Browse more:

Gamblin Gamvar Varnish

Description

Item Specs

Photos

Reviews

Developed in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, Gamblin Gamvar Gloss Varnish saturates and gives greater depth to the colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective semi-gloss surface.

Virtually odorless, premixed, and ready to apply, Gamvar Gloss goes on water-clear, stays water-clear, and can be easily and safely removed with Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits.

Gamvar Gloss can be applied with a brush when the thickest areas of your painting are thoroughly dry and firm to the touch. Spray application is not recommended.

The 4.2 oz size covers approximately 80 square feet (7.5 square meters). The 8.5 oz size covers approximately 160 square feet (15 square meters). The 16.9 oz size covers approximately 320 square feet (30 square meters).

To achieve different finishes, you can also use Gamvar in Matte or Satin. Gamvar Matte reduces surface sheen while maintaining the deepest values in your painting. Gamvar Satin saturates the colors in your work but dries to a lower gloss level compared to original Gamvar Gloss.

Note — Original formula Gamvar Varnish is now called Gamvar Gloss. The formula hasn't changed, just the name.

Pricing Note — Items with the Blick Best Price icon () on this page are not eligible for additional discounts due to pricing restrictions set by the manufacturer.

see also ...

® Gamblin is a registered trademark.

Gamvar Varnishes

(enlarge)

Hint — click a thumbnail to enlarge.

Gamvar Varnishes

Hint — click a thumbnail to enlarge.

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Gamblin Gamvar Varnish

4.4

(based on 62 reviews)

90%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Reviewed by 62 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-10

Previous | Next »

10/14/2017

1.0

I wasn't too impressed with the satin varnish...

By Mel

from Ocala, FL

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

It was the first time I have used this product and i did some research ahead of time, but the "satin" seemed to not be a good fit for any paintings that have a lot of dark or black areas. I was trying to keep away from the gloss for photography reasons and I do regret trying out and spending the money on the "satin" gamvar.... It was hazy, had some weird stuff floating in the bottle and didn't seem to deepen the colors as stated in descriptions.

9/25/2017

1.0

Very disappointed

By Pansy Painter

from Blanchester, Ohio

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

While I have not used the gloss sheen of Gamvar, I am very disappointed with the SATIN sheen of this product. I thought it would be a wonderful happy medium to reduce the glare that gloss finish oil paintings have. According to the description it says: "Gamvar Satin saturates the colors in your work but dries to a lower gloss level compared to original Gamvar Gloss." This is not true, it did not saturate the colors and it dried to a dull matte finish and my deep colors look washed out and sunken over all. I now have to remove the satin Gamvar with Gamsol and it will be very difficult with the textures on my paintings done with a palette knife. This product should have a disclaimer to it. I watched the Gamvar video and thought I had it pretty well figured out. I have used spray varnish in the past, will go back to that application, I'm really disappointed. All artists know the hours untold spent on our paintings and to have this happen is very disheartening.

9/10/2017

5.0

Goes on smoothly, easily. BeautIful results.

By Wild beasts

from Canton Mi

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

I use it as a sealer for acrylic paintings. Deepens and intensifies the colors. Apply thinly. You will be pleased.

8/23/2017

1.0

Uneven and impossible to work with

By Haleh

from Oakland, CA

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

This review is for the glossy Gamvar. This varnish is a nightmare to work with because it is very thin and runny and no matter how thinly you put it on, expect to see all kinds of drip marks on your artwork. I am going to see if I can remove it, because it is impossible to get it even on larger artworks.

Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Merchant response: Thank you for your review. We're sorry to hear of the frustration you experience with this varnish, and we'd like to hear more about what brush you were using to apply the varnish. Gamblin does recommend a soft hog bristle brush as opposed to synthetic or other natural hair, as some of these brush types do tend to deposit too much varnish. If we can be of further assistance in troubleshooting your application, we hope you'll give us a call at 1-800-933-2542 or email info@dickblick.com. Product Specialists are available weekdays from 8am to 5:30pm CST, and they're happy to troubleshoot!

Was this review helpful? Yes / No

- You may also flag this review

8/14/2017

5.0

Great for the finishing touch

By Ray

from Idaho

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

I use this to varnish my paintings. It goes on clear, easy to work with, and its removable if you need to do something with your painting later. Its flexible and holds up well. When it comes to acrylic painting, make sure to use an isolation layer because it can absord differently in spots. Making the gloss uneven. Otherwise I love this product!

8/1/2017

5.0

i will buy this product again

By Pleased Oil Painter

from Somerset, KY

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

I applied the product according to the directions on the Gamblin instructional video. The Gamvar Gloss performed as I had hoped, giving a lovely depth to the colors and a perfect sheen. Because the varnish is thin, it is easy to put on a perfect coat that is not weighty.

6/24/2017

4.0

Still testing

By Are We There Yet?

from Trumansburg NY

Comments about Gamblin Gamvar Varnish:

I tried both gloss and matt varnish and tested on a variety of surfaces, oil on gessoed paper, oil on gessoed board, and oil on plaster. The matt varnish was too uneven for my taste and seemed to dull the surface. The gloss brought out the colors nicely and was even if not put on thickly. The gloss varnish also worked well with my heavily textured surfaces, but some areas seem to have more gloss than other areas. Because I didn't like the matt surface, I tried putting gloss over it and that didn't work, it came out very uneven. I like the fact that this varnish dries quickly.