Polyterpene varnish, oil-resin, for covering icons
Lacquer based on Pine resin, is the author's development of the Zharov studio. The varnish is universal and suitable for coating both wax and egg tempera, as well as gilding. Consumption is approximately 30 ml per 1 m2 (area 1 meter by 1 meter when applying varnish in one layer)
Compound:
The advantage of these resins is the absolute transparency of the resin, which, according to the European standard, corresponds to the marking - "WW" (White water), high melting point, low acid number. These pine resins are much lighter and more resistant to external influences compared to other natural resins (such as: dammar, mastic, sandarac, soft copals, rosin). Pine and cedar resins do not darken over time, retain transparency. After hardening, it forms a light and hard protective film.
Advantages of varnish:
- The varnish is universal and suitable for coating both wax and egg tempera.
- Polyterpene varnish is applied directly to egg tempera and does not require preliminary impregnation of the paint layer
- Before covering the icon with this varnish, it is not necessary to fix it with shellac or other fixing varnishes: assist, melted gold, or inscriptions made on gilding.
- The varnishes are available in plastic packaging (30 ml) with a wide neck, which is convenient for storage and use.
- Unlike many other varnishes, polyterpene varnish fully reveals the paint layer of the tempera icon, reliably protects the icon from mechanical impacts, and the coating has high optical properties.
Technology of covering icons with protective varnish.
a. Wax-caseine medium Zharovstudio
- Before use, the varnish must be lightly mixed with a brush.
-The varnish is applied to the painting and gilding (including the assist cutting) with a flat synthetic brush. The icon is placed horizontally. It is recommended to lightly squeeze the brush on the edge of the jar. The varnish should not be applied in a thick layer and not "wiped". After applying the varnish, within 15 minutes the varnish must be smoothed out with a brush, making sure that there are no gaps or soaks in the varnished surface. Then the icon is left for final drying in a horizontal position. The drying time of the varnish on wax tempera is approximately 24 hours. After the varnish has completely dried, as a rule, it is recommended to apply a second finishing layer of the same varnish to the surface of the icon painted with wax tempera. The second layer, as practice has shown, dries faster than the first.
b. Eggs tempera
- To properly apply a protective varnish to a painting made with egg tempera, it is necessary to comply with the following requirements:
The paint layer of egg tempera must be dried for a long time. Drying does not mean the evaporation of water from the paint layer, but the drying of the yolk . The egg oil included in the yolk is semi-drying and polymerizes over a long period of time . Insufficiently dried egg oil, as a rule, significantly delays the drying of any topcoat varnish or drying oil. At the same time, the more pasty the layer of paint on the icon, the more time is required to dry the paint layer. We recommend drying egg tempera, made in a not too thick layer, before covering with varnish - at least several months!
- It is recommended to carefully stir the varnish with a brush before applying.
- To avoid contamination of the varnish surface, it is necessary to wet clean the room from dust. It is recommended to use a flat synthetic brush
- The varnish is applied to the surface of the entire icon (including painting and gilding) in an even, not thick layer. The surface covered with varnish must be periodically carefully leveled with a brush (usually from 2 to 8 hours), since the varnish on insufficiently dried egg tempera may roll off a little. Therefore, the varnish coating of the icon must be carefully monitored to avoid "scraping" or the formation of islands on the varnish film. The varnish is leveled every 20-30 minutes carefully with a brush, the leveling time depends on the degree of drying of the painting layer.
- Due to the long drying process of the egg yolk in the paint layer, on icons made with egg tempera the varnish initially dries in 1-2 days, but in some cases it can remain tacky for up to 5-8 days, which is normal and is not related to the properties of the varnish, but to the insufficiently dried layer of egg tempera.
- On egg tempera, the first layer of varnish may become damp after drying, so it is recommended to apply a second layer after the varnish has completely dried for 3-5 days. Experience shows that repeated layers of varnish dry faster than the initial one, and also require less time for leveling. On icons made with egg tempera, as a rule, to create an even varnish film, it is necessary to apply 3-4 thin layers, with each drying for about 3 days.
- If the varnish was accidentally applied too thickly, the excess varnish can be removed by blotting the icon surface with ink tracing paper. However, this procedure – thinning the varnish film – must be performed before the varnish thickens significantly! Otherwise, the icon can be damaged.
If dust or pieces of dried varnish from a brush that was not thoroughly washed have got onto the surface of the varnish, the following is recommended: Cover the icon with 4 layers of varnish using the above-described technology, then after complete drying, carefully sand the surface with sandpaper of grain size (1200-1500). Especially carefully sand the varnish on the gilding and in places of peeling! Then clean the surface from dust by hand or with a gauze swab and cover with a finishing layer of varnish. This method can be repeated several times, if desired to obtain a perfectly smooth surface of the varnish film.
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