Description

Dammar varnish, made from dammar gum dissolved in turpentine, was introduced as a picture varnish in 1826. It is commonly used in oil painting, both during the painting process and after the painting is finished. Dammar varnish auto-oxidizes and yellows over a relatively short time regardless of storage method; this effect is more pronounced on paintings stored in darkness than with works on display in light due to the bleaching effects of sunlight on the colorants involved.

• Traditional final varnish
• Apply when paint film has completely dried (approx. 1 year with normal layer thickness)
• Dries in a few hours
• May show signs of ageing after some time such as yellowing and crackling
• Gives a high gloss finish
• Mixing with Dammar varnish matt 082 reduces the degree of gloss
• Can be thinned with turpentine
• Dry varnish coats can be removed with turpentine
• Highly flammable