I was taught that the final brush strokes should be vertical because gallery lighting is always from above and the brush strokes would be less apparent if they are vertical.

As you can see, don't use a hogs hair brush. It creates too many stroke lines and leaves brush hairs in your work. I bought a nice $10 brush (Purdy XL 1") from the local ACE Hardware, for paintings that are 16" x 12" or so. You'll need some brush cleaner and warm soap and water for clean up. 'Cheap' throw-away brushes: Bad for the environment and a waste of money. And I never pour varnish directly onto the painting. Use a jar cover or a plastic dish depending on the size of the work.

Pouring the varnish directly onto the canvas is TERRIBLE advice. It can saturate just enough in that one spot before you spread it all (no matter how fast you work) to make the entire job a mess. ALWAYS DIP YOUR BRUSH INTO THE VARNISH that you've gently poured into a separate bowl.

I studied under a Certified Master's Copiest at the National Gallery of Art and was instructed to use the Liquin that I used in my paint to seal the paintings. This was for all surfaces - canvas, wood, etc.

What does "varnishing a painting" actually do? Why does it look like you're cleaning dirty glass when you varnish a painting?

Varnishing makes such a difference!

I love paintings that have a gloss finish to them. Thank you for the demo. I have seen many great paintings in local galleries that, in my opinion, were ruined when varnish was applied- major brush strokes left in the varnish, hairs varnished over and left embedded, areas not varnished to the same degree as the rest of the painting. Again, thank you.

hello, what's a good quality brush to use for oil painting. I have the artist's quality winsor newton paints. Thank you for your great videos!

Do you know if this could be useful in stabilizing the surface of a painting that is starting to flake?

Just subscribed to your site. Thanks for the video with easy to follow directions. Question? On an 18x24 size how long before I can expect it to be thoroughly dry after varnishing? Do you only put one coat on? thanks again questio

Something to consider... Perhaps try using a foam brush to do it. It eliminates brush strokes and hairs and gives a more even coat. In the event of having too much varnish, I find it will generally absorb excess and help with consistency and thickness.

For those cheap "china bristol" brushes, its a good idea to pre-wash them using a fine stainless steel brush, combing out all the loose hairs. I buy them by the box, comb and wash them thoroughly going over the entire box before I ever use them. I am probably one of the only people that washes and re-uses them... They have lots of uses in my studio, they get better once they have been used several times, after the loose hairs are gone.

Got to mention oiling out first to even the sheen, especially if you use a lot of black as it absorbs more oil than any other pigment.

Great teaching Mark. Much needed as I have a few of my

That's a beautiful painting!

Hi Mark, Sue D. here. Great video... what a difference varnishing makes! I went out and got the WN glossy and am looking forward to using it.

Wtf his method is so thoughtful. Also, his youtube name is a reference to his method, im really impressed of how well thought it is.

Instead of setting the newly varnished painting up on an easel to dry, might you lean it against a wall face down so that dust will not settle on the wet surface?

Thank's for your generosity. why we varnish and what if we didn't !. thanks a lot , appreciate it.

Thank you for the message God bless you and your family 💖💙🕊️🙏