conservator, but I do wonder how this protective coating will hold up or if it can be repaired well since it can't be removed. Overall, I'm very happy with the results of this varnish.#sweepstakes

Needs water to dilute and extend working time

I usually use liquitex gloss or high gloss varnish. I wanted to have a less shiny finish for a couple of new pieces, so I tried this satin varnish. I usually dilute my varnish with 25% water but this time tried to follow the bottle instructions and applied the varnish undiluted. It resulted in a streaky finish. I was able to apply a third coat using a 25% filtered water diluted mixture that resolved some of the streaking. I think in the future, the water mixture would be the necessary fix for entering proper working time for larger pieces. Other than that, I love liquitex products and will continue to use these.

They're ALL Glossy

I used to use Liquitex Satin Varnish and was happy with the satin finish. Then I bought a new bottle, applied it to a finished painting, and it was glossy, even possibly high gloss. I thought it was mislabeled, so I returned it to the store and bought another bottle of Satin...and it's glossy. SO glossy. Then I bought a bottle of Liquitex Matte varnish, and it was also glossy. So frustrating.

Undetectable!

I was looking for something I could easily brush over finished acrylic paintings as an added layer of protection, but didn't want to alter the look at all. The matte varnish is amazing and undetectable, dries clear with no sheen and intensifies the colors just a tiny bit. I use a sponge to apply it and it is very easy to wash out. Will use this on all my acrylic paintings. #sweepstakes