These Are the Best Spray Fixatives to Stabilize Your Chalk and Charcoal Drawings
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Protect your charcoal, chalk, graphite, and pastel drawings, and more, by using a fixative spray. Although even the best will result in some degree of color shift, these sprays are valued for their ability to keep surfaces from smudging, fading, flaking, and discoloring. There are two basic types of fixative, regular and workable. If your piece is not quite finished but you still want some smudge protection, or if you intend to layer individually fixed media, go with a workable fixative. This holds your medium to the paper but allows you to still make small adjustments in shading, erasing, and blurring. Regular fixative, on the other hand, holds your medium firmly in place, preserving your artwork without the need for glass. No matter which fixative you choose, don’t forget to spray in a ventilated area and, even better, wear a mask. Get your fixative fix by browsing our roundup of the best products. below.
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ARTNEWS RECOMMENDS
Winsor & Newton Artists’ Fixative
This workable fixative is an excellent choice for artists who work in graphite, pastel, pencil, and chalk. It offers great smudge and dust protection after you spray over a layer, drying quite rapidly so you can lay down the next layer. Each press of the pump releases a relatively light spray of formula, which helps to prevent pigment color from diminishing, and also adds a subtle tooth to maintain the workability of the surface. You can add as many as a dozen layers on a single piece. Plus, while all fixatives have a chemical smell, this one is less intense than others.
Winsor & Newton Artists’ Fixative
WE ALSO LIKE
Lascaux Fine Art Fixative
Unlike the Krylon fixative above, this spray fixative from Lascaux is permanent. A non-yellowing, non-matte coating, it can be applied to drawings in dry media like graphite, pastel, and charcoal, as well as to photographs, collages, and ceramics. When using with pastels, remember to apply in several light coats rather than in one heavy coat so as not to dissolve the colors. Though whatever it is sprayed over cannot be reworked, this fixative is an excellent ground for further additions once dry. Note, however, that each layer of the fixative will darken your colors, so start with lighter shades at first.
Lascaux Fine Art Fixative
ANOTHER GOOD CHOICE
Grumbacher Final Fixative
Unlike the fixatives above, this spray from Grumbacher is permanent. A non-yellowing coating available in either a gloss or a matte formula, it can be applied to drawings in dry media like graphite, pastel, and charcoal, as well as to photographs, collages, and ceramics. When using with pastels, it’s best to apply this in several light coats rather than one heavy layer so you don’t risk dissolving your colors.
Grumbacher Final Fixative
MOST ARCHIVAL
Sennelier HC10 Universal Fixative
This is an incredibly powerful fixative consisting of an acrylic resin that’s 10 times more concentrated than most other formulas on the market. With outstanding lightfastness and water resistance, it offers the highest level of protection for diverse artworks including pastels, watercolors, inks, charcoal, acrylics, photographs, and decoupage. It’s also suitable as an adhesive or as a primer for surfaces such as wood, canvas, glass, and porcelain. Results can be displayed indoors or out. We also like the can design, which features a swivel nozzle that can produce either a horizontal or a vertical spray pattern. Although this fixative is non-yellowing, we advise testing it first because of its strength.
Sennelier HC10 Universal Fixative
ALSO CONSIDER
Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray
Krylon’s fixative is classic product. It goes on clear and will not alter the original color nor add a varnish to dry media such as pencil, chalk, pastel, and charcoal. Acid free and archival, this spray will protect your work from yellowing, wrinkling, and smudging, though it’s not as fade-resistant as Sennelier’s spray. The workable formula allows flexibility in layering in-progress pieces and correcting nearly completed ones. You can even erase through the coating to make more substantial revisions to your art. For best results, let the fixative dry for 30 minutes after spraying before resuming your work.
Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray
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1. Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray
Krylon’s workable fixative comes in an 11-ounce aerosol can. A classic product, it goes on clear and will not alter the original color nor add a varnish. Acid free and archival safe, this fixative will protect your work from yellowing, wrinkling, and smudging. The reworkable formula allows flexibility in layering in-progress pieces and correcting nearly completed ones. You can even erase through the coating to revise your artwork to a greater degree. For best results, let the fixative dry for 30 minutes after spraying before resuming your work.
Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray
2. Lascaux Fine Art Fixative
Unlike the Krylon fixative above, this spray fixative from Lascaux is permanent. A non-yellowing, non-matte coating, it can be applied to drawings in dry media like graphite, pastel, and charcoal, as well as to photographs, collages, and ceramics. When using with pastels, remember to apply in several light coats rather than in one heavy coat so as not to dissolve the colors. Though whatever it is sprayed over cannot be reworked, this fixative is an excellent ground for further additions once dry. Note, however, that each layer of the fixative will darken your colors, so start with lighter shades at first.
Lascaux Fine Art Fixative
3. SpectraFix Fixative Spray
SpectraFix’s 12-ounce container of fixative spray works on pastel, pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and mixed-media compositions. The all-natural formula is odor-free and nontoxic, and the pump spray design (rather than aerosol) protects lungs from inhalants. Fun fact: the formula is based on milk casein, believed to be same fixative Edgar Degas used to fix his chalk pastels.
SpectraFix Fixative Spray
4. Winsor & Newton Workable Fixative
The second workable fixative on this list, Winsor & Newton’s provides anti-smudge protection coupled with flexibility. This colorless matte fixative protects your pieces from yellowing, wrinkling, and fading.
Winsor & Newton Workable Fixative
5. Sennelier Delacroix Fixative
This minimal-odor fixative is specially formulated for graphite and charcoal drawings. Protect your pieces against smudging and fading with this non-yellowing sealant. With a matte finish and a spray that goes on evenly, this fixative won’t threaten the integrity of your finished work. Note that because of its strength, it is not recommended for soft pastels. For these, use Sennelier’s Latour Fixative instead.
Sennelier Delacroix Fixative
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