How Long Should Acrylic Paint Dry Before Varnishing?

You have just finished painting your acrylic masterpiece. Hour after hour, you have poured your efforts into capturing all the beautiful colours and detail that you saw. You reach for the varnish, but pause - is it ready yet?

Your concerns are not without merit, as your acrylic painting may feel dry in one area, and still need more time to dry in another. A thin coat in the background and a heavily layered foreground will not behave at the same rate.

So, how long should your acrylic painting dry before varnishing? It is impossible to say a definitive time period without knowing the thickness, number of layers, environmental conditions, mediums, and other factors that will affect the drying time.

How Long Should Acrylic Paint Dry Before Varnishing?

A light painting of acrylic paint may be ready for its first varnish coat sooner than you think. However, the safest option is to let your completed, dried painting rest, and to always read the instructions of the varnish of your choice. If you have used thick strokes of paint or built up the texture of your painting, it is always a good idea to give it more time.

One of the most common misconceptions is to confuse "dry to the touch" with "ready to varnish".

When in doubt, give it more time rather than risk ruining your painting.

There is no point in rushing your beautiful acrylic painting, which has taken hours to complete, just to save time at the end.

Why Does Acrylic Paint Take Different Amounts of Time to Dry?

Look at most paintings and you are bound to see that one area is not as heavily painted as another, or that some parts are more textured than others. One area of your painting may have a single thin layer while another uses multiple passes of paint. A raised petal or a heavily detailed background might have far more material on it than a simple background wash. These areas will all dry at different times.

The environmental conditions will also affect the drying time.

A hot, dry room will behave very differently to a cool, damp room, affecting how soon water can evaporate from the acrylic paint. Acrylic mediums will affect the properties of the paint, so a painting with gels, texturing mediums or pouring medium will not share the same drying time as a simple acrylic layer.

This is one reason why a universal "wait 24 hours" rule is incredibly difficult to follow.

Dry to the Touch Doesn't Always Mean Fully Dry

This brings us to the most important consideration when varnishing an acrylic painting - dry to the touch does not mean ready to varnish!

A light brush of paint across a background might have been dry to the touch, but a thick blob of paint might still need further time to dry. Consider thick petals, raised areas such as a flower bud, or other areas of heavy paint load.

The same consideration applies to areas of multiple layers of paint.

Instead, consider the whole painting when deciding if it is ready to varnish, and give extra consideration to heavily painted areas and parts of your painting with mediums.

What Happens If You Varnish an Acrylic Painting Too Soon?

No-one wants to see a problem arise after finishing all their hard work, but varnishing a painting before it is ready can cause cloudy patches in the acrylic varnish depending on the mediums and environmental conditions

A patch that did not properly cure before the varnish can also behave differently to the rest of the painting.

The problem with varnishing too soon is that you have altered the surface of the painting that will now be difficult to fix. Unlike a simple error in a painting, there is no easy fix for an entire surface.

This is why patience is the most important virtue when it comes to varnishing an acrylic painting. If your painting took two days to complete, it is a small price to pay to give it more time to dry before varnishing.

How Can You Tell When Your Acrylic Painting Is Ready?

• There is no universal test to determine when an acrylic painting is ready to be varnished. Instead, examine your painting as a whole, and consider all these factors:
• The painting should no longer have any tacky, soft, or wet patches of paint. Thickly painted areas will need to be given extra consideration as they will typically take longer to dry than thinly painted areas.
• Always check for dust before varnishing, as a small fleck of lint that will be almost invisible on an unvarnished painting will stand out like a sore thumb on a varnished surface.
• If your painting has been heavily textured or comprises a wide variety of materials, you will need to give it extra consideration. Check the instructions for your painting and varnishing mediums as all acrylic mediums will not necessarily share the same properties.

Does the Type of Acrylic Varnish Matter?

Yes, but not as much as you might think.

Now that you have ensured that your acrylic painting is dry, your attention should turn to the visual appeal of the varnish.

A gloss acrylic varnish will impart a shiny coating to your acrylic painting, making it stand out and deepening the vibrancy of the colours. It is ideal if you want to showcase a bright and vibrant acrylic painting where you want the gloss to catch the eye.

A matte acrylic varnish has much less shine and is great if you want to minimise glare from lighting in the room.

Neither option is better than the other - it is a matter of preference and the conditions in which your artwork will hang.

If you are unsure what the difference is, our guide to Matte vs Gloss Varnish goes into greater detail about the choice and the factors that should influence it.

What About Thick Acrylic Paint and Texture?

This brings us back to the subject of patience. A thin layer of acrylic paint is very different to a thickly painted area, a textured abstract painting, or a heavily built up area using modelling paste, gel or similar materials.

Take a thickly textured abstract painting as an example. Some areas of the painting will be far more raised and prominent than other areas, so it should not be considered as behaving the same as a thin background layer.

Before varnishing, take a close inspection of the thickest parts of your painting. If they still feel soft or different to the rest of the painting, give it more time.

The same applies to paintings that have been built up using multiple sessions. The final, thick layer is the most important consideration when determining if the whole painting is ready to varnish.

A Few Things to Check Before Varnishing

Before you open the varnish, take a final look at the painting to make sure everything is ready, including:

• The painting is dry.
• Thickly painted areas are ready.
• There are no tacky or sticky patches.
• Loose dust has been removed.
• The varnish is suited to the painting and surface.
• You have followed the instructions of the varnish manufacturer.
• You have a clean space where the painting can remain undisturbed when the varnish dries.

It sounds complicated, but this pause before varnishing can save you from a world of frustration.

Don't Let the Final Step Rush You

The question of how long acrylic paint should dry before varnishing does not have a universal answer. A thin painting will behave very differently to a heavily built up or textured painting, and the environmental conditions will also have an effect.

The most important considerations are to allow the acrylic painting adequate time to dry before applying any varnish, and to follow the instructions of the varnish manufacturer. Varnishing is the quiet culmination of an acrylic painting, and should not be another race against the clock. Once the surface is ready, you can choose between a glossy appearance with gloss acrylic varnish, or a less reflective option with a matte acrylic varnish.

For artists in Sri Lanka looking to purchase acrylic varnish, Bluebird Arts offers varnishing products for the finishing stage of acrylic paintings. Taking the time to choose the right finish and applying it at the right time will ensure that your completed painting looks just as you want it to.

FAQs

How long does acrylic paint take to dry before varnishing?

It depends on the thickness of the paint, number of layers, environmental conditions, mediums used and the specific products. Allow the painting to dry and follow the varnish manufacturer's recommended waiting time.

How long should I wait before varnishing an acrylic painting?

There is no universal waiting time. Thin acrylic applications may dry faster, while thicker or thicker paintings can take longer. Check the painting and follow the product instructions.

Can you varnish acrylic paint when it is dry to the touch?

Not necessarily. Dry to the touch only tells you that the surface is no longer wet. Thick areas and deeper layers may require additional drying time.

When can you varnish acrylic paint?

Varnish when the completed acrylic painting has dried and the recommended waiting period has been met.

Should thick acrylic paintings dry longer before varnishing?

Generally, yes. Thick paint and textured areas can take longer to dry than thin layers. Inspect those areas and allow additional time when needed.