varnish on oil painting ?

[StevenG]

Good evening folks. Someone left in 3 oil paintings today, one didn't have a vanish top coat ( is that the correct term). They asked me to apply one, I said I'd see what I could do. Anyway, what I'm trying to ask is it a special varnish or the like? Don't really want to start messing about with stuff like that though.

Cheers
Steven

[Roboframer]

Yes, it's a special varnish, you can get matt or gloss and spray-on or brush-on and all will have instructions on the tin .... just like the instructions on the tins of wood hardener and filler that I applied to parts of our shop window the other week ... and totally cocked up!

I often get asked to varnish oils, even by the artists that have painted them, but never have and never will. Although I do seize the opportunity to glaze them, with AR or UV AR glass - the 'I don't like the look of glass on oils' argument, is shot to pieces, you can't see it, there IS no look! Plus there's a simple question to ask ... "What would you rather clean, the actual artwork or a piece of glass"? Truth is the average customer can't clean an oil, s/he (assuming it's worth it etc etc) would eventually have to pay someone to clean it, and even further down the line have a restorer remove and replace the varnish.

[prospero]

It's not as simple as it appears. If you have never done it before, don't learn on a customer's work. All paintings are different and what works great on one will go extremely pear-shaped on another.

[StevenG]

Cheers guys - thanks for the advice. I think I'll make my excuses on this one and give it a miss