We will begin by cooking raw resins over several days, while simultaneously allowing natural sunlight to thicken our pure walnut oil. Next, you will learn the delicate art of cooking the varnish itself, masterfully combining the resins and oil at the precise temperature.

You will discover how to extract vibrant, natural colors from the exact organic materials that were available to master makers in the 17th century. From there, we will grind the varnish and raw colors together to create a rich, historic glaze.

Finally, you will guide your instrument through its complete finishing schedule: applying the ground coat, the sealer coat, and the rich color coats. After curing each layer in natural sunlight or a dedicated light-box, you will complete the process with a final polish—unveiling the deep, transparent beauty of your violin. Interested in making color lake pigments click here to watch the tutorial.