Various types of needlework today are rapidly gaining popularity. And if before the overwhelming majority was familiar only with origami, now, with their noses proudly raised, all kinds of techniques are marching around the planet - quilling, scrapbooking, and decoupage. It is about the latter that will be discussed below. Rather, not so much about him as about the materials necessary for him, in particular varnishes. What varnish for decoupage to choose and what they are in general - we will prompt further.
What is decoupage
Surely the foreign word "decoupage" raises a natural question for many: what kind of animal is it? Therefore, before talking about varnishes for this type of art, it is worth at least briefly telling about himself.
Decoupage is a type of surface decoration when an image is glued to the right place / thing and fixed with a special varnish on top. Thus, you can create incredible beauty with your own hands - and in a single, piece copy. And to learn to decorate products with the help of decoupage is possible for anyone - a man, a woman, a child, and an old man: there would be a desire, but there is absolutely nothing complicated in this technique.
You do not need to think that the surface for decoration should be any special. Not at all! Decoupage is perfect, and most importantly, looks gorgeous on anything - whether it is wood, glass, plastic, metal, fabric, leather or cardboard. The choice is huge, there are no restrictions! Plates and boxes, mirrors and dressers, notebooks and albums, covers and flasks, teapots and bottles, boards and trays, photo frames and vases - the list of things suitable for decoupage can be continued indefinitely. Starting with just one thing, it’s very difficult to stop later - such an activity turns out to be so interesting and exciting.
History of technology
Despite the fact that decoupage is very popular in modern times, it takes its beginning from the time of “King Peas”, that is, from a very long time ago. And specifically, from the twelfth century. This technique owes its birth to savvy and needlework Chinese, whose fantasy truly knows no bounds. Chinese peasants in those ancient times began to decorate their homes with various kinds of applications. In their country, this type of decorative art quickly became fashionable and soon leaked out of China. Walking around the world, the application technique reached Europe, where in the seventeenth century it reached perhaps the highest point of its popularity.
The seventeenth century was the time of fashion to the East, respectively, jewelry and patterns in the Japanese and Chinese style were highly valued. With the help of Chinese applications, European craftsmen decorated the furniture, the value of which soared almost to heaven. Such an interior item was considered a luxury, and not everyone could afford it. And I wanted to have such a little thing in my house, of course, to everyone! It was then that a simple thought dawned on someone’s bright head, how to observe beauty and save money: oriental patterns or fragments of paintings were carefully cut out from their “settled” places and glued to furniture. A thick layer of varnish was applied on top, so that even the most picky eye did not distinguish falsification. The technique of applications, as it was called in China, was renamed to varnish technique and became very popular.
Gradually, not only furniture but also walls began to decorate with carved drawings and pictures - this business started in London, where it was called print rooms (“print room”). The print room reached its heyday by the eighteenth century, when individuals had even entire rooms in their homes, decorated and decorated in exactly the same way. It was at this time that for the first time they began to produce special paper with pictures for cutting. In the pictures of these, as a rule, all kinds of angels and cupids flaunted.
Only in the twentieth century did this technique get its current name. As you can guess from the pronunciation, she owes them the French language, which has the verb découpage, which in Russian means “cut”. In addition, it was the past century that presented the technique with new creative possibilities - with the help of napkins, which they began to use in decoration instead of the old paper.
Decoupage Materials
The first thing that is required for decoupage is the item itself, which, in fact, will be decorated. Pictures and napkins, with whose help the necessary thing will find a second life, will certainly come in handy. You need to take care of the glue in advance - it can be either ordinary building glue, or specialized for decoupage. Both brushes and sponges are needed. And, of course, varnishes. But on what they are needed for and what types of varnishes for decoupage generally exist, we will discuss further.
Why do I need varnish
The need for brushes and glue is understandable, but why varnish is needed to decorate the surface? It performs several functions. The most important is protective, which requires the so-called finishing varnishes. They are applied to an already fully completed product to protect it from various external influences.
Glue varnish is also used for decoupage to fasten each finished layer of work - provided that there are several of these layers and the use of subtle decorative effects is expected. Varnish is needed to protect the motif before painting the background, to mask it, to create any decorative elements (usually voluminous), and as a primer ... In general, there are a lot of functions for decoupage varnish - therefore, without it, well no way to do it!
What are varnishes
What varnish is used for decoupage? After all, there are probably a lot of them. Indeed, there are many such compositions and they are all different. The most important thing that a novice decoupage master needs to remember is that all varnishes in their great variety, in fact, are divided into two categories - these are decorative, that is, those that are used for decoration in the process of creating a product, and the so-called finishing, which are used at the finish (that's why the name is): their goal is to protect the finished thing from the influence of external factors.
Now briefly list the varnishes used in decoupage, and then dwell on each variety in a little more detail. So, the list includes acrylic and acrylate, alkyd, bitumen, craquelure, polyurethane, facet, vitreous, shellac, nitro lacquer, zapon, oil, dammar, nitroalkide and porcelain varnishes.
Decorative varnishes
The category of decorative from all of the above includes bituminous, oil, facet and craquelure varnishes for decoupage. In addition, any acrylic and alkyd composition can be considered partially decorative (we turn again to this question).
Bitumen varnish
When working with such a varnish, it is important to remember that it dries quickly, so you need to act immediately. Bituminous varnish is used to create the effect of antiquity, antiquity: thanks to the dark film that forms when it dries, it seems that you have a retro-object. The disadvantage of such a composition in its sharp specific smell and instability - however, the latter is characteristic of all decorative means, which is why they need to be coated with a finish.
It is recommended to apply bitumen varnish with a thin brush, and it is also nice to have cotton pads on hand, so that if necessary it was possible to quickly erase excess.
Craquelure varnish
As well as bituminous, this decoupage varnish is needed to create the effect of antiquity. In addition, with its help create special cracks on the surface (by the way, the bitumen composition perfectly closes them).
Craquelure varnish is found in two types - one-and two-component. The first is always water-based, odorless, even allergic people are allowed to use. The second is needed at the last stage of decoration in order to create the effect of cracks on the very top layer, already on top of the decoupage.
Facet varnish
A kind of craquelure. Such decoupage varnishes have a water base, they are self-cracking - having dried (this takes about a day), they crack on the surface of the product. It is best to apply it not with a brush, but with a sponge, since in its original form the product is a paste.
Oil varnishes
Another type of decorative varnish is oil. They are composed of vegetable oils, organic solvents and resins. Depending on how many oils are contained in these products, they are medium, greasy and skinny. Greater varnishes give the product the greatest protection, but you should still not rely on them and use them as a finish.
Oil varnishes dry for a long time - from several hours to several days. Give the product a bright shine.
Finish varnishes
The finish varnish for decoupage, as already mentioned, is necessary for the finishing touch, to consolidate all the work. These compounds are distinguished by their increased resistance. As a rule, they are colorless, but have a rather specific smell. There are a lot of finishing varnishes. Let us try to identify at least some of them.
Acrylic
A feature of acrylic varnish for decoupage is that it can be used not only as a finish, but also as a decorative one - in the form of a primer. These tools are especially popular precisely because they are suitable for almost any purpose in this technique. They dry quickly enough, non-toxic, non-combustible, do not smell, do not turn yellow with time, do not let water pass. Acrylic varnish for decoupage is most often made on a water basis, but there are also compounds based on synthetic resins. They are very durable and flexible. If such a varnish is thickened, it can easily be diluted with water, it is very simple to wash the tools after work with it - the product can be easily washed off them.
In addition to acrylic, there are also acrylate varnishes. The difference between them is insignificant - it consists only in the fact that in the latter there are additional additives, thanks to which the varnishes become even more elastic.
Of course, acrylic and acrylate compounds are imperfect, they also have their drawback - dependence on humidity. In order for the product to dry out well and the varnish to lay down qualitatively, the humidity in the room where the work is going or was in progress should be maintained at least fifty percent.
Alkyd varnishes
Perhaps the second most popular decoupage varnishes. They are very dense, stable and for this reason they are in great demand for coating such products that will constantly be exposed to external influences - for example, key rings. The basis of these varnishes is alkyd resin and organic solvents. They do not respond to either heat or cold, is universal - they can also be used for decoration, indifferent to sunlight. When working with alkyd varnish, it is important not to inhale its vapor, as they are toxic, and to prevent moisture from entering the coating. Drying an alkyd varnish with a hairdryer is also not worth it - it will go cracked or may even give yellow.
The disadvantages of such tools are: firstly, the drying time is at least two hours, a maximum of several days, and secondly, the complexity of washing tools after use. Water is not an assistant here, therefore, choosing an alkyd varnish for work, it is necessary to take care of special solvents for tools in advance.
Dammar varnish
Unlike the above formulations, this one in decoupage is not very common. It is recommended to use it only if work with oil paints was preliminarily carried out, for example, to cover paintings.
The basis of this varnish is Dammar resin, over time it becomes yellow, from the very beginning gives the product a luster of amber.
Nitro lacquers
Like dammar, nitrol varnish is rarely used in decoupage. He probably has more minuses than pluses: toxicity, poor resistance to light and time (quickly wears out, exfoliates), a strong unpleasant odor. It is chosen for use by those who have a “deadline” - the advantage of nitrol varnish is that it dries for a maximum of half an hour. In addition, it is cheap enough, which also attracts many. However, choosing nitrol varnish for work, you need to take care of a well-ventilated area, otherwise there is a great chance of poisoning it in pairs.
Polyurethane varnishes
What is the most expensive decoupage varnish? Perhaps polyurethane - its high cost often discourages potential buyers. But in vain - this is the only minus of this varnish with a large number of pluses.
Polyurethane varnish is waterproof, durable, environmentally friendly, dries quickly enough, suitable for any surface. It is found both on a water basis and not on a water basis (it is better to purchase the first ones). It is steady against various influences of both chemical, and mechanical character, does not wear out, does not turn yellow with time. Some call it the best decoupage varnish. It is one-and two-component, as well as self-priming.
Glassy
A glassy decoupage varnish is used to create a shiny glossy finish. It is water-based, flexible, resistant to external influences, dries quickly. Its peculiarity is that it is self-dissolving - that is, it "spreads" over the entire surface during application, while laying down with an equally even layer. Transparent as glass - hence the name.
The disadvantages of this tool include its rather high cost, small volume, and the fact that he does not like the cold and in the cold can change his properties.
Zapon
A distinctive feature and the main advantage of this type of varnish is heat resistance. It is easy to apply, inexpensive, durable, versatile, and can be diluted with acetone. Its base is dissolved nitrocellulose and artificial resins. The zapon is harmless to humans, it is safe to work with it. Among the shortcomings is the smell.
Shellac
Shellac is used not only as a nail coating, but also as a decoupage varnish. It consists of natural insect repellent. It has an amber and transparent color; when dried, it gives a glossy surface.
Quick-drying varnish with a slight smell, which, however, is easily eroded. The disadvantage is the high price.
Varnish selection
Which decoupage varnish to choose? In this matter, it is necessary to rely on the following points. First, take into account where the work will take place - on the street or indoors (it depends on whether the varnish is acquired with a smell or not), secondly, to determine what needs to be obtained as a result - gloss or not, thirdly, remember , for what purposes the finished product will be used - that is, how much it will be subjected to some external influences and, accordingly, how durable the decoupage varnish should be. In addition, the subject itself is important - what it is made of (glass, wood, and so on). And finally, the price is an important factor. The combination of all of the above criteria will help determine which decoupage varnish you need in each particular case.
We are always afraid to start some new business. Scary: suddenly something goes wrong. However, the eyes are afraid, and the hands are doing - you just have to try, and such a truly exciting occupation as decoupage can no longer leave anyone indifferent.