Using Cold Wax Medium to Seal a Finished Watercolor Painting

In this video I'll show you how I varnish and seal a finished watercolor painting!

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These are the supplies used in this video:
📜 New York Central Professional Watercolor Panel 1 & 5/8" depth, Fabriano cold pressed paper - from Jerry's Artarama

🎥 Film & Editing Gear 🎞️
- Editing Software: Adobe Premiere Pro

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[christinebravomom]

I received this very helpful information from Gamblin about my waxy finish problem. It’s likely that the wax was applied a little too thickly. It can be removed with Gamsol without harming the underlying surface. [Gamsol is a petroleum distillate but all the aromatic solvents have been refined out of it, less than .005% remains. Aromatic solvents are the most harmful types of petroleum solvents.]
1. Take a clean lint-free cotton cloth and wet it with Gamsol. This is your dissolving rag.
2. Using circular strokes, dissolve a small area of the wax at a time.
3. Immediately wipe away the dissolved wax with another dry cotton cloth.
4. Unfold and refold the wiping cloth several times during the process to make sure you are using an absorbent part of the cloth. Usually, there is enough of a difference in surface sheen to tell where wax has been removed. If it is difficult to tell, approach the surface systematically in small areas at a time.
5. Repeat until the wax is removed from the desired areas.
6. A final wipe down with a fresh cloth and Gamsol may help to ensure any residual wax is completely removed.
In the future, you might not have this situation if you apply the wax more thinly. Below are some application tips.
1. It is easier to apply CWM as a varnish if it is warmed first by placing the closed container in the sun or in a pan of hot tap water. (The goal is to soften the wax without melting it.) Softening the stiff paste allows for it to be spread more easily over a broad area.
2. Warming will accelerate the evaporation rate of Gamsol out of the beeswax, so adequate ventilation should be observed.
3. Pat a small amount of wax onto a soft, lint-free cotton cloth and rub it thinly over the painting using small circular motions.
Rubbed-on CWM allowed to dry completely (18-24hrs) will appear matte. For a satin finish, allow the CWM to dry 4-6 hours, then buff gently with a soft, lint-free cotton cloth.

I hope these tips and suggestions help. Please let us know if you have further questions.

Kind Regards,
Mary, Product Expert

[Blick_Art]

Interesting! Looks like the wax was less dramatic in terms of deepening the dark values. If you're going to display works on paper without glass, this seems like a sensible measure to protect the art and make it easier for the collector to keep it clean and dust-free. Nice!

[ChantelleArts]

100% recommend the Dorlands cold wax medium too, it’s really good and can be easier to find in some countries 😊

[christinebravomom]

Emily, I cross-posted this to your FB page. Hoping I can get your attention here or there. I bought one New York Central Professional Watercolor Panels Arches 140lb Bright White Cold Press 1-5/8" Panel 6x8" and some Gamblin Cold Wax Medium to try them out.

The 1-5/8" depth of the 6x8" panel makes it look exactly like a hardcover book, so I decided to go with that idea. I taped some tag board over the watercolor paper to protect it while I painted the sides with acrylic paint to look like a bound book. When it was thoroughly dry, I applied the wax . It's been 8 days. Every source I've looked at says it "dries" in a few days. I expected dry to mean ... like, DRY. It's not.

I did some surfing and found one site that mentioned it would feel like a beeswax candle, which actually makes sense since it is beeswax with some solvent that evaporates.

My questions are 1) if I didn't do it right, can I fix it? 2) If I did it right, should I get over how it feels, because who feels their paintings? 3) If I did it right and want to display this piece on a wall, will the inevitable dust be difficult to impossible to clean?

[craftdipper]

Thanks for demonstrating this product. I had never heard of it. I like that it can be buffed smooth afterwards. Your snow leopard painting is breathtaking ✨😍

[jennw]

I really want to try putting finished paintings on panels myself!!

[Saahrish]

Thank you for sharing this. I have always wondered what would be the best way to seal watercolor paintings. Have heard about sealing with cold wax and have seen people use UV protective spray but have always been skeptical. Now that you have shared about these two mediums I will definitely try them because I trust your word and follow it blindly 😊

[sandyb]

This is something I've been curious about trying. It was nice to see that it didn't seem to effect the darkness/lightness of your painting.
Thanks for sharing!

[dianepaeva]

Thank you soooo much for this video! I am french and I have been searching for two years techniques and tips to protect watercolors paintings. Thank you for your help!!!

[annabanana]

Just bought some today and used this stuff in my watercolor sketchbook! Pretty nice

[ShuvahHim]

I always use Dorlands wax - never used Gamblin before -

[dianalynn]

Emily, thank you very much for this important informative video. It was very helpful to me.

[elizabethhumphrey]

It is easy to apply your watercolor painting to a wooden panel with spray adhesive and then apply the wax, I use an old sock to apply

[artonthecreek]

Cool! Thank you so much I didn’t even know the wax existed!!

[StudioEstherillustration]

Very interesting, I thought about trying this, but was scared it would smear! Thank you for demonstrating how it works :)

[cindyp.]

This is good information to know, if I ever do something worth saving I will try this for sure. Thank you.

[marikareimer]

Hello Emily, I was at the edge of my seat when you had a glop of wax ready to apply to your beautiful snow leopard! I had horrible images running through my mind of your paint smearing all over! I realize you said "it's wax, not water" but it threw me for a loop. Thank you for this great video on preserving water colour paintings. Take care, see you soon 🤗

[MariaDeesy]

This was helpful, thank you! I just started oil painting and the wax came with a set of Gamblin mediums. I’ve never used it before and didn’t know what to do with it. I’m excited to try it on my watercolor paintings. Nice interview with Steve MOW, I’m now subscribed here. 😊

[chantalrochon]

Great information❤your video. Thank you!

[PatriciaPageMosaicArtsCrafts]

What a beautiful painting! Thanks for the wonderful tip 👍🏾 ❤