Seal watercolors or gouache with several light coats of spray varnish (or fixative), being careful to spray outdoors during warmer months or in a well ventilated and heated area during colder times of the year. We recommend the Krylon® UV Archival varnishes.

Can you use fixative on gouache?

She says, “Just like watercolor, gouache can be destroyed by an errant droplet of water. You can use spray fixative for a bit of protection, but nothing will keep it absolutely safe without ruining some its qualities.”

What can I use to seal gouache?

Once the paint surface of your gouache painting is sealed with watercolor varnish, you can apply an isolation coat to it. This coat will create a permanent barrier. Any varnish added after this coat can be removed safely. Most removable varnishes can be removed with turpentine or mineral spirit.

How do you make gouache waterproof?

Gouache can be made water resistant by mixing with acrylic medium. If you want to do this because colour is dusting off, see below. The more medium you add, the deeper the tone will become and you will reduce the characteristic matt gouache finish.

How do you protect gouache paintings?

Once the paint surface of your gouache painting is sealed with watercolor varnish, you can apply an isolation coat to it. This coat will create a permanent barrier. Any varnish added after this coat can be removed safely. Most removable varnishes can be removed with turpentine or mineral spirit.

What is the best surface for gouache?

Paper or other surface to paint: Gouache works well on watercolor paper, but you could also use some thick drawing paper. While you can use canvas, that’s typically better suited for acrylic. Overall, your best option is paper for gouache.

How do you seal acrylic gouache?

We would recommend one of our professional spray or liquid matte varnishes to ensure you keep the same Acrylic Gouache flat, matte surface finish. They are all completely compatible with Liquitex Acrylic Gouache and are also water-based – just remember to leave your paint to completely dry before applying.

Should I varnish my gouache?

Varnishing a gouache painting should be avoided, because the varnish drastically affects the depth, darkness and finish of the work. Your technique may have led to what is known as dusting off, where the surface of the painting looks dusty, but once again varnishing will not help.

Can you use Mod Podge over gouache?

Yes, you can. You’ll want to wait for the watercolor to dry for several hours before applying Mod Podge on top.

Can you glaze gouache?

Gouache dries very fast and has the ability to become transparent enough to be used in a technique called glazing. By thinning the paint with water, you can layer it on top of painted areas that are dry to enrich an existing color or create a new one. Glazing can create dark shadows and deep atmospheric effects.

How do you seal watercolor?

If the watercolor is on paper spraying two even coats of the aerosol Archival Varnish (Gloss) is usually enough to seal and adhere the pigments to the paper. If the watercolor painting is on Absorbent Ground, then three even coats of Archival Varnish (Gloss) are generally required to prevent bleeding or streaking.