Having a problem with Acrylic on vinyl doll, sealed with Liquitex.?

Question

I used multiple thinned layers of acrylic paint on a vinyl doll. I then sealed the doll with 2 coats of Liquitex varnish. It looks great, and is not tacky to the touch, but when I place the doll on my desk or table, and then try to pick it up, it sticks a little bit, and even pulled a tiny piece of paint off. I let the paint dry 2 days before applying varnish, and waited at least 12 hours between the 2 coats of varnish. Any ideas of why it sticks to whatever surface it is placed on?

Thanks

Answer 1

This is most likely caused by migration of the plasticisers or surface polymers in the varnish on the doll to the varnish on your desktop. When they are left lying together in contact, some adhesion takes place.

There are two ways you can stop this: dust the base of the doll with talcum powder, or add a display base to the doll. You could also leave the doll to dry out for MUCH longer (like a few days), perhaps in a warm place - but the stand or talcum solutions are faster and more reliable.