1 Three reasons to varnish:
a) The wet-stone effect
Varnishing an acrylic, oil or watercolour painting benefits it on three levels. There’s the wet-stone effect that not only brings out the colours, but also increases their depth. This is particularly noticeable with the darker colours that tend to dry matt and chalky.
b) Colour protection and UV filter
A coat of varnish will not only enhance colours in your work, but add a layer of physical protection to your painting, too. Some varnishes also contain an ultraviolet light filter that prevents the scene from fading. These varnishes can be more expensive, but are well worth considering.
c) Preserving your work
There are permanent and removable varnishes, but in the case of conservation it’s always better to use a removable varnish. This will help matters if your work ever needs to be cleaned in the future. On the other hand, most permanent varnishes are archival and prevent discolouring and fogging in the first place.
2 Pick your type of varnish
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Photoshop: USE CONTRAST IN YOUR CONCEPT ART
Lane Brown shares his process for composing two characters with an interesting balance of contrast and harmony to achieve greater impact
The Art of Pernille Ørum
CHARACTER BUILDING After being kickstarted into life in less than a day, expectations are high for Pernille Ørum’s latest book…
Sketching from the Imagination: Anime & Manga
CREATIVE COLLECTION Illustrators from around the world provide loose sketches, tight line-art and colour studies of manga art
The best online concept art schools
Class acts Lockdown needn’t stop you learning concept art or extending your skill-set. Tom May presents eight great places to study online
First Impressions
Exploring art on his own terms is important to this English illustrator
Colleen Doran
Collector’s items The award-winning US artist-writer wants her studio to be as comfortable as possible. She tells us that it’s not work to her, it’s oxygen!
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
NEW LEAF Discover why designers and video editors should be glad that Apple’s latest MacBook has given Intel’s chip tech the cold shoulder
Blender: SKETCH WITH THE GREASE PENCIL
James Lewis-Vines uses Blender’s acclaimed Grease Pencil tool to help him quickly visualise an immersive underwater environment
ARTIST PORTFOLIO: PETER POPKEN
The concept artists tells Gary Evans how a long and varied apprenticeship led to success in the film business
A day in the life of a concept artist
Creative talk Carolina Tello Zeleski, an art director at California-based studio Sanzaru Games, takes us through her typical day…
CYBERSECURITY FIRM: BOOTING HACKERS A COMPLEX CHORE
Efforts to assess the impact of a more than seven-month-old cyberespionage campaign blamed on Russia — and boot the intruders — remain in their early stages, says the cybersecurity firm that discovered the attack.
ITALIAN ‘PINOCCHIO' TAKES THE PUPPET TO ITS ROOTS
The latest cinematic rendering of “ Pinocchio, ” from Italian director Matteo Garrone, is informed not by the friendly 1940 Walt Disney retelling, but the original source material.
‘Awards come with success, winning'
Here are some highlights from head coach Sean McDermott’s recent press conferences.
B&B'S BROOKE TO THOMAS: MOVE IN!
Thomas is released from the hospital and is unsure about his next move.
STM ChargeTree 3–in–1 wireless charger
Space–conscious wireless charging
‘I've shown a glimpse of what I can do'
QUESTION SESSION WITH WR DENZEL MIMS
Arranged marriage doomed to fail
WHAT WE ARE HEARING
MATTHEW PERRY SAVED BY HIS BELLE!
Set to wed ‘only woman who can keep him on track’
IN GOOD TIME
With the help of interior designer Robert Idol, a Kirkwood couple creates a home that pays homage to the past, yet feels just right for their modern young family.
I WAS FRIENDS STAR PERRY'S REGNANT RUG MULE!
Kayti Edwards claims addict Matthew TOOK 80 VICODINS A DAY