I made a varnish mistake!?

Question

I applied varnish to a painting that I thought was completely dry. Most of the painting was dry when I touched it, but there was a tiny area that was still a little wet. I applied the varnish and I noticed that the area is a little wet and it got smeared a little bit. It's not noticeable and the area wasn't that wet, but still, I know that a painting needs to be completely dry before varnish is applied. Will this damage my painting?

Answer 1

Varnishing is put in order to protect the painting. You are supposed to wait a few months before applying any varnish. This is done in order to avoid cracking. But you can also apply the varnish right after the painting was finished, that is if you didn't take long painting it like weeks or months. So If you completed your painting within a few days then it should be safe. However if you did the painting in weeks or months then expect a little damage in a long time. Which even then, you really didn't do much harm to your painting.  

Answer 2

yes, but only a little. you can repaint the spot and varnish it again.  

Answer 3

No it should not damage it beyond the little smear.  Many artists, including me, use a "medium" to add glazes of color over their underpaintings.  One of the ingredients in most mediums is some varnish.  It's all of the same family...it goops up together like a family reunion of individuals who are still all of the same family (as long as you use oil based ingredients together and water based ingredients together and don't mix those.)  Your little problem is one of timing and not of ingredients. The rule of thumb for thin to medium thickness painted surfaces is 6 to 12 months before varnishing.  If you plan on selling the painting before that and will have no access to it to varnish it later, give it a blast with spray on retouch varnish and bid it good bye. Live and learn.