[Leopoldo Benavidez]

Mike,

The proper method is to remove the entire varnish from the painting. Removing a small area to paint back into will work, but the trick is varnishing that area so it will feather back into the old varnish; it never looks right. Varnishing properly with Damar is a lot tricker than one would think. I have messed up paintings that looked like a glazed donut afterwards!

You work a small area at a time, dipping your cotton swab into turpentine, soaking that small surface area, rubbing very gently, squeazing the cotton dry, resoaking and repeat until the swab is too saturated with Damar, where you will then pick up another clean swab, and continue the process over the whole surface area. Slow work, bad fumes, but it can be done.

L