Page 94 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2016

by Nanette Hilton
Congratulations, It’s Time to Celebrate!
Nanette receiving her diploma from her dad, a retired professor. Happy day!
I just can’t resist mentioning the craft sensation of the ‘60s: Mod Podge. It has been around for over 40 years and is still the all-in-one glue, sealer and finish with several sheen options— especially well-suited for use by children because it is non-toxic and inexpensive. Though it is great for crafting, I don’t recom- mend it as a finish for museum-quality decorative paintings or furniture; however, Mom used it to decoupage the Declaration of Independence onto a wooden board in 1970 and it’s still hanging in her house today looking as good as the day she made it! Go Plaid!
SHELLAC and LACQUER
are evaporative finishes and
are very durable, natural
and non-toxic. (Beware the
solvent since only ethanol is
food safe.) They are derived
from either tree resin or
the resin secretion of the
female lac bug found in
forests of India and parts
of Asia, and mixed with
alcohol or other solvents.
Heat can discolor them. These finishes are easier to repair than varnish since they soften when solvent or fresh finish is applied and marry with the new coat. They attain their best lus- ter and durability when waxed. Most antique and fine furniture boasts this type of finish.
Shellac is also a coating on candy like jelly beans and candy corn, fruit, and gum—known as confectioner’s glaze. Zinsser® Bulls Eye Shellac for wood has been around since 1949, and is a food safe liquid shellac available in spray or brush-on.
Lacquer gives an intense gloss and is applied with a sprayer because it’s thinner than other finishes. Today’s lacquers are more durable than shellac because they often contain acrylic resin dissolved in volatile organic compounds. There are three basic types: CAB-Acrylic, nitrocellulose and catalyzed. Their in- dividual qualities are beyond the scope of this article, but know that they are great finishes for items not intended for food. WAX is dandy! I put it on all my wood and tin projects that are to be handled because it makes them more durable, creates a velvety shine and feels yummy. Goddard’s Cabinet Maker’s Wax Paste with lemon oil and beeswax and Clapham’s Beeswax Polish containing carnauba wax are both food safe. After your paint has cured, apply wax according to package directions using #0000 steel wool and a soft cloth.
Now you’re educated and ready to be tested on paint-
ing finishes. Ready to graduate to hands-on application and experience? Yes, you are! Go! Finish your painted pieces with confidence and pride. Then celebrate—you’ve earned it!
After many years of online independent study, I finally earned my Bachelor’s degree—a lifelong goal! At convocation, my daughter and I were actually handed our diplomas by my dad, a retired professor—three generations! It was a marvelous culminating experience accom- panied by great celebration.
When I finish a painted project I feel like celebrating, too.
My favorite varnish is DecoArt Americana DuraClear water-based, brush-on, non-yellowing, polyurethane finish providing a tough, flexible, clear quick-dry coating for inte- rior and exterior surfaces. It comes in several sheens, from matte to high gloss.
That celebration might include displaying the piece, giving it as a gift or selling it for profit. But wait! Not so fast! Just as gradu- ating without receiving a diploma would be incomplete and anticlimactic, your paintings aren’t complete until you’ve put a finish on them. While a diploma brings validity and completion to an education, finishing coatings have their own merits:
n They intensify and lock in color.
n They protect against handling and the elements.
n They improve the feel of your piece when handled. n They add unique qualities to your finished pieces.
At the onset of your painting, plan how you will finish it. Anticipate how your finished piece will be displayed or used. For example, if working on wood you may want the grain to show at completion and choose to finish with stain, followed by wax. Furthermore, if your piece will come in contact with food, mediums must be food safe. If your work will be exposed to the sun, choose a finish that will resist fading and yellowing.
Finishes include brush-on varnishes, rub-on gel varnishes, aerosol varnish and fixatives, wax, stain, shellac and lacquer, all either water- or oil-based—make sure you know which!
Water and oil products each have virtues and their differing durability is debated. Water-based products look milky when wet but dry clear. Water-based products are usually more expen- sive and require more applications since they contain 30-35% solids while oil-based products contain 45-50% solids. Water- based products dry quickly, allowing re-coat within an hour, have low odor, and clean up with water. The appeal of oil prod- ucts is often their look. They are known to impart a rich glow to any project but can pose health and environmental hazards. AEROSOL FIXATIVE is good for gouache, watercolor, ink and pencil since it doesn’t soak in or lift pigment. You can fix these mediums permanently with an aerosol, next applying varnish overtop to achieve protection and sheen. Krylon Matte Spray 1311 is my favorite fixative. (Beware fumes. Use as directed.) VARNISH is a curing finish and good for oil and acrylic paintings since the paint layers are thick and separate from the surface. (Remember that oil products can go on top of water-based products but water-based products cannot go on top of oil.) Traditional varnish includes plant alkyds, which harden to form a protective finish. Today’s varnish often con- tains polyurethane or mixtures of alkyd and polyurethane. Alkyd varnishes are prone to yellowing while polyurethane varnishes have a plastic appearance.
92 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2016
Insect resin coating a tree branch in India from which shellac is made.
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