Liquitex BASICS Gloss Varnish

This varnish brought my acrylic pieces to life! It dries to a sleek, glossy finish that enhances colors without yellowing or streaking. Super easy to apply—just a soft brush and patience. It gives my work that final “gallery-ready” polish and protects it from dust and scratches. Great quality, great value, and a must-have for any artist’s studio.

I am a big crafter and Liquitex has great products are great prices. This is quality plus, and I use this for making napkin covered items. Easy to use and clean up is easy too.

I've used tons of different varnishes for my acrylic paintings and they all had their issues, but this is the best varnish by far! The texture is so smooth and doesn't leave lines! I use a soft camel mop brush. It's got the perfect amount of shine to it and is super durable! The bottle size is great for doing many many projects because it goes a long way! It's thin enough to be workable and doesn't leave a sticky residue after it's fully cured! I even used it to cover some dowels that I made into dotting tools and I can still use a damp cloth to wipe the paint off them without the varnish coming off! I'm going to buy the matte and satin versions too for different projects! Liquitex is definitely the best! It even works for my air dry clay projects!

Works well and really allowed me to get creative, which amplifies both my work and the enjoyment I have of creating. Have some fun, try the molding paste and see where it leads you!

Love this stuff. Leaves a smooth glossy finish. Much like resin or glass but not. Good good product.

After finishing a painting I had poured a lot of time into, I knew I needed something reliable to protect it. That’s when I used the Liquitex BASICS Gloss Varnish. I’ll admit—I set the bar low, assuming I’d get just another layer that would dull over time. But what actually happened was far better than I expected. Here’s my story: the painting had dried for a week, surface completely cured. I chose a calm afternoon to varnish—laid it flat, stirred the varnish gently, and applied it with long even strokes. As I worked, I watched the sheen build up—and it hit me that the gloss was even and smooth, no obvious brush streaks, no weird clouding. I finished the coat and stepped back: the colors popped with new brightness, the surface felt unified, and the result looked like something I might see in a gallery. Over the next few days I inspected the piece under different lights—morning, midday, evening. The varnish held up: it didn’t fog in the humidity, it didn’t feel sticky or plastic-like, and handling the painting (for framing or display) didn’t leave fingerprints or smudges. The finish turned out flexible, even over the textured areas I had built up earlier, which gave me peace of mind that this piece is ready for the long haul. Here’s what stood out to me and why it matters: * The finish: The gloss layer really does increase color saturation in a subtle but noticeable way. My deeper blues and rich reds seemed more intense. * The clarity: No yellowing, no haze, no weird shifts in tone as the varnish dried. I was worried about that with budget products, but this one held firm. * The protection: Since it’s designed to resist UV damage, dirt, and general wear, I feel like my painting is not just pretty in the moment—it’s protected for time to come. * Ease of use: The instructions were simple, I didn’t need fancy gear. With a large soft brush and careful application I got a pro-looking finish without stress. And, to be realistic about it: this isn’t magic. Your surface must be fully dry; you still have to varnish correctly (flat surface, even strokes, no back-tracking over wet areas). If you rush or try to thicken the coat too much at once, you might still get brush marks or clouding. Also, if you’re working on extremely textured surfaces, you might see more pronounced signs of texture under the gloss—but that’s part of the art, not the varnish’s fault. My verdict: If you paint and you're looking for a varnish that gives you a clean, lasting finish without spending a fortune, this varnish is a strong choice. I ended up feeling more confident about displaying my work, knowing it looks good and is safeguarded.

Always buy this vanish

I used it in my medium for my custom mica colors for acrylic pouring. It worked well.