logo

Video encyclopedia

Shellac

7:12

Using Shellac Tutorial-Video 2 in series of painting a dresser with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

5:35

How to Apply Shellac

5:59

How to Shellac Paper for Oil Painting

10:13

How To Paint with Oil on Watercolor Paper | Shellac Demo for Painters

6:04

Dry Shellac Burn Encaustic Painting with Earthy Alcohol Inks

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes (pictured) and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture. Phonograph and 78 rpm gramophone records were made of it until they were replaced by vinyl long-playing records from the 1950s onwards.