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Posted: July 24, 2012

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Fixing charcoal and pencil drawings.

~overmood Jul 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

I use both pencils and charcoal in my drawings. I began using a fixative of the brand LEFRANC & BOURGEOIS a while ago, and it seemed that it was working great until I revisited my old drawings that I had sprayed with this fixative. I found that some of them are still smudgy while others would become smudgy if I pressed hard to them.
I am not sure if it is a workable or permanent fixative, as there is no indication whatsoever on the spray can. Also, should a fixed drawing be totally smudge resistant, or does the fixative only reduce its smudgeness?! And if so, do I have to spray the drawings every few months?

The fixative: [link]

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~Four-Skulls Jul 25, 2012

I did alot of charcoal work in college, and I was never able to keep them from smudging, even with several coats of fixative. I took some of my pastel work (on Velour) to a job interview, and they wondered why it wasn't fixed...even though I told them that you couldn't put fixative on Velour paper.

`saintartaud Jul 25, 2012 Professional General Artist

I usually use a few coats of workable fixative, and it's pretty typical for there to be some transfer from the drawing, especially after it's been in storage for a few months/years. It's usually never severe enough to cause notable changes to the drawing. It sounds like you're already taking the necessary precautions by protecting your drawings in plastic sleeves. Avoid direct finger contact with the drawing, and consider matting or framing it for further protection.

~overmood Jul 25, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Thanks for the suggestions.

*DSiwek Jul 24, 2012 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Fixative helps prevent smudging but it doesn't glue the whole mass of charcoal down. You wouldn't want to coat it to heavily either, as it can cause some weird effects. I had one charcoal drawing sprayed to heavily, and it caused the charcoal to clump into the texture of the paper, making it much more visible than it was before fixative :/

If you're displaying the work, I would say frame it behind glass. If you're just storing it somewhere, tracing paper makes a decent barrier. I like to tape a sheet of it with low-tack masking tape for that.

~overmood Jul 25, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Thanks for the reply. I store each of the drawings in a separate plastic cover. They seem stable, but sometimes I find charcoal residue on them transferred from the drawing.

=Sabhira Jul 24, 2012 Student Traditional Artist

Did you put enough on? I find charcoal and pencil meed several coats before it's smudgeproof.

~overmood Jul 24, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Several like how many as average? And will it make a difference if the fixative is workable or permanent? As I am not sure which one I am using!

=Sabhira Jul 24, 2012 Student Traditional Artist

5-6, minimum. Also, it looks like you're using permanent fixative.

~overmood Jul 25, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

I think so too. Thanks for the reply.

=MaskedGuardian Jul 24, 2012

I have never fixed a drawing that didn't still smudge. I don't think anything will give you a smudge-proof finish except a glass pane and a frame.

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Fixing charcoal and pencil drawings.

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