Varnishes give paintings a transparent coating that protects the painting from dirt, moisture, the effects of the weather, wear and tear. Most varnishes can be removed using, for example, Artists White Spirit or English Distilled turpentine. After the varnish has been removed, the painting can be varnished again without damaging it in any way. Dammar varnish contains a solution of dammar resin and turpentine, which is popular due to its strong gloss. This soft resin-based varnish is used both as a painting agent and as a finishing varnish. When added to color, a beautifully shiny and durable surface is obtained. However, use as a finishing varnish should be avoided when the air humidity is very high. Dammar varnish turns blue easily in humid conditions, the blue can be removed with alcohol vapor. For oil paint and tempera work, the varnish film can be lightly rubbed with wax varnish after drying.
