When You Have Overworked a Pastel Painting

[robertsloan2]

Originally Posted by BarbaraAgain

I had to join up just to reply to this... Please! Don't attempt to use a tack cloth, it has oil and you will end up with a grease spot. Instead, if your paper is firmly taped to a sort of board, a drawing board or Gatorboard, lay it flat on a table and proceed as follows. Gather up some plain baking soda, likely a spoonful or two, a sheet or two of cheap typing paper, and a soft brush, like a mid size paintbrush. Put a small amount of baking soda on the mistake, working flat, and rub it into the paper, gently but thoroughly. The granules will break down the film of fixative and swoosh away the pastel. Then sweep the dirty soda onto a sheet of paper and see how you like the result. You can repeat two or three times. Try to keep the mess contained, and work tidy. Use a bit less soda if a small spot, or more if it is big and heavily pigmented. Good luck. I have used this many time to pick up mistakes when erasing just won't do it.

Glad to know about this. I had never thought of anything like this but it makes total sense - it's good to know there's a way to go back even after using fixative. Very cool.