[Mischief]

Has anyone used this transparent gesso? Would it work as well as sealing the piece before painting? And do you sand the gesso after it dries? I find that is is..eerr ....fuzzy or sandy. I am not too sure. I could still was the gesso off if I am on the wrong track with this? And how about the waterbased varnish? Or maybe I will just experiement with that.

[Claude]

I've been using the water-based varnish to semi-seal the wood on a lot of my smaller carvings. It seems to prevent the paint form soaking in and spreading into adjacent areas. It's quick to dry, especially if I use the old hair dryer, and easy to clean up.

Claude

[Mischief]

Ahh so...varnish is not used as a finish....but rather a base?

[AlArchie]

You can use varnish as a sealer if you want but there are all sorts of sealers, water and petro based that will work. Varnish is generally used as a final finish, although it is obviously not the only final finish available.

Al

[Claude]

Forgot to mention...I use the Satin water-based varnish, thinned half and half with water, as the sealer. I prefer it for small carvings because it dries quickly. I also use it because my wife had a couple of pints of it that she no longer was going to use... I use MinWax petro-based Sanding Sealer for larger carvings. It takes a week or so to evaporate enough that I'm comfortable using acrylics on it. It also darkens the wood a couple shades, so I don't use it if I really want the basswood to look white.

Claude