Painting - Painting over varnish??

I bought a white toybox for my daughter whish I am trying to paint over with a bespoke design. Is there any paint I can use that paints over varnish, I have tried acrylic but it just doesn't look very nice. I was thinking of maybe poster paint ? Or can anyone recommend any type of paint that I can use please?

I have a lovely winnie the pooh design that I have drawn onto the toybox and I just ned to find some kind of paint that will go over the varnish, I don't really want to have to strip it all and start all over again ;)

Any help would be appreciated thank you

Lynnette

Welcome to the forums Lynnette!

I don't know how well this will work for artistic type painting but normally when painting over varnish/poly you will sand and then coat with a solvent based primer. I know it wouldn't be feasable to sand but applying a solvent based primer [preferably a pigmented shellac] would give a good base for your acrylic paint.

If the toybox is white, it's not likely there's varnish on it - that's normally for a clear finish.

Is the white toybox high gloss shiny finish? Varnish is on stained woodwork. <p>Please let me know what a bespoke design is. Is this design only on part of the toybox with the original white color present or do you want to completly cover this white?

If it's truly varnish a primer of pigmented shellac (like Zinsser's B-I-N) is needed before painting with your base coat, and then your design

If it's white now, I am wondering if it is really varnish

Could you be more specific about the finish and what it looks like?

Thanks guys, I totally missed the fact that the box was WHITE :eek: :o

99% sure the finish is pigmented lacquer...

Typical in mfg opaque finishes.

Is the white toybox high gloss shiny finish? Varnish is on stained woodwork. <p>Please let me know what a bespoke design is. Is this design only on part of the toybox with the original white color present or do you want to completly cover this white?

A bespoke design is a unique design. I'm drawing the design on the box and painting it. The wooden box is varnished and I have drawn the design on and tried acrylic paint however it doesn't look very good so wondering if there is any paint i can use so i don't have to sand it all down and redraw everything.

Lynnette

Without sanding I would say an oil base Alkyd paint. But the acrylic you have on there is a problem. Does it rub off? You should remove this. When you say "does not look good", can you elaborate?

it's difficult to explain, the paint just looks wrong, not much of an explanation i know sorry :)

Is it something another coat of paint would correct?

unfortunately not, i tried that also. someone else suggested an oil based alkyd paint, what do you think?

If I were in your place, I would take a picture of the design, blow it up to original size, and then use that as a guide to putting the design back on after you have done proper prep.

While you might be able to get away with using an oil-base paint, keep in mind that primer was specifically designed for this sort of situation, and the people that made the paint expect that there will be a properly prepped surface underneath. Proper prep meaning a scuff-sand (not sanding for removal; that's not necessary) and a coat of primer.

Note that if your current tracing, pencil marks, whatever, are quite dark and contrasty, there is a chance that they will still be visible (although faint) through the primer. Many primers don't cover worth a darn, and that would be to your advantage here.

SirWired

I agree
You might get away with it
The primer however, is the proper way to do it