The Fixative Is Smudging My Charcoal - Help!

I don't believe it's possible to fix charcoal enough to not require it to be framed under glass to prevent it from being smudged. I'm not sure why the bias against paper, many great works of art on paper have survived centuries intact. A compromise might be to do your work on panels, either gessoed hardboard or canvas/linen panels and then frame under glass using spacers or mats and forget the fixative.

I actually plan to frame under glass, but I'd like to fix it somewhat first, though. At least that'd provide some protection to simple accidents.

I guess hardboard is a good idea. I'm already working on canvas panels / boards.

The galleries here just have lots of bad luck with works on paper lasting in this environment. None of them will accept it.

I've never done finished work in charcoal but I have done quite a few pastels. What I do is first tap the back of the artwork to dislodge loose particles, (best done outside or over a trash can). Then I put a piece of glassine over the artwork and roll over it using a brayer to force the particles deeper into the surface, (to be honest I'm not sure how effective this step really is.) and then I give it a very, very light coat of spray fixative, just a dusting really.

What problems are the galleries having with paper? Is the paper buckling? A cure for that is to mount the paper to something more rigid. I use sanded paper for my pastels but first I mount the paper to acid free foam board using acid free spray adhesive.

Tapping the back is one of the things I've thought of, but again, I want to be sure that the blackness stays. Not sure the brayer would work. I don't want the charcoal to move at all.

Mold is the biggest problem. Concrete buildings and a lack of regular circulation. It rains a lot here, and most people's homes don't have good enough settings before mold sets in. This happens over a long period of time, but it's enough to for people to steer clear of it. I've already had it happen to a framed piece and that was in less than a year.

Doesn't mold attack canvas too?

Apparently not as much. I think it's because of the way canvas is often stretched on bars...more air. I was told to hang things here with a good distance between the wall and the frame to allow air to pass through.

What kind of tooth do you think the canvas might have? It's possible it might be enough to hold the pigment anyway. I was always told as long as it didn't tap off and spacers were added to keep the glass away from the piece, it would be alright, but that was with Conté .

Otherwise, would there be a spare piece of something to attempt an experiment with a number of fixative applications? If the applications are light and completely dry in between sets, the only danger I can see is that the artwork would get darker in color.

One more thing to check: if fixative gets old, it can separate and not be as effective.

An offhand remark: I've heard some artists use lacquer but have no idea what that could mean. It didn't sound like they picked some up in the hardware store to buy it, so it could be another reference to fixative (the non-workable variety) or some other varnish or finish for paintings.

Well, I put two layers of gesso on it, so it's pretty smooth but definitely still has some tooth to it. I definitely want it to be fixed even with a frame.

Interesting about the fixative. I bought it two years ago, so that could be part of the problem. I guess we'll see more today.

Derwent drawing pencils Ivory Black no. 6700. gives a charcoal like line without the mess.

Best of luck. Hope everything goes well.

@Carolyn, do the Derwent band have more of a matte finish? I'll have to try them as the iridescence of traditional graphite can be bothersome.

Carolyn - thanks for that, I'll check it out. Not sure I can get it here easily, but it's worth looking at. I definitely need someone really dark without the mess.

So what'd I do today? I sprayed intermittently at a much greater distance. There's still some smudging as a result of the wet fixative landing on the dusty charcoal, but it's not nearly as bad. In fact, what smudging that did happen today maybe added some shadows that make it a little better. Interesting how results reveal themselves sometimes.

Back when I was doing a lot of drawing, I used hairspray as a fixative. It worked well. If I framed it with glass, I would use matting to keep the glass from pressing against the drawing.

I want to stay away from hairspray out of the fear of yellowing over time. Not sure it's the actual fixative as much as it is the heaviness of the liquid, though I suppose if its a non-aerosol that may make it better. Not sure there are any "dry" fixatives out there, though.

I second Brian's suggestion. I use only hairspray for fixing charcoal, pastel, and pencil. Works great with two light sprayings, applied in sweeping motion, second application at right angles to the first after it's completely dried.

I've tried different brands. Found that the ones with water as first ingredient don't work quite as well as those with alcohol as first ingredient - it dries faster and is less prone to buckling the paper.

I've not had a problem with yellowing over the 5+ years I've used it, but it's possible it could yellow beyond that.

The price of the hairspray is not important - I go with the cheapest alcohol-first brand I can find, and unscented.

Of course, I recommend always testing it out on a sample piece of the same medium and support before using it on an important piece to make sure there's not something in the chemical ingredients of your piece that doesn't respond well to the hairspray. I've never had a problem, but you never know.

cristolin.com

Greg it sounds like you are trying to use fix as a glue to adhere the loose particles to the canvas. I always knock off all the loose particles and then use a workable fix ...you can build the color up between coats to get the depth or intensity you want....

Hold the can much farther away and dust on a few very light coats. This will tack it into place and then you can spray a full wet coat. Fixative is a lacquer product, it dries very fast and each coat melts into the previous coat. Once you get the particles lightly tacked down they won't blow away when you spray the wet coat. Practice on a small sample sheet and you'll get the hang of it. I also like stabilo marking pencils. Very black and water based so you can treat them like a watercolor pencil and they mark on anything like a china marker.

Thanks Rick - that's what I tried today. My hope is that it works.

I'll have to give those Stabilo pencils a try also. I really like the look of charcoal though.

Val - yes, I knock the loose particles off already. What is smudging from the force of the spray is what stays on. Of course, my hope is to get it to stick like glue. I know that won't happen, but I'd like to get close.

I appreciate the fact that your smudges turned into shadows.

I believe our mistakes are often an intuitive knowing.

shrugs - could be. I think it's usually just luck or a reward for the willingness to try things.

I also learned that charcoal is actually quite a nice tool for watercolors, too. I know, many people would shriek at that, but I've found it works quite nicely.

yes, hairspray yellows, and is un-professional !!

lighter approaches,3x,let dry,reapply gently from a distance.....

charcoal will run if under wet watercolour..........use it when the paint is dry....gorgeous !.

Fixatives for pastels and hair have a variety of possible formulations (hairspray is a fixative for hair).

Some of these formulations are quite similar. Acrylics and acrylamides and related compounds are in some hairsprays and in many pastel fixatives. Acrylic-based pastel fixatives are advertised as non-yellowing and in my experience the same is true of hairsprays with these ingredients. A professional pastelist first recommended hairspray to me, indicating she used it exclusively for her work.

Some hairsprays have scent, vitamins, or oils in them that are not necessary for fixing the hair but are added for marketing reasons, and perhaps that's where the reports of yellowing come from. The cheap ones don't have these extra ingredients and closely resemble pastel fixatives with an important exception - their ingredients are less toxic.

Most pastel fixatives have a variety of solvents including xylene and toluene that are potent carcinogens (check the MSDS for these products). When using even small amounts of these solvents at work we always use them under a fume hood. (There is one pastel fixative that is protein-based and therefore non-toxic. Not sure how long it holds up - it's made from milk protein which would be subject to microbial action).

On the other hand, hairsprays use alcohol as a vehicle for the active ingredients, probably because they are meant to be sprayed near the face. And alcohol is far less toxic. (Some use water instead of alcohol but the alcohol based ones are better IMO).

Hairspray works well, is cheaper, and is less harmful to my health. I choose to use it for those reasons. I don't call that unprofessional, but some might.

I have a friend who uses it almost exclusively with his oil pastels, saying hairspray is better than what sennelier sells. I still prefer to avoid it since I'm working with a lot of white, which is important to the painting. For me, it's just in case.