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I've been testing material for sealing my work, hoping to find something that won't altar texture/colour. Perhaps it's a fantasy- mat acrylic lacquer deepened all the colours a bit, and worse yet, with successive coats, glossed the surface.
Ideas?
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Welcome to the world of desire over reality!
I think the color issue is a light-reflection issue, and probably isn't going to change unless you can solve the matte problem almost to excess.
The only tip I can pass on is from a professional artist I was talking to many years ago. She said that matte finishes contain a fine grit sort of material that makes the naturally shiny coating appear to be matte. She said that every product she used needed to be thoroughly stirred just before use, because the matte-material always sank to the bottom. And she said that the older the finish material (the longer it had been stored), the less effective the matte effect was.
Thinking about your message here, I am wondering (*Danger! Danger!*) if adding a matte-inducing material would be an improvement. I was reading about silica a few days ago, and its pretty stable, chemically. I wouldn't be surprised if some form of fine silica is the source of the matte effect in finishes.
(pause for research)...
Okay, one MSDS for a clear matte lacquer sealer found at random (Hill Brothers Desert Brand Lacquer Sealer Matte Clear) indicated it contained 'ceramic microspheres', which would probably have the same effect.
A very fine (like flour), non-toxic form of silica is Diatomaceous Earth (aka DE), a naturally-occurring material composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms. What would happen if you mixed this DE into your clear coating and applied it to a painted surface? What would happen if you applied your usual surface coating and then dusted the finest layer of DE over the surface?
I need to add this experiment to my three-mile-long list of things to do...
If you try it, please post and let us (me) know what happened.
* DE is used for many things, avoid the ones that involve swimming pools, or any with additives. DE is used for insect control, but some products contain poisons. The very best grade is FOOD GRADE. If you have a place nearby that caters to horse/livestock people, ask there. It is often available in health shops, but may only come in tablet form, and you may not be able to grind it fine enough for this purpose. Ask for powder.
Sue
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I have had great luck / success with Liquitex Matt varnish. If you want a glossy look (doesn't sound like you do, but someone might be reading this who does), the Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish works well. These are acrylic coatings. They claim to have UV blockers and do not yellow. Also, being acrylic they are flexible. The only downside is that they are somewhat expensive but if your art store offers coupons you can save 40 - 50% off sometimes. (Michaels and JoAnn's in the US)
I like the fact that these varnished seem to make the colors richer. Not sure if that is what you mean by "deepening" the color.
Good luck in your quest and I hope this helps!
* Read the directions on the matte varnish: states to put it over a coat of gloss medium or it may be tacky. I did so and had no tackiness problems.
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CatPerson wrote:
Welcome to the world of desire over reality!
I think the color issue is a light-reflection issue, and probably isn't going to change unless you can solve the matte problem almost to excess.
True, that- still, the breadth of what I don't know allows for the miraculous. 
While studying tree bark colour, I discovered first, that, like a pointillist painting, colour is a mater of perspective- a close focus reveals constituents. Still, the colour schema were more complex than I could wrap my head around- until I viewed them in the rain. All the colours became distinct, less homogeneous - less unified. The visual noise of texture is an important component.
I'll hit drying test pieces with a wire brush and sand paper today, see if there is any satisfaction found there.
CatPerson wrote:
A very fine (like flour), non-toxic form of silica is Diatomaceous Earth (aka DE), a naturally-occurring material composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms.
Until the era of the ready-made-package-everything, artists were explorers on the frontier of material science. I laud your spirit!
A caution: diatomaceous earth works on people the same way that it does pests- largely by cutting and clogging the lungs. You could water it down and bathe in it with little ill effect; air born particles, however, are highly toxic. Don't breath this very fine powder.
Thanx for the words Cat, Bugaloo.
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