I’ve got a couple areas where the paint has dried with a funky texture. I had a couple other areas like this. I used dennis’ fix by sanding it down to the ground then wiping it with alcohol and repainting.
Those areas seem to be ok now but I am wondering if I should be concerned about more of this happening.
If after correcting this, if I do not see any further issues after four months of drying time do you think the paint will be ok over time? Or at least another thirty years. 😬
Here is a photo of what it looks like. It’s hard to see but if you magnified your thumbprint by about a hundred times that’s what the surface looks like.

I’m using Geneva paint and did not add any medium.
Comments
This looks like specular highlights reflecting off a fingerprint.
On a much smaller scale but the same as sunlight reflecting off water ripples.
Light sanding with a fine grade will remove this in a snap.
Varnishing or oiling out will get rid of it too.
Denis
@dencal it looks like a fingerprint but I don’t think it is from any oil fingerprint on the substrate.
I am going to take Dennis’ advice and after it dries I will sand lightly and oil out.
When posting closeup photos it would help to include a small object in the photo that is commonly recognised. Ideally a ruler, but a paper clip or head of a paint brush would be a great help in diagnosing problems.
Denis
Is there any possibility you got some kind of unlikely freak level of oil separation? Could a spot of that extra medium (uneven medium levels) make those odd textures? What Mark says seems to imply the paint tube should be shaken every time you use it...(see the following at 6 min mark and after)
Although, if you paint often and you are mixing colors on your palette first, and it has never happened before, it seems unlikely that a rogue spot of extra medium was able to get onto your canvas... but still possible?
One second thought...
Was the painting in a vertical position while drying? (not laying down flat)
Does the texture match what you would expect from fluid flow? i.e. what you would expect to happen quickly if you had much more medium and the paint was runny right before your eyes?
If so, it might be that the paint went on too thick and over time it "ran" (on a much longer time scale) as it dried.
see this post:
https://forum.drawmixpaint.com/discussion/comment/106448#Comment_106448
@dencal I will keep that in mind to include a reference image.
@CBG the paint was not runny when I brushed it on. The panel was vertical though.
Thanks for posting the video. I did not know that about shaking before each use. I did mix the burnt umber and Ultramarine on the pallet before brushing it on.
you basically did your own restoration before the painting was finished! 😄
I plan on doing the same. I’ve been working on a particularly difficult painting technically and conceptually since Dec 11th and I don’t want it to fall apart on me.😀
I see this is an older post but wanted to share 2 pictures. I actually experienced this just yesterday with my Geneva paint. I believe this is from using too much paint in my case. I definitely want to avoid this in the future. I have a similar wrinkle/ thumbprint.
I realized I was trying to layer my dark value behind the highlights as a way to avoid painting in between everything. The green picture is a group of leaves. I wanted the dark background showing through but the paint sort of drooped into areas I did not want it. Paint will build up often in my work. I often find myself having to scrub color in or overload my brush.
I am thinking this is the cheaper cotton canvas I am practicing on, or the brushes I am using.