FolkArt 789 Clearcote Acrylic Sealer Matte

I use a lot of Plaid paint products including folkart. I though that I would give their clearcote a try and found this:


WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.CA.gov

Soft matte finish. This product may not be purchased by those under 18 years of age.

I got this :

• Ideal for professional artists and decorative crafters
• Soft Matte finish
• For use on wooden, wicker, florals, metal, canvas or any paintable surface
• Non-yellowing finish
• Waterbased-non-toxic 

from Amazon.com. where I purchased my 12 oz can. Notice it says non-toxic just above and yet Plaid has a warning that it can cause cancer etc. and may not be purchased by anyone under 18.

folkart 12 oz can of clearcote

I used the matte on several paintings and noticed a very strong and lingering odor. As always I use any of these sealer's outdoors. It's as bad as using turpentine indoors to clean your oil brushes, it'll smell the entire house. This, like other sealers is also highly flammable and could easily start a fire if you have a furnace or a water heater with a pilot light. DON"T DO IT! USE IT OUTDOORS!

Not only did I use this stuff outdoors, I also wore a painters' respirator to eliminate the breathing of any of the mist. I already have one form of cancer and don't want to end up with lung cancer as well.

So how'd the stuff work out? It's probably my favorite to use as it has an outstanding result. For oils I would suggest Krylon Kamar varnish. This is only meant for water based paints.

The colors are bright and vibrant and even the colors that ended up almost hidden in the background became clearer. It does not change the colors nor does it yellow. It does give you a much wetter look which has to do with bringing out contrast as in a photo shop program.

I don't recommend using this clearcote or others unless you are willing to go the extra mile to protect yourself, from the hazards involved, which most of you won't. They can make a non toxic brush cleaner for oils and yet in this age, they can't do the same for a sealer/clearcote spray for acrylics and oils. So are they waiting for more people to die from cancer before it happens? Crazy!

Plaid Patricia Nimocks Sealer

Durable, clear coating that seals prints, also for use over paint, lacquer, and varnish. Use as a sealer on bisque and stain-finished ceramics. Preserve maps, documents, prints, etc. This clear, waterproof sealer produces a non-yellowing finish. May be used as a pastel fixative or over antiquing glazes and stains. An ideal quick finish for wood, glass, metal, cast resin or plaster. Available in gloss or matte finish. Comes in 6 or 12-ounce aerosols spray.

I tried this on my paintings. It has a very strong and lingering odor so use it outdoors. I use it outside or in my garage with the door open and a painters' respirator. It is extremely flammable and toxic but seems to have a better odor than most sealers I've used.  A second coat can be applied in 5-10 minutes. The can does not say non-yellowing however  that's what is said in the description of the item on Plaid's website. https://plaidonline.com/products/plaid-patricia-nimocks-clear-acrylic-sealer-glo

My can says Matte. To me matte means no sheen or gloss but after sealing a couple of paintings there seems to have a semi-gloss look to them I did not wait several hours to see if the gloss goes away. I will see tomorrow. No it did not! But the odor had dissipated down to a level where I was able to take my paintings back indoors. I'll just deal with the sheen for now.

Just like other acrylic sealers, it brings out the colors and clarity of the paint in my art. We all know that most paints darken as they dry so it's a good idea to seal your paintings for a fresh brighter look.

If you don't care whether the finished product comes out matte or glossy then I would say go for it, it's a good product that goes on easily.

Aleene's Acrylic Sealer Spray Matte 6oz

I've used both the gloss and matte finishes on my paintings. I prefer the matte. It's intended to seal acrylic paints from moisture. It has other uses as well but I use it for my art. Aleene's comes in a 6oz can.

Aleene's Spray Acrylic Sealer

Here's what they say about it:

• Acrylic sealer spray provide a protective, clear finish
• Give a glossy luster to virtually any indoor or outdoor project
• A durable protective finish
• Spray on formula goes on simply and evenly
• Contains no cfcs-in accordance with federal regulations
• Applies clear and dries matte
• Spray-on formula goes on simply and evenly. 

Since acrylic paints have a tendency to darken when dry and you end up losing some detail in your paintings, Aleene's spray sealer brings everything back to how they were intended before the paint dried. It will not yellow nor change the color although it will bring out more contrast into your paintings. The contrast is what most people might think that it has changed the colors while actually bringing back the hidden ones. For some, your painting may look wet.  I use it on most of my acrylic paintings.

It may not have cfc's however the spray is toxic and has a lingering odor which will last several days. I recommend not using it indoors due to the toxicity and flammability of the sealer. I use it in my garage with the door open and wear a painters respirator mask. Instead of using my finger to activate the spray nozzle, I use a hand trigger mechanism as seen in the above pic. not only for better control but to keep the spray off my finger.

The sealer dries in just a few minutes and spraying several layers anytime, even when wet is not a problem. Once the sealer is dry and the odor has dissipated, I can take it indoors and admire the awesomeness of the painting.

Since I use it on my artwork, I can recommend it especially for paper and hard board panels. It works on canvas panels and on canvas but will need a few extra layers. By the way since it is a sealer for acrylics, you can still make a few touchups on your painting afterwards, should there be a need by painting right over the sealer. You can always use the spray again to go over the touchups you made using acrylic paints without a problem. I've done it several times and had none!

Since there was no mention regarding  best temps for spraying, I contacted Aleenes. I was told that as long as it's above -31F I should be okay. But I'm a bit skeptical about that claim. I will try it on a painting in the next few days at temps in the mid 30's F.

Update Nov. 15, 2018

It was about 33F outside today and I was eager to see how well Aleene's clear matte sealer might work in the cold.  I went into my garage, put on my painter's respirator, shook the can and began to spray. I was impressed! I had no problems and after spraying my acrylic painting with this sealer, it dried within 15-20 seconds. I was able to spray 3  coats within just minutes. I ended up sealing 3 16x24" within 10 minutes.

Due to the strong lingering odor, I left the paintings in my garage with a fan blowing on the paintings for several hours to get rid of the smell. When I took the paintings in, they were cold and let them warm up. I had no issues. So for now I think this will be my new favorite sealer for my artwork!

can I use Rust-Oleum clear coat on my artwork

I've been wondering about that myself for a long time and decided to try it. Why not? After all it is 3x cheaper than other sealers of the same size used in art. I found a can of Rust-Oleum 2X clear Satin spray paint in my studio so I decided to give it a try.

Rust-Oleum Painter's touch 2X Satin Clear

I chose more than one acrylic painting for the experiment. I knew I could retouch them if it didn't work out since the sealer is a water base product.

After spraying a few paintings with this stuff, I decided to stop. The first one went on fairly easily as I sprayed very thin layers but I noticed the painting became cloudy after my last cover. I figured it needed to dry for a few hours so I set it aside and sprayed my second painting.

The spray didn't come out even and there was more of it in spots so I decided to just leave one coat on it and let it dry. The paint has a very strong lingering odor so I had to let the paintings sit in my garage for a few days to air out before taking it inside to scrutinize them.

This spray paint is toxic so whether you use it for other purposes, do it outside or in a garage with the door(s) open. I also wear a painters' respirator to keep the mist out of my lungs.

After a few days,I was able to take the paintings indoors and compare them to my other paintings I've sealed using acrylic sealers for artwork. Most of my acrylic paintings are either on canvas boards or hardboard panels I made for painting. In comparing the Rust-Oleum clear coat, the other paintings looked much clearer and brighter. The colors with the Rust-Oleum seemed to be faded and have a cloudy look to them.

In conclusion: Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch, 2X, Clear is not a good choice regardless of price. It does not go on or dry crystal clear as do other acrylic sealers made for acrylic paintings so I can not recommend using it on your artwork. Spend the extra money for a good acrylic sealer, yu won't be disappointed.