Hi friends! If you are looking to seal your watercolour painting, this Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Review is for you. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
What Is Dorland’s Wax Medium?
Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Medium is a waterproofing protective topcoat for watercolour, gouache, oils and more, and can be mixed with pigments for tinting and special effects.
By the way, I purchased my jar at Michaels for CAD$19.99 with a 40% off coupon, which comes to about CAD$12. I have not seen it cheaper than that so far!
Texture and Feels
Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Medium feels exactly like vaseline! It surprised me how soft and malleable it was.
Dorland’s Wax Medium Application
I used a plastic palette knife to spread a thin coat over a wood tile that I painted with watercolour. I didn’t want to test the wax on an actual painting, not knowing whether I like the texture and finish. Moreover, it is supposed to have a clear, matte finish, so let’s find out.
This was the watercolour painted wood tile before I applied Dorland’s Wax:
This is after one coat (before curing):
Not gonna lie, the milky film of wax made me a bit nervous. I let it cure for 25 hours (one extra hour than suggested) and it did dry to a less milky finish, though I wouldn’t call it completely clear:
When I touched the cured wax coating, it felt filmy, but it wasn’t sticky. You can feel that it is a coating, just like touching a candle.
Waterproof Test
To test its claim of being waterproof, I dropped water on the cured wax medium. True to its claim, it is waterproof. I even ran a paper towel over it to soak up the water and the paint did not come off.
However, when I buffed the wax as the instruction advised to give it a bit of shine, the wax actually rubbed off. I might have buffed it too hard, so this could be user error.
Special Effects
Lastly, I tested Dorland’s Wax Medium with some pigment powders. I applied two pigment powders and a sparkly embossing powder to the wax and spread the paste on the painting. This would be the 2nd coating.
I left it to cure for approximately 26 hours this time. It dried and did not rub off this time, and none of the sparkles and pigment came off when I touched it.
Furthermore, the longer curing time actually improved the feel of the coating. It became less waxy to the touch and does not rub off even if I buff it with a cloth. Perhaps a second coat is necessary.
Overall Review of Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Medium
I don’t know whether it’s because of the dark background, but Dorland’s Wax Medium did not dry completely clear on my painting. However, it is still a good waterproofing sealant for watercolour, especially if you want to paint a postcard and are afraid of smearing if it gets wet during transit.
As a special effect medium it is also very cool. The wax does have a slight filmy feel once dried, but it is not sticky. However, I don’t like the film/coating. It is a matter of personal preference, and I am glad I didn’t coat a painted piece on paper with it. If you let it cure longer the waxy feel is lessened, though. I highly advise testing it out on something you don’t care about, because you may not like the finish.
If you don’t like that filmy feel or a slightly cloudy finish, there are fixatives and varnishes you can use too. I’d say Jacquard Dorland’s Wax Medium is a pretty good waterproofing sealant, and if you don’t use it on a very dark painting you might really like the results.
