How to preserve pencil drawings

Yes! Hairspray can be used as a useful final fixative for pencil drawings. It works well to protect your drawing from smudging.

This workable fixative from Krylon is a must for protecting pencil, pastel, chalk, charcoal, conte crayon and india ink drawings. The spray is acid free and archival safe and protects items from smudging, yellowing and wrinkling, yet you can erase through the coating to rework artwork if needed.

With a maximum lightfast rating, pencil drawings are expected to last for more than 100 years. That said, it’s important to protect pencil drawings from other harms, such as smudging. Graphite is composed of carbon.

The answer is yes – you can use hairspray to set your charcoal drawing if needed, but you should use a professional fixative if you are serious about drawing. Using a fixative or hairspray will help, as it will bind the charcoal granules that sit on the surface of the paper, together, which helps prevent smudging.

Use Fixative Spray

To stop charcoal sketches from smearing, one must use fixative spray. Use many light coats to avoid dust from the sketch. Instead of applying one heavy coat of fixative, it is best to apply multiple lighter coats. You need to hold the fixative about 2 feet away from the paper while you spray.

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Protect your charcoal, chalk, graphite, and pastel drawings by using a fixative spray. Fixative spray keeps surfaces from smudging, fading, and flaking after a work is complete. There are two basic types of fixative, regular and workable.

Whether sprayed or unsprayed, when framing a charcoal drawing, it’s best to use a double or triple mat to prevent the charcoal from touching the glass. Friction is the enemy of charcoal so when cleaning the glass, a slightly damp cloth should be used to avoid the static that a dry cloth can create.

ANSWER: There are many opinions as to whether or not a charcoal drawing should be sealed with a fixative upon completion. Some say yes to preserve the drawing and prevent it from smudging. Others say no as it can cause charcoal particle loss or value changes if not applied properly.

The ideal method is to use T-Hinges, V-hinges or acid-free photo corners attached to the backing board rather than the mount board. By connecting the drawing to the backing board using hinging or photo corners, you’ll ensure there’s minimal movement and with that, minimal dust falling from the paper.

The properties of hair spray as a fixative for pastel and charcoal on paper. Many artists who create drawings with friable or powdery media, such as chalk, pastel and charcoal, choose to use hairspray as an inexpensive alternative to commercially available art fixatives.

Allow fixative to dry completely before painting, drawing or touching the work. Do not over apply as it will cause a more dramatic color shift or even cause pastels to dissolve in the fixative.

Mix casein with (grain) alcohol and (distilled) water, in a 1:2:5 ratio. See here for more experiences (and likely some troubleshooting). And in case you have any shellac at home, you can try mixing it with isopropyl alcohol in a 1:4 ratio to create a shellac fixative³, which you can apply using a spray can.

Royal Talens Concentrated Fixative Spray

Good smudge protection after 1 coat. Not water resistant.

Simple Fixatives – These fixatives are made up of simple chemical compounds and take more time for the fixation of tissues. For example, Formalin, Picric acid, Mercuric oxide, osmic acid, Osmium tetroxide etc. For example, Susa fluid, Carnoy’s fluid, Bouin’s Fluid, Formal saline, buffered formalin etc.

Methanol is commonly used as a fixative for blood films and 95% ethanol is used as a fixative for cytology smears but both alcohols are usually combined with other reagents when used as fixatives for tissue specimens.

The two main mechanisms of chemical fixation are cross-linking and coagulation.

Fixative: A medium such as a solution or spray that preserves specimens of tissues or cells. Most biopsies and specimens removed at surgery are fixed in a solution such as formalin (dilute formaldehyde) before further processing takes place. “Fixative” is derived from the Latin “figere” (to fix, fasten, make stable).

Crosslinking fixatives – aldehydes

The most commonly used fixative in histology is formaldehyde. It is usually used as a 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF), that is approx. 3.7%–4.0% formaldehyde in phosphate buffer, pH 7. The formaldehyde vapor can also be used as a fixative for cell smears.

A fixative is a stabilizing or preservative agent: Fixative (drawing), a liquid usually sprayed over a finished piece of artwork to better preserve it and prevent smudging. Fixation (histology), a solution used to preserve or harden fresh tissue of cell specimens for microscopic examination.

The MOST common and widely accepted fixative is 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF). This aqueous solution is considered a “universal fixative” since it can be used for a wide variety of stains and techniques. May result in formalin pigment in bloody tissue, but this is prevented by neutralizing the formalin.