Finishing touches - Varnishing your oil painting

Your painting is finished! Should you varnish it? Which varnish should I use?

Ultimately this is all down to personal preference.

You could choose not to varnish and keep exactly as it is but live with the risk that damage is a lot higher without that protective layer.

If you do decide to varnish, the choice is abundant!

Gloss varnish:

Probably the most common varnish used. Really makes colours pop but creates a highly reflective surface which can distort the painting. Think about the lighting of where the painting will be hung - if in bright sunlight (try to avoid hanging paintings in direct sunlight or hot areas like conservatories) then gloss can just be too shiny.

Matt varnish:

This option removes the chance of glare from reflected light but it does drastically dull down colours. Potentially a good choice for more textured paintings where you want this to stand out more than the colour palette.

Satin varnish:

A middle road option between gloss and matt. Offers less glare but also dull colours slightly. A good compromise for a bright, textured painting.

Try to choose varnishes that have UV protection, this will stop them turning yellow with age.

Also think about the medium you are using, some varnishes are specific to oils or acrylics for example - you don’t want to ruin your painting with a reaction to varnish at the final stages!