Varnishing Colored Pencil - Part 2

I wanted to use the water based Golden Gloss Waterborne Varnish to varnish my artwork but found it is quite different from the previous Golden UVLS Varnish. I emailed Golden to ask questions after making a few mistakes (they are pictured at the end of this entry). The Golden rep was very helpful in suggesting the best way to add isolation coats the artwork before applying the Waterborne Varnish. 

My colored pencil drawing shown here is mounted on a small Ampersand Cradled Claybord. I first sprayed my drawing with 4 light coats of Krylon UV-Resistant Clear, allowing each coat to dry in between applications. The Golden Rep suggested using the Golden Soft Gel (I used Gloss) as an isolation coat because it is softer bodied than other gels and goes on smoother. I diluted a small amount of Golden Soft Gel Gloss 50% equal parts with water. I mixed it very carefully with a small whisk to be sure there were no lumps and few air bubbles. 

Be sure to use a soft nylon brush. The brand I have been using is Gold Taklon by Craft Smart that I purchase at Michaels Craft Store. They are inexpensive and I throw them away or use them for other things when they get older and stiff.

I applied The gel with the soft nylon brush with horizontal strokes over the Krylon UV-Resistant sprayed surface in one application. I did not go back over once I had the surface coated. I let the gel dry for 24 hours (although I'm not sure you would need to leave it for that length of time).

I mixed the Waterborne Varnish: 5 parts varnish to 1 part water. Next I took a clean damp lint-free cloth and gently wiped the surface with the dried gel medium. This removes any particles and the dampness seemed to make the surface easier to accept the varnish. Now I applied the diluted varnish with a soft brush moving horizontally across the piece and not going back over any of the areas. 

Below is my little cupcake drawing with this varnish technique. I took one photo with the piece tilted so you can hopefully see the smooth surface. I am happy with the outcome! You can read more about working with the Waterborne Varnish here.

What Not To Do!

In the photo below, I mixed the Waterborne Varnish 3 parts to 1 part water and tried to brush it on over my surface prepared with Krylon UV Resistant Clear spray and Kamar Varnish spray as an isolation coat. The Waterborne was too thin and puddled on my drawing. Fortunately my drawing was well isolated with the sprays and I could easily wash off the Waterborne Varnish. 

In this photo of the leaf drawing I used Golden Regular Gel that more stiff than the soft gel and it left brush strokes when applied.