How to Apply Aging Varnish to a Painting

If you have completed a painting but you want it to have more of an aged look you can apply an aging varnish to it. You can follow these steps to help you apply the varnish.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• a piece of art that you would like to age
• Krylon's Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating
• Liquitex's Gel Medium Varnish
• Lefranc and Bourgeois' Aging and Crackle Varnishes
• a rag or cloth
• oil paint

How to Apply an Aging Varnish to a Painting

1. Preperation- work should be dry and free of debris. If debris isn't removed it will be locked underneath the surface of the varnish you are about to apply.
2. Protect your work- protect your painting with "Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating", spray one coat evenly about 10-12 inches away from the surface. Apply "Gloss Medium Varnish". Paint one coat evenly to the surface and be careful not to miss any spots. Unprotected areas may result in the aging varnish damaging the art work. Let gel medium dry before moving to the next step.
3. Apply aging varnish- apply "Aging Varnish" by Lefranc and Bourgeois. Paint varnish on evenly and allow it to sit for 1-1 1/2 hours. This varnish is oil based and hrad to clean so you may want to be careful while using it. Make sure you followed the second step thoroughly for this varnish will stain unprotected areas of your artwork.
4. Apply crackle varnish- test your aging varnish to make sure it is ready for the "crackle varnish".Aging varnish is ready if you touch it with your finger and it is slightly sticky but not sticky enough to be picked up when you pull your finger away. Once the painting is ready, apply the "crackling varnish" by Lefranc and Bourgeois. Apply one even coat and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. It is important not to let it sit for long enough to fully dry. You should blow dry it to make it rapidly dry which will cause the transparent cracks to form all over the surface.
5. Fill cracks with pigments- right now your surface is covered in cracks that are not yet visible. Fill the cracks with an opaque layer of oil paint. Paint the entire surface with oil paint covering every inch so you can not see the work underneath.
6. Wipe away paint/exposing the final piece- wipe off the surface with a rag or cloth. Remove all the oil paint from the surface. The oil paint will remain in cracks and will make them visible. What remains should be your art work with an aged tone and cracks all over the surface.

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