How long does it take for Windsor & Newton's acrylic gloss varnish to completely dry?

I applied two thin coats of it to a painting yesterday (allowing for 15 hours of time between the coats), and it's now been 30 hours since the application of the second coat, however it still feels a bit tacky.





Do you think that it could still be somewhat wet after all this time, or is it just the way that that particular varnish feels even when it's completely dry?How long does it take for Windsor %26amp; Newton's acrylic gloss varnish to completely dry?
Acrylic varnishes do take a little longer to dry when weather is humid because the water from the varnish needs to evaporate completely. Don't be alarmed - give it a day or two and it will be fine.How long does it take for Windsor %26amp; Newton's acrylic gloss varnish to completely dry?
That sounds about right.





It isn't abnormal that a second coat takes longer. Even though the first coat can dry in a hour, it only fully hardens in days to come. Second coat is influenced by that. And glad it is because that helps make it a smooth layer.





it should be good in 2 days but fully hardened may take a week.. or even longer.
That varnish will dry quickly. It should be completely dry if it is in fact acrylic varnish. Completely dry in 12 hours or sooner according to humidity and temperature.
Windsor %26amp; Newton sells both an oil based varnish and an acrylic varnish. If you used the water-based varvish the first coat should have been dry to the touch within an hour under average room tempertures. The second coat within two hours after it was applied over the first. The only reasons I can think of why they haven't completely dried is perhaps because there is a lot of humidity or mosture where you live or you used really thick coats of paint. But even with a thick coat of acrylic varnish it still should have dried within hours.





But let me make several suggestions:





Why would you use a gloss varnish on a painting? If you ever decide to photograph it this will be virtually impossible because the gloss will produce a glair and the photograph will not show the painting's true colors. And using a flash would be impossible because the flash would reflect off the glossy surface and wash out much of the painting. It would be very difficult to ever reproduce.





Most artists use a varnish (or clear coat) that is matte finish, meaning a clear neutral coat that does not shine or reflect light and does not produce glair.





And the little jars of Windsor %26amp; Newton varnishes are too damn expensive for serious artist who paint a lot of paintings. Most of the serious artists I've known (myself included) these days use acrylic polymer varnishes with UVLS protection. You can buy these in spray cans (the most popular brand is Krylon) or in quarts. Or you can buy liquid or spray forms of clear polyurethane. Both Krylon and Golden (which is much more expensive) offers these. And you can buy polyurethane spray or liquid clearcoats at places that sell house paints, places like Home Depot or any hardware store.