Varnishes are all more or less brownish yellow or yellowish brown. Therefore a coat of varnish applied over a paint obscures and changes its color to some extent. To overcome this as much as possible, the varnish, instead of oil, is mixed with the pigment, as a vehicle. In this way the pigment comes to the surface and displays its color. These paints, if made with good varnish, are durable; the method of application has already been described. If necessary to thin them, do it with spar varnish instead of oil; a good interior varnish may be used, but it injures the flowing quality of the paint somewhat.

White lead and zinc are sometimes mixed with damar varnish. This makes the whitest enamel paint, but it never gets very hard, never has much luster, and is not very durable. It is very white, is easily applied, and dries quickly.