Finish your mixed media art with fixative, varnish and wax

[@lucybanta7311]

Extremely helpful. I thought I knew the differences, but I didn’t. Know I understand. Thank you.

[@catrains.artist]

I am glad it was helpful to you! Thank you for watching 😊💖

[@cephalonia71]

Love your insight. I just destroyed an oil pastel with some oil paint by spraying with Sennelier fixatifband then Liqitex Satin varnish[acrylic medium]- the gold just peeled off

[@catrains.artist]

Oh, that is heartbreaking! I've done similar things. Sometimes making these huge mistakes is how we learn to never do it again!

[@afasimpaur]

I use Gamblin Cold Wax medium, which is usually available in the oil painting supplies. I would, likely, be just as happy with any cold wax medium... I just happened to find the Gamblin on clearance for 70% off and bought as much as I could afford at the time.

[@catrains.artist]

I would have done the same thing! My guess is that most cold wax's are close to equal, especially top brands like you are using.

[@justinthefarm]

Thank you for the excellent info.

[@catrains.artist]

You are most welcome.

[@annetiwari4987]

Interesting and helpful, though because I don't sell my art or have anywhere to show it, I haven't needed to bother too much about varnish. I have used krylon for years, though in winter it's a challenge since you really do have to go outside. That means getting onto my balcony which may have a lot of snow and is of course seriously cold. If it's really cold I think it affects the krylon and it's best to wait for a better day. I've used it on various media, including pastels (not total success) and charcoal ( very very carefully).

[@catrains.artist]

That is the issue with Krylon - using it outside isn't always convenient, especially for you in the cold! But if you aren't intending to sell your work, it might not matter that much.

[@angelag9346]

Hello Cat....thanks for this important info.❤

[@catrains.artist]

You are most welcome!

[@shaunnalyons4436]

I have a love hate relationship with the Krylon spray fixative. It works great but I hate the smell. Somehow I always manage to get it right in front of an open window. Thank you. Super helpful.

[@catrains.artist]

Smelly but works so well! Hopefully some of the other options might work for you!

[@angelag9346]

Thanks Cat

[@catrains.artist]

thanks for the double thanks!

[@angelag9346]

@@catrains.artist Lol...didn't see the first comment post...but this is great information 🙃

[@Maria-1124]

Hi Cat, thanks for the great video! You mentioned applying gloss medium before you varnish. Does it have to be gloss or could it be matte medium? I thought you preferred matte finish for your collages. If you apply gloss medium and then satin varnish over it, does the satin finish prevail? Or is it a glossier look? Thanks again, I love your explanations, very clear, well prepared and easy to follow. 😊

[@catrains.artist]

Golden recommends using a gloss as the base if using their liquid varnish. The top layer of varnish should be the final sheen, although you might need a couple coats to make sure! Thanks so much for the kind words.

[@catherinewarner-wu3xc]

Im not selling or exhibiting my collages, but i have used watered down pva glue as a fuxitive quite successfully

[@catrains.artist]

That's perfect! It's all about what you intend to use your collages for and what works best for your art practice. 😊

[@ShoshiPlatypus]

Do you not find that this stays really sticky? I've tried this and my pages stuck together. I'd be really interested to hear your experience and how you avoid this.

[@catrains.artist]

@@ShoshiPlatypus I've never used PVA glue for this, but have had a lot of success using cold wax on sketchbooks to protect them longterm. Dorlands is amazing!

[@korneliaboros7716]

Thanks for sharing this precious info. After watching it I started to question what I've been doing so far and that is to do 2 coats of gloss medium and one coat of matt since I prefer matt finish. Would you share your thoughts should I consider switching to varnish? I really appreciate any help you can provide.

[@catrains.artist]

What you are doing now is not wrong, but you might get more protection by switching to a matte varnish as the top layer. Then you could also add wax on top of that or use wax instead of varnish. I use both because I want to protect my collages as much as possible, especially since some of the materials I use could not be as stable (magazine images, book pages, etc. Hope that helps.

[@alapointe969]

this is great and very informative! do you have any suggestions for photo collage? i usually use a krylon matte spray, but i'm not sure if that's enough or how well it will hold up over time.

[@catrains.artist]

Very good question, but since I don't use actual photographs in my art, I'm not the one to advise. What I do is scan a glossy photo, print on archival matte paper, and then use the techniques mentioned in this video to protect the collage created with the photo.

[@chrisraymond6618]

Do you use fixative before Dorland's?

[@catrains.artist]

Yes, fixative before Dorlands. But I don't use fixative on everything. Just those pieces where I could get smearing.

[@ShoshiPlatypus]

Very interesting. My collages are in books and I tried the PVA method which is really sticky. I found sprinkling talcum powder on them helps them not stick together. I have a bottle just marked "acrylic wax." Would this be a good option?

[@catrains.artist]

I've never tried PVA for this, but highly recommend Dorlands cold wax to protect your pages. Its simpler and works great.

[@judysoedt916]

Thank you for sharing this information.

[@catrains.artist]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@seabasket2]

Great tips I was not aware of the cold wax method. I've only ever used the Krylon which I agree with the other comment - I hate the smell. I live in North Florida so I'll be curious to see how the cold wax works. I am experimenting with encaustics as well. Love your very detailed videos.

[@catrains.artist]

Let me know what you think after trying it! Thank you for watching 😊

[@ochervelvet9687]

I start with Krylon Fixatif, usually 2 coats, and then finish with Krylon UV-resistant spray varnish, 2 coats. I have looked into Dorland’s cold wax, but I live in the American southwest and I’m afraid that our summer heat would make the wax finish tacky. (It’s not even July, and we’ve already had a few 100° days.)

[@catrains.artist]

You are using a very similar process to me. The Dorlands is not waxy once dry. If you apply indoors, and keep indoors, my guess is that it would work.

[@CupcakeCottage]

If you use lightfast paint, why do you need a varnish first?

[@catrains.artist]

I use varnish on a collage after it is complete to protect it long term. Because of the papers I use are not archival, varnish and wax help to protect the overall piece long term. The more layers on top of the finished piece the better.

[@lmno1020]

Thanks!. If you know that you’re going to use cold wax, do you use gloss or satin varnish below?

[@catrains.artist]

Thanks so very much for the gift! Not sure if it matters. The wax will dull down a gloss shine, but not sure if all the way. I only use a satin or matte varnish so I'm not sure what wax will look like on top of a gloss.

[@kellykrause4601]

Would it work to use uv resin? New to this

[@catrains.artist]

Hmmm, since I don't use resin I don't know!

[@chantalblanchette1080]

Is your cold wax water-based? If not, the acrylic paint can flake with time. I use the cold wax just in my scrapbook so my pages don’t stick together.

[@catrains.artist]

As far as I know, Dorlands is not water based, and will not flake. This is a museum quality product that is used world wide as a finishing coat, something instead of varnish.

[@chantalblanchette1080]

@@catrains.artist Interesting! I went to their site. It is important to know that some wax can’t be used with acrylic. Wax is becoming very popular and the information is not always accurate. Thanks for sharing.

[@catrains.artist]

@@chantalblanchette1080 I assume that Dorland's site did not say that it could not be used with acrylic, right? Just double checking!

[@chantalblanchette1080]

@@catrains.artist They said that it could be used with acrylic. It is very interesting for me. Gamblin can not. That is why I use it just in my scrapbook as a finishing coat.

[@catrains.artist]

@@chantalblanchette1080 Very interesting! Thanks so sharing what you learned.

[@xencage]

Great video! How well in your experience does the UVLS work over fugitive inks? I love some of the color effects I get with inks, but would be reluctant to sell those pieces. I’ve heard mixed reviews but never tested it. Also, does the Dorlands provide any light fastness? Thank you!

[@catrains.artist]

Dorlands, as far as I know, does not provide light fastness. I've never used "fugitive" inks, so that only way to know is to experiment. The spray has worked wonderfully on all my mixed media works, including those that include magazines.