After drying for about 6 months, I applied a matte finish on this, and now finally got it framed after several delays. The nice part in oil painting is that it’s not a hurried pursuit.
Here’s a closer shot from when the painting was finished + progress: https://art.plantmonster.net/pieces/123.html
Excellent post. It’s exactly this. My art teacher taught me that if you apply varnish too early, the wet layers beneath the surface may crack with time.