Artist Finish
Artist Finish is an optional hand-applied varnish, worked over the printed canvas by hand, with a brush and blade. It is the one thing on this site that cannot be judged from a photograph taken straight on — the finish only reveals itself when light falls across it at an angle.
What it does
A print is flat. Paint is not. The varnish is worked over the surface in ridges that catch the light the way brushwork on a stretched canvas does: from one side the piece reads as smooth, from another the whole surface breaks into small highlights that shift as you move past it. Up close you can see the marks left by the tool. From across a room you do not see the varnish at all — you see a painting rather than a print.
How it is made
The canvas is printed and stretched first. Once the inks have cured, the varnish is applied by hand, one piece at a time, in the same North American studio that prints it. Because it is applied by hand, no two pieces carry exactly the same pattern of ridges — that is the point of it. The varnish also seals the surface, adding a layer of protection against dust and handling.
Where you can order it
Artist Finish is available on stretched canvases and on all six framed options, in sizes from 24x36 inches upwards. Smaller pieces are excluded on purpose: the varnish costs almost the same to apply whatever the size, so on a small canvas it would nearly double the price for an effect you would barely notice.
Because the varnish requires a stretched canvas, and stretched pieces cannot be shipped outside North America, Artist Finish ships to the United States and Canada only. Orders for other countries are produced without it.
What to expect
- Adds about three days to production, on top of the standard 3–14 days
- Available from 24x36 inches upwards, on stretched and framed canvases
- Ships to the United States and Canada
- Applied by hand, so the pattern of the surface differs from piece to piece
- Selected on the product page under Finish, once you have chosen a qualifying size and format
If you are deciding between the two and want to see more before you order, write to us at noirpixelprint@gmail.com — we are happy to talk you through it.