Traditionally, watercolours are displayed framed under glass. There are conservation issues with regards to framing works of art on papers, which have resulted in the maintenance of this practice. Paper that is left exposed to the air is very vulnerable to damage from moisture, air pollutants, dust and UV light rays. Even 100% rag paper will eventually deteriorate if it is not properly stored and displayed. Contaminants in the atmosphere, and in matting, mounting or storage materials will migrate readily into paper fibres. Unfortunately, the framing adds to the cost and makes transporting framed works more difficult. Furthermore, some artists dislike the look of the glass over their works. Recently, the question has come to our attention: "Why can't I varnish my watercolours and then frame them in the same way as oil or acrylic paintings?" After all, not only is varnish used to protect paintings in other media, it is also used to unify surface quality and enrich colours. Varnish gives colours a deeply saturated look.

It is a fact that the varnishing of watercolours has been practiced in the past. JMW Turner, the English artist renowned for his watercolours, sometimes used a gum varnish to deepen the darks in his work. (Gum varnish was made by processing gum Arabic to alter its properties.) There is also reason to believe that other watercolourists gave their paintings an all-over coat of varnish to make them resemble oil paintings. The problem is, this kind of treatment can lead to other archival and conservation issues in the long run. Many varnishes will darken over time, either due to their own properties, or as they absorb impurities from the atmosphere. Varnish may crack and craze as it dries initially and later, as the paper support expands and contracts. (For an account of how a coat of this kind of varnish was removed from an eighteenth century watercolour visit www.history.org/foundation/journal/Winter01-02/bird.html

Currently, watercolour varnishing is a rare practice. One British Columbia artist who sometimes uses varnish on his watercolours is Alex Fong, who recently gave a demo of his painting methods in Kelowna, sponsored by Opus Kelowna. He varnishes his paintings because he likes the way it causes the colours to become saturated and intense, as though still wet. You can view examples of his work on his website: www.alexfong.com

What are the ideal properties of a varnish? A good varnish does not yellow or otherwise change colour over time, and it needs to be suitable for the support of your work. For example, on canvas, the varnish used should be flexible after it dries. Most importantly, when varnishing any type of work, the varnish should be easy to remove, since it is the layer which will absorb impurities from the atmosphere. With easy varnish removal, conservators are able to remove the old varnish when cleaning the surface of paintings, thus removing the dirt and impurities which have built up on it over time. This final requirement makes varnishing watercolours tricky. Since the support for watercolours is paper, and often areas of the paper are left completely bare, or with only a very thin, watersoluble paint film, any varnish applied to a watercolour painting can be absorbed by the paper or, if water-based, affect the paint layer. This will make it extremely difficult or even impossible to remove. The varnish will perform its job of picking up all the grime and pollutants, but they will stay on the surface of your work, since the varnish cannot be removed.

Following are some suggestions which may aid you in your experiments to find a watercolour varnishing method that works for you, and which will not compromise the long life of your work.

One suggestion is to use fluid acrylics such as those made by Golden Artist Colors, or to use a liquid acrylic medium with your watercolour paints. In this way you can achieve the look of watercolour paints, but with a permanent binder to form a stronger paint film. This does not, however, solve the problem of the varnish soaking into the paper support, (unless the entire surface has been coated with acrylic paint). If you don't varnish, the paper and the paint will be exposed to all the hazards as mentioned above.

Another idea is to paint with watercolour or liquid acrylics on a support that has been coated with Golden Absorbent Ground. This will both prevent the varnish from soaking into the support and increase the choices of supports for painting in watercolours. Many painters use Golden Absorbent Ground on canvas supports and then paint with watercolours onto this ground.

You could also use an isolation layer between your painting and the varnish. An isolation layer is designed to remain on the surface of the work, so that the surface will be protected from the varnish removal process when it is being cleaned. Ideally this means that the isolation layer should be resistant to whatever solvent is used to remove the varnish. Aside from removability of the varnish, there is the question of what kind of isolation layer and varnish should be used. There are numerous brands and types of varnishes now available, such as water-based acrylic varnishes, solvent-based acrylic varnishes, damar varnish, and there are even watercolour and gouache varnishes to be had. Investigation into the question has led us to recommend using a good quality solvent-based acrylic varnish. It will not yellow over time, is formulated to be stable and flexible, and is removable. If a fluid, water-based acrylic medium is used as the isolation layer, it should prevent the varnish from being absorbed by the support, and resist any solvents used to remove the solvent-based varnish at a later date. There is one caution to be observed when applying a water-based isolation layer. The water in the emulsion can re-wet the watercolours and cause them to bleed or smear if it is applied too heavily. It is best to spray the isolation layer on in several very fine coats, until a strong enough layer is built up to prevent smearing or bleeding. If you are spraying finely enough, this may take several layers. Then subsequent coats of the isolation layer can be applied with a brush if desired. However, once your isolation coat is strong enough to prevent smearing you may also apply the varnish at this time. The varnish can be applied either with a spray application or with a brush. Remember, it is always advisable to apply varnish in several thin coats, and avoid over-working with the brush.

Some combinations to try are an isolation layer of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish, followed by coats of Liquitex Soluvar as the varnish; or Golden Airbrush Extender, followed by Golden MSA Varnish. If the isolation layer you have chosen is a little too thick to go through a fine mist sprayer, thin slightly with water. If you want to achieve a matte finish, use a gloss varnish for the majority of your varnish layers, and only use a matte varnish for the final layer to preserve clarity and prevent dulling.

Make some samples to see what works for you. As the above ideas are suggestions to try out, and not traditional techniques that have stood the test of time, we strongly recommend that you test these ideas on the materials you normally use in the form of samples or old works which you are willing to part with if the technique used isn't to your satisfaction. Even though the methods described may work archivally, you may find that you do not like the way they impact your final work.

To see examples of Turner's works listed as watercolour with touches of gum varnish, visit www.wallacecollection.org/c/w_a/p_w_d/b/a/turner.htm

For more information on varnishing, as well as some of the materials mentioned in the article, visit the following sites:
www.liquitex.com/techniques/liquitexqa.html
www.liquitex.com/products/fluidmedglossmedvar.html
www.liquitex.com/products/varsoluvargloss.html
www.goldenpaints.com/abtranex.htm
www.goldenpaints.com/protectu.htm
www.goldenpaints.com/absorb.htm
www.goldenpaints.com/patti02.htm