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What types of violin paint are there? What are the differences between oil-based paint, alcohol-based paint, and semi-oil-based paint?

In addition to the wood used in making a violin, the second most important aspect is the paint. Now let’s take you through the function of violin paint? What specific types of paint are there? And what are the differences between various types of paint?

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Single board handmade European violin

What is the function of violin paint?

Violin paint mainly protects it from being stained during use, reduces the contact of the wood surface with air and light, slows down the aging of the wood, and extends the service life of the instrument.
Secondly, it also has a decorative effect, making the instrument more beautiful and increasing the artistry of the instrument's appearance, thus changing the aesthetic value of the instrument. Since the violin is an instrument made of wood with a very beautiful and beautiful grain, retaining the grain of the wood is the primary requirement for the decorative nature of the violin paint.
Finally there is the acoustic aspect. Acoustic performance is one of the most important properties of violin paint. There are two opinions on this issue. One opinion is that the reason why ancient Italian violins are different from modern violins is that paint played a key role. Another useful method is to realize the important role that surface coating plays in the appearance and sound of the violin.

Handmade violin
handmade violin

What types of violin paint are there?

There are roughly four types of violin paints: oil-based paint, alcohol-based paint, alcohol-based paint, and chemical polyester paint.
Oil-based paint: Its main ingredients are drying oils and resins. High-quality grease paint has an oily luster, rich elasticity, and moderate hardness. It is very helpful for the pronunciation of the violin. Grease paint is blended with lakes and toners. Its color is transparent and has rich color connotation, so it is the first choice for violin paint. Single oil paint is generally not easy to dry. Now it can also be dried with ultraviolet lamp to make up for the use of oil paint in areas with insufficient sunlight.

The black thread of a truly handmade violin

alcohol paint

It is made of alcohol as a solvent, and other ingredients include shellac, resin, frankincense and other materials. The colors of alcohol paint are generally based on natural pigments. The most common ones are natural plant pigments such as dragon's blood, rosewood, and garcinia. Alcohol paint is popular because it is simple to make, easy to use, and quick to dry, especially in countries with large violin production such as Germany and France after the 19th century.


Semi-alcoholic paint

The semi-alcohol oil paint mentioned here means that when painting, first use oil paint as a primer, and then cover it with alcohol paint, or use alcohol paint to prime first, and then cover it with oil paint. To finish the violin's paint, you can either use a layer of oil-based paint as a base, a second layer of alcohol paint, and a third layer of oil-based paint, a sandwich coating method.
The above is about violin paint. When choosing a violin, don't just limit yourself to the color of the paint, but also pay attention to its texture.

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