How to varnish decoupage. Decoupage: how to choose a finishing varnish. The main mistakes when finishing with varnish

In decoupage, the choice of varnish has great importance. It is used not only as a topcoat, but also applied throughout the decoupage process.

Quite often, decoupage varnish plays the role of glue: with its help, carved motifs are attached to the surface. Thin napkins are often sprayed with decoupage varnish from a can. They are easily torn, and the lacquer helps them avoid deformation at the time of sticking to an object that is decorated using decoupage technique. The fragments printed on the printer are also varnished so that the paint does not spread during the work. You can also varnish already pasted pictures: then, in the process of working on the background, an accidental hit of paint on the picture will not spoil it.

What are varnishes

Lacquers are divided into groups according to the principle of composition. In decoupage work, special varnishes are used, made on the basis of water or synthetic resins. Professionals recommend acrylic and polyurethane varnishes.

Acrylic water-based varnishes

Acrylic varnishes are an environmentally friendly type of varnishes. They are non-flammable, because the varnish is based on water, so it can be used for interior finishing work. This lacquer has rather high rates of elasticity and strength, it “knows” the color of wood.

But acrylic lacquer has some disadvantages. Namely, it depends on the microclimate of the room in which the work is carried out. Humidity in the room should be at least 50%, then crystallization will proceed normally. AT winter period it is difficult to provide.

Polyurethane varnishes

Polyurethane varnishes help to form an insoluble coating, they are also distinguished by good adhesion to wood, plastic, metal, leather, fabrics, and plaster. Lacquers are resistant to sea and fresh water. They are able to retain their brilliance for several years. But the main advantage of polyurethane varnishes is the formation of a film with high wear resistance and mechanical strength.

Water-based polyurethane varnishes are among the most modern paints and varnishes. They have the advantages of acrylic varnishes (odorless, environmentally friendly) and the advantages of polyurethane solvent varnishes (durability, resistance to mechanical influence). And although in its pure form the films of such water-soluble polyurethane varnishes are inferior to solvent-based films, special additives of strengthening characteristics increase the life and quality of operation of this type of varnish.

Oil varnishes

Some masters use oil varnishes for decoupage. The main components of these varnishes are resins and vegetable oils, as well as organic solvents. When the lacquer dries, it forms such a transparent hard film from light yellow to dark brown. The color depends on the components of the varnish. Dries out oil varnish in a few hours, but it can dry for a whole day (it depends on atmospheric conditions).

This type of varnish is produced directly on the basis of organic solvents and alkyd resins. Varnishes are used for both interior and exterior decoration, there are also universal alkyd varnishes. They are highly moisture resistant and durable.

One disadvantage is the long drying period - about 72 hours. To shorten this period, some manufacturers specifically add a hardener to the varnish, which reduces the entire crystallization period to a day. Alkyd varnishes are applied to the surface with a roller or brush.

Nitro-varnishes

Nitro-varnishes are widely used for interior finishing work. Advantages of this type of varnishes: fast drying time, high strength, fairly affordable price. But it is worth remembering that nitrolacs are harmful to human health. It is necessary to work with nitro-lacquers only in a respirator.

How to choose a varnish depending on the surface to be decorated

1) If you decide to decorate using the decoupage technique (and even the one that will be used, and not stand “for beauty”), purchase a harmless decoupage varnish for the finish coat.

2) Products that will constantly come into contact with water or simply be used in damp rooms should be coated with waterproof varnishes.

3) good varnish dries quickly without cracks and smudges, evenly falls on the base itself, does not have a strong, pungent odor, does not turn yellow over time.

4) When choosing a varnish, it is worth considering what object you will cover with it. For example, a glossy finish on a shabby chic product will only spoil the whole impression, as it will contradict the very concept of style. Choose a matte acrylic lacquer.

5) You can specifically conceive a certain effect with the help of panting and special iridescent varnishes (triple or diamond gloss). You can take a matte or glossy shade. The effect depending on the type of varnish will be obvious. Therefore, in the column "materials for decoupage" be sure to mark which type of varnish you will use.

6) A special transparent varnish (water-based) will achieve a three-dimensional effect. This varnish is applied from a tube on wrong side fragments cut out of a napkin (on those elements that should be voluminous). After drying, they acquire the very necessary convex structure.

Today we will discuss the main problems and mistakes in decoupage for beginners and even professionals, as well as how to properly avoid them in order to get the perfect piece of art that you are not ashamed to sell, donate and even make your own small exhibition.

Yes, Decoupage is a very exciting activity, once you get to know it, it's hard to stop. But as a rule, after reading a lot of articles and getting excited to do something for the first time, we miss a lot of important nuances, focusing only on the process of gluing the drawing itself, sometimes not paying attention to the most important stages. And they are the basis of a positive result.

Mistakes in surface preparation during decoupage

It is on the correct preparation of the selected surface that the final result of good decoupage largely depends.

Glass and plastic - a very common mistake for beginners in decoupage to immediately apply paint, skipping degreasing (alcohol, dishwashing detergent, windows) and light sanding. Thus, over time, the drawing can simply slip, go in a wave. An exception is reverse decoupage on glass surfaces - the pattern will not look nice through scratched glass.

Decoupage of a metal surface - the preparation procedure is the same as for glass with plastic, the only thing you need to remember is to remove rust, if any. You can remove it as homemade means - white vinegar, citric acid and soda, or buy a chemical rust remover in the store. The remaining corrosion will give an unpleasant yellow-brown color to the napkin.

Correct primer in decoupage

The primer in decoupage is a place of common mistakes for beginners and a very important step. It is a link between the base and paint, glue and varnish. Also, skipping this stage, you can eventually find emerging mold and fungus on your work under the varnished surface.

It is better to prime glass and plastic with automotive primers, they are usually tinted, but if decoupage is reversed, only transparent. You can also use acrylic art primer for these surfaces.

Wood - in all hardware stores you can buy a primer for wood. Its main task is to prevent moisture from acrylic paints from entering the wood, which will subsequently lead to deformation of the paint layer.

Acrylic artistic primer is used for the textile base.

Of course, you can give advice for beginners in ducoupage that it is necessary to apply the primer either with a very soft wide brush, or better with a spray. A hard brush will leave grooves, resulting in image distortion and an uneven surface. If the product does not have a uniform surface, you can use a smaller sponge or brush.

Do not be lazy, it is better to apply 3-4 thin layers than one thick one. If you still see bumps, they are easily removed with the most delicate sandpaper. Be sure to let each layer dry, and, only after this, apply the second.

Paint application

It is necessary to apply white acrylic paint to the prepared and primed workpiece (only acrylic, not gouache or watercolor in any way - they are pale and will not withstand the next adhesive layer - they will spread), it will add contrast to our napkin motif and the picture will not be lost against the general background. With reverse decoupage, paint is applied to an already glued drawing.

The paint should be applied with a brush only in one direction at a time, otherwise the layers will not be even, they will not dry evenly. For me, the ideal tool in this case is a sponge (cosmetic sponge).

There is a nuance here - if in the end you want to have a bright White color, then PVA is better not to use, over time it will give yellowness. If you apply the image to the varnish, then water-based varnishes are best avoided - they do not interact well with acrylic paints. You should also refrain from nitro - such varnishes will simply corrode thin paper.

Do not forget that the napkin stretches after getting wet and the pattern can “go to the side”, so it is important to stick it starting from the middle and gently go to the edges. Thus, evenness can be controlled. Excess paper can be trimmed with either scissors or a paper cutter.

Secrets of decoupage

Also, the secret of decoupage, which is far from known to all beginners, is that never glue the entire napkin pattern, even a professional is not always able to do it. It is better to divide the drawing into several separate parts.

For large surfaces, however, better to use decoupage cards, having previously rolled up an extra layer (otherwise the level difference will be very noticeable) or pictures on rice paper.

Using conventional holiday napkins instead of decoupage, it can ruin the decor item - the paints will simply float from interaction with glue and get dirty everything around. Such napkins should be glued only to the varnish or the paint itself.

You can print the plot you like on the printer yourself, but then it is better to choose label paper - it is thin, multi-layered and already has the first layer covered with a film. It is easy to split it.

The most important thing is that if you use a decoupage card, magazine clippings, then glue is applied from below and over the picture, and before that, be sure to soak the paper so that it stretches slightly and does not wrinkle when it dries.

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A common mistake decoupagers make when working with images is incorrect drawing. It is performed only on a previously varnished surface. So you can protect the napkin from your mistakes and easily remove strokes you don’t like. It is very important that your colors match the general colors creating a unified picture.

Finishing lacquer

Lacquer in decoupage is required, it gives any work a finished look. Do not ignore or save at this stage, because the future depends on it. appearance and service life of your product.

Do not apply water-based acrylic varnish if the item will be exposed to water in use.

Apply varnish in thin layers, be sure to wait for it to dry completely - otherwise there will be small bubbles on the surface, the film will billow.

The main problems with decoupage

The main problem with decoupage for beginners is that they want to do everything as quickly as possible, but the more layers of varnish, the more the product will look like a factory one. Coat until you get a perfectly smooth surface. You can sand between layers.

How to store tools

So that the brushes do not have to be bought every time, they must be cleaned immediately. After using water-based products, it is better to soak in soapy water. If the chemical base, then in special solvents.

Having become acquainted with the main mistakes made during decoupage, and not only by beginners, we now know how to properly prepare the surface, primer, what colors to paint and how to stick a napkin. What is important to know when painting and what to pay attention to at the final stage of varnishing.

All this knowledge will give us an excellent result and a desire to create further. After all, even without being an artist and not knowing how to draw, we, with the help of decoupage, can create unique paintings. And for practice, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with mine in the next article. And of course, read a lot of articles about decoupage on the portal of Education and Self-development.

Varnishing is the last stage of decoupage.

When we first learn about decoupage, our hands are "itching" rather to try it and we are in a hurry to purchase materials. Can acrylic lacquer be applied over water-based paint? In most cases, novice needlewomen purchase cheaper materials.

And this is also correct. After all, we do not know in advance whether we will like this technique at all. And the further. In general, only our imagination limits us further.

I want to try different techniques, application possibilities, specific features of different manufacturers, but at the same time, favorite companies and compositions appear, which we remain unchanged.

Why lacquer?

When decoupage, we first varnish products to give them a finished look. This way we hide all the irregularities. In this case, the number of layers of varnish can reach up to 50-60.

Between this, it is necessary to sand the surface. If your work is done very well and there are no wrinkles, if you use napkins, it is enough for you to cover 3 times. After the first layer, it is desirable to sand and that's it. This is more applicable to experienced decoupagers.

If you are just starting out with this technique, then varnishing is your opportunity to correct flaws in your work.

And, of course, protection. We protect our surface from abrasions and scratches. Of course, for wooden blanks, manufacturers usually use resistant types of trees and solid parts so that they do not dry out and change shape.

But if you use a blank made of pressed cardboard or fiberboard, acrylic paints can change colors, fade in the sun, or if moisture gets in, the work will dry out altogether.

Lacquer is a liquid capable of producing a transparent, shiny film after drying in a thin layer.

Varnishes are solutions of solids in liquids that can either evaporate or dry out; solid substances are various resins, and ethyl (wine) and methyl (wood) alcohols, essential and vegetable drying oils serve as solvent liquids. The resin solution applied to the surface to be varnished dries, leaving a thin, transparent and shiny film (in practice called varnishing), the properties and qualities of which determine the merits of the varnish taken.

On the foreign languages words fr. lake, German lask means paint obtained by precipitation of organic colorful pigments with metal salts. Such paints in Russian are called bakans, and Russian word"lacquer", as a designation of a liquid with the above properties, is translated in Western Europe by the words English. varnish, Firniss, fr. vernis. Extract from Wikipedia.

Decoupage varnishes are divided into two types:

• Finishing varnish - the so-called varnish, which is covered at the end of work on the product.
• Craquelure varnish - a varnish for giving products a decorative look, in most cases for aging.

There are a lot of manufacturers of both those and other varnishes. Acrylic varnish for decoupage how to apply,? As a rule, in one line of a certain manufacturer there are both finishing varnishes, they can be glossy and matte, as well as varnishes for craquelure. Sometimes, when using craquelure varnishes, the first step of craquelure can serve as a finish.

However, it is important to apply it correctly.

If you are interested in craquelure varnishes, then separate articles on our website are devoted to individual companies and their features. We will talk about finishing varnishes later in this article.

To save money, you can use construction varnishes. There is nothing to even say about comparing prices with a special varnish for decoupage. The difference is colossal. More volume. But no one guarantees the durability of your product.

Also, this varnish can be very sticky.

In order to get a guarantee for the varnish, you need to buy special varnishes for decoupage. They give a durable, abrasion and scratch resistant film. Another important feature of them is that they lie on the surface very evenly, without streaks and streaks. And with their relative high cost, you save your time and effort by not spending them on an infinite number of layers.

But in this case, there are also disadvantages. Sometimes even one manufacturer changes its quality by changing something in the composition. As they say, everything is known by trial and error.

What are the problems with varnish?

1. Varnish turns yellow. This means that the varnish is based on a patina. This must be taken into account, because sometimes it will only work to give an old look.

2. The varnish rolls off. This can happen if you use different varnishes. One is water based and the other is water based. Often such combinations of varnishes are used to obtain craquelure. How to apply varnish on acrylic paint drawing?

Only one layer needs to dry, and then apply the second. Otherwise, the second water layer will simply roll on the first one or there will be gaps, the work can be considered spoiled.

3. The varnish sticks. How many did not dry and time seems to have passed a lot, but the varnish does not stop sticking.

There may be several reasons for this:

• The most common is low-quality varnish. As a rule, these are building varnishes of inexpensive manufacturing companies.
• Another reason may be the purpose of the varnish. For example, if you cover a plastic surface with wood varnish, it will most likely stick.
• It is also possible that you have not sanded the surface well. badly skinned surface, in rare cases sticky. You need to sand well and cover with another layer. This happens extremely rarely.
• Stir the varnish well from the bottom before using it. This, too, can serve you bitterly. Subsequently, the varnish may stick.

Of the building varnishes that are popular with experienced decoupage makers, one can recommend varnish Varatan, Tikurilla Parketti-Yassya, Sinteko, Tikurilla Kiva. According to the vast majority of needlewomen, they never turn yellow and do not stick, they dry very quickly. Yes, they are more expensive than other building varnishes, but much cheaper if you compare one volume with decoupage varnishes.

Otech is ideal both as a primer and as a top coat.

Additional Information:

In addition, as a rule, each decoupage work has many layers: primer, acrylic paint , pasted motif, drawing, craquelure. But you never know what decorative techniques you will come up with to use in your work! So, each layer of decoupage work can and even needs to be fixed with varnish.

I, like many others, have my own priorities for varnishes. I love water-based polyurethane, although it is yellow, I really like the effect of it. I also often apply wax-based varnishes to the finish, they even out minor flaws very much.

True varnish is not cheap, so I save it as a last resort.

high temperatures (for example, hot pads). In principle, Zapon is a universal varnish, it can also be used simply as a finishing varnish, especially for difficult weather conditions (instead of alkyd or nitro varnish). It is much cheaper, easier to apply, diluted with acetone. Zapon smells, you need to work with him in a ventilated area.

The brushes are washed first with a solvent (you can just white spirit), and then with soap and water.

What do you need for decoupage- this question is faced by everyone who wants to learn how to work in this technique. If you already have fantasy, desire and ideas, then the matter remains for the materials. Decoupage is now so popular that when you go to a specialized store, you can simply get lost in a huge assortment of goods and leave confused, having bought nothing or bought a lot of unnecessary things.

Can acrylic lacquer be applied over oil paint? To prevent this from happening, read the material on this page. With it, you can make a list of only those tools and materials that are needed specifically for your work.

This last step in decoupage is perhaps the most important. Not only the appearance of your work depends on it, but also the possibility of its further exploitation. In some cases, this is extremely important: when it comes to, for example, tea houses, caskets or notebooks.

After all, you must agree that these items must be resistant to abrasion.

Close to alkyd varnishes, but an alternative is the use of alkyd-urethane varnishes. Urethane groups are also added to alkyd resin solutions, resulting in alkyd-urethane varnishes, or uralkyd varnishes. These varnishes dry faster than alkyd ones (in 6-12 hours) and have significantly higher wear resistance. They have a pronounced smell.

Almost all varnishes turn yellow.

Varnishes are a poly composition consisting of resins and oils or alcohols. When such solutions are applied to surface the resin and oils dry out, and the alcohol turns into steam and evaporates. The varnish dried on the surface of the product forms a thin glossy or matte film, which is a waterproof protection.

The characteristic of this film directly depends on the properties of the composition applied by you.

Today in stores you can find a huge selection of varnishes, both artistic and construction. And of course, a lot of questions arise: which varnish is better to choose, how to use it, how to store it, how to apply it, etc. In this article, we will try to answer most of them. We will deliberately not indicate the companies and names of varnishes - you yourself will be able to choose those that suit you in terms of price and quality.

Functions of varnishes in decoupage:

1. Protective function - varnish and are used as finishing to protect the finished product from environmental influences - dirt, moisture, scratches, etc.
2. Many decoupage artists use varnish to glue motifs onto the workpiece.
3. Varnish and are also used to mask the border of the motif, to remove the "step" between the edge of the motif and the base. To do this, several layers of varnish are applied, and with a good drying of each layer, the convex parts are processed with sandpaper to level the entire surface. The procedure is repeated until a perfect smoothness to the touch is achieved.
4. If you plan to tint the background of the work after gluing the motif or draw shadows, the motif must be protected with varnish. From the varnished surface, the paint is easily removed if you accidentally drop into the picture.
5. If your product involves a lot of fine work, various decorative effects, it is recommended to fix each finished layer with varnish to make it easier to correct possible errors and shortcomings. This is especially true for working with glass and plastic.
6. Actually, the decorative effects themselves (craquelure, three-dimensional elements, patination) are also often made using special varnishes.
7. Varnishes are also used to prepare motifs for decoupage - printouts are varnished on top, and napkins can be sprayed with spray varnish on the back to make them stronger.
8. Varnishes can also be used for priming some absorbent (MDF, fiberboard, chipboard, ceramics, etc.), as well as vice versa smooth surfaces (glass, plastic) to increase adhesion.
9. Tinted varnishes can be used independently for decorating products (for example, for processing the inner surfaces of caskets, boxes, tea houses, etc.).
10. Some types of varnishes can be used as solvents or binders when creating decorative compositions.

Types of varnishes used in decoupage:

1. Acrylic and acrylate varnishes
The most commonly used in decoupage. Suitable for almost all purposes listed above. They dry fairly quickly with the formation of a dense indelible film; when thickened, they are easily diluted with water. Acrylic varnish differs from acrylic only in additives that make it more elastic. Acrylate varnish is even better for preparing printouts. Tools after using acrylic varnishes are easily washed with water and detergent or soap.

2. Polyurethane varnishes
Polyurethane varnishes are water-based and non-aqueous. The second give more persistent coating, but for reasons of safety and environmental friendliness, decoupage makers often use the former. Polyurethane varnish (for example, for baths and saunas) perfectly protects against moisture, therefore it is often used for products that will later come into contact with water (cutting boards, trays, hangers and bathroom boxes, street signs, etc.). After working with polyurethane varnish, brushes are washed in soapy water (water-based varnishes) or in a special solvent (non-aqueous varnishes). We pay special attention: polyurethane varnishes dry quite quickly, but completely "gain" their properties within a few days, therefore, works covered with such varnish must be left to stand before they are used.

3. Alkyd varnishes
Alkyd varnishes (for example, parquet or yacht) give a very dense coating, stable

To rough external influences. That is why alkyd varnishes are most often covered with products that will be "mercilessly" used (key rings, "street" items). Alkyd varnishes are not recommended to dry with a hair dryer, they can
behave very unpredictably (give yellowness, spots, bubbles, crack), and in natural conditions they dry for a long time (from 2 hours to several days, depending on the thickness of the layer and humidity in the room), so be patient. The result is really worth it! Brushes after alkyd varnishes are difficult to clean and only in special solvents (see instructions for varnish), so I recommend using either disposable inexpensive brushes / rollers that you don’t mind throwing away, or buying alkyd varnish in spray form.

4. Decorative varnishes
As the name implies, these are varnishes for creating decorative effects - craquelure varnishes, bituminous varnish, facet varnish and others. We will make a separate review on them, so we will not

Stop here in detail.

5. Nitrolac
Nitro-varnish, like alkyd varnishes, is used for products that will be subjected to rough external influences. The advantage of nitrolac is that it dries quickly (from 20 minutes to an hour). But it is very smelly and unhealthy, so we recommend working with it only in a special mask or respirator and in a well-ventilated area.

6. Tsapon
We put zapon in a separate paragraph, because it has one important property - heat resistance. They cover products that will then be exposed to

High temperatures (for example, hot pads). In principle, Zapon is a universal varnish, it can also be used simply as a finishing varnish, especially for difficult weather conditions (instead of alkyd or nitro varnish). It is much cheaper, easier to apply, diluted with acetone. Zapon smells, you need to work with him in a ventilated area. The brushes are washed first with a solvent (you can just white spirit), and then with soap and water.

7. Vitreous varnish
Vitreous varnish gives a strong elastic film,

It is resistant to abrasion, which is why it is often used by decoupage makers to cover passport covers, wallets, notebooks and other products made of genuine and artificial leather that are supposed to be bent, rubbed and simply removed from the bag often. In addition, the vitreous varnish is high-gloss and can be used as a finish when a perfectly smooth shiny surface is required, but you don’t want to suffer with epoxy resins. The varnish is easily diluted with water, tools are also easily washed with water and detergents. Vitreous varnish has only 2 drawbacks: high price and "capriciousness" in terms of transportation and storage (for example, it does not like cold and can change its properties).

8. Shellac varnish
Shellac is a decorative varnish used for patination. finished products, revealing the depth of color, especially when working with paints of metallic shades. Shellac varnish

It is also used for fixing bitumen and potali. Often used for woodworking, it emphasizes the natural structure of wood, gives a soft sheen without creating a varnish film. When working with shellac, brushes should be kept in alcohol, the tools are also washed first with alcohol, and then with soap and water. It dries quickly enough, almost does not smell and is easily weathered.

Varnishing tools:

1. Brush
We had a separate article devoted to brushes, where we examined in detail the methods of working and caring for them after varnishing, so we will not dwell on this point.
2. Roller
Foam rollers are most often used for varnishing. We recommend choosing rollers from denser foam rubber: the greater the porosity, the greater the absorption and consumption of varnish.
3. Foam sponges and sponges
Sponges are most often used for spot application of decorative varnishes (for example, bituminous) or when working with stencils.
4. Special swabs
To work with non-aqueous varnishes, for convenience and economy, special tampons can be made. More on this in one of our future publications.
5. Palette knife
Some types of varnishes (for example, facet or varnishes for 3D effects) can be applied and leveled with a palette knife.

Here's a little overview we've got. In the next publication, we will take a closer look at finishing varnishes and their use, depending on the operating conditions of decoupage products.