Artists’ Varnish vs Shellac Protective Finishes

Artists’ varnish and shellac are both protective topcoats, but each suits different materials. Artists’ varnish is intended for fine art, such as oil and acrylic paintings. Shellac, a traditional natural resin, is mainly used for woodworking, furniture, and certain crafts.

What is the difference between artists’ varnish and shellac?

Here is a direct comparison to help you choose the right finish for your project:

• Artists’ varnish’s primary use is protecting oil, alkyd, and acrylic paintings.
  Shellac finishes wood furniture, seals porous crafts, and serves as an undercoat.
• Artists’ varnish is removable (can be dissolved with solvents for painting restoration).
  Shellac finish is considered permanent. While you can remove it with alcohol, it is not intended for painting conservation.
• Artists’ varnish is highly flexible and moves with a stretched canvas without cracking.
  Shellac is brittle and will crack on flexible surfaces such as canvas.
• Artists’ varnish is available in crystal-clear, non-yellowing formulas, such as mineral spirit-based acrylic varnishes.
  Shellac provides a naturally warm, amber tint, from blonde to dark garnet, and may darken over time.
• Artists’ varnish dries in  minutes for spray acrylic varnish; days/weeks for traditional oil varnishes
  Shellac dries extremely fast (to the touch in 15–30 minutes).
• Artists’ varnish is Mineral spirits, turpentine, or water (depending on the type).
  Shellac is Denatured alcohol (methylated spirits).

Artists’ Varnish: The Top Choice for Fine Art

Artists’ varnishes, gloss or matte acrylic varnishes, and modern mineral spirit varnishes, are made especially for fine art canvases and panels.
• Archival Protection: These varnishes help shield delicate paint layers from UV rays, dust, and pollution.
• Removability: A real artist’s varnish can be safely removed by a conservator, even decades later, to clean off dirt without harming the paint underneath.
• Surface Matching: They come in specific sheen levels (Gloss, Satin, Matte) to unify the final look of a painting.

See Winsor & Newton Artists’ Gloss Varnish removable with UV protection. See all Artists’ Varnish and Sealers.

Shellac: Ideal for Wood and Sturdy Crafts

Shellac comes from a natural substance made by the lac bug and is mixed with alcohol. It works well as a sealer, but it does not perform well on flexible surfaces.

• Barrier Coat: Shellac makes a great isolation coat in woodworking because it stops knots, resin, and odours from coming through.
• Not for Canvas: When used on a flexible canvas, shellac will crack quickly as the canvas moves with changes in temperature and humidity.
• Sensitivity: Shellac is very sensitive to moisture and heat. For example, it can leave white rings if you put a hot mug or water on it, and it will dissolve if it touches alcohol.

We stock a selection of shellac finishes, including Orange shellac, Lemon shellac, Blond shellac, Clear Shellac, and Ruby shellac.

The Exception: Shellac in Art

Artists usually use shellac in two ways: as a fixative for dry drawing materials like charcoal or pastel on paper, or as a liquid barrier on wooden art panels before painting.