Two layer stacks: oil paint under a removable varnish that comes off with solvent; acrylic paint under a permanent isolation coat and then a removable varnish, so the solvent stays off the paint.

Concept · Over Time

Varnishing and Cleaning

Taking off an old varnish is usually simpler on oil than on acrylic.

Solvents that lift varnish from oil, such as xylene, can soften dry acrylic; Tate warns oil-painting cleaners can damage it for good.

  • Give an oil painting six months or more to dry before varnishing it.
  • For acrylic, paint makers recommend an isolation coat: a permanent clear layer of acrylic medium beneath the varnish.
  • Whether to varnish acrylic at all is still debated.

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