Pastels & Gouache…

[Mark_xiii]

Hello! I’m a regular over on fantasy/sci-fi, but I’ve got a pastel question I hope you guys can answer…

I’m working on a painting at the moment that is Gouache with Soft Pastels over the top (in places)… My question is about fixing the pastels. I’ve heard that unscented hairspray is ok, so is it worth spending my hard earned on the ‘proper’ stuff? I assume the fixative will give a matt finish, is this right?

Also, do you have any idea how a fixative will effect the Gouache?

Any help would be appreciated

https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202898 <--- is the WIP if you're interested

[chewie]

welcome! for your hairspray, keep it in the bathroom. unless its a real simple, don’t-care-if-you-keep-it thing, go for the better stuff. but if you’re only using a bit of pastel on top, you may do just fine with nothing at all. i very seldom use it and i know alot of others go this route also. its one of those pastel subjects that will rage on forever! lol! i doubt any type fix will harm the gouche any. i use a fix called lascaux. its rather expensive, but since i dont’ use it often, a can will last a long time. some of the cheaper stuff will darken or change your pastel colors, but i do use that on my sketchbook, for keeping my vine char. and pencil sketches from smudging and being ruined within the book. for more info., do a search here, and you’ll come up with tons of info., then make your choices. and then, show us what you’ve done!!

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]A rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
--- "Interview with God" (author unknown)
]

[Mikki Petersen]

Hi Mark! Glad you stopped in. I like your painting…very original. As to hairspray…Eeeek! Whoever told you it was okay soes not know much about pastel work. Most of us do not use fixative, or if we do, never over the final layer. It will change the color of the pastel. It will not harm the gouache, may even strengthen it but expect changes in the pastels. The best way to preserve a pastel painting is to frame it under glass or wrap it in glassine. Good luck with your painting!

Mikki Petersen

[FONT="Book Antiqua"]"To Begin, Begin." - Wadsworth

[Deborah Secor]

A lot depends on the paper you’re working on. If it has enough tooth to hold the pastel in place pretty well you can get away with no fixative. I suggest you smack the back of the drawing board and see if it’s falling off.

If the paper is smoother but still has a porosity to it, you can probably get away with burnishing it. Lay a piece of clean newsprint or glassine in place over the top and thoroughly rub it with the flat of your hand. You want to be very sure the sheet doesn’t slip around at all or you’ll make things worse. On a soft paper this kind of pushes the pastel into the fibers of the paper.

If you’re on a slicker drawing paper I’d recommend getting some fixative from the art supply store. You can use a workable fix if you want to go over it with more pastel, but I wouldn’t recommend that for a finish coat since it leaves a sort of stickiness to the surface. I’d pastel over it and hope that it’s all held in place by the fix.

Best thing you can do is smack the daylights out of that paper, no matter what it is, and get any excess off early in the game!

Hope this helps.
Deborah

Deborah

"All glory to Him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Landscape Painting in Pastels (free online book)
Gouache Blog

[Mark_xiii]

Thank you all for such quick & useful responses!

Phew, I’m glad I ran the hairspray theory passed you!

I’ve been gently tapping the back to shift the excess dust, but smacking the daylights out of it sounds much more fun ;). I think I’ll give the fixative a miss since I’ll probably frame this one and I don’t want any nasty surprises.

Thanks again for your help and thank you Mikki for your comment on the work itself, I’ll be sure to post the final result here.

[Khadres]

You’ve already gotten the best fixative advice, so I’ll just say that the painting you’re doing is neat! Are you going to leave it in grey, black, and white shades or will there be some color added? Give a link to the finished picture when you’re done, k?

Sooz
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[jackiesimmonds]

Everyone has really said what you needed to hear, but in case any beginners read this – Fixative is only a partial approach to stopping the pastel from shedding … it IS NOT A VARNISH. So many people are confused by the name fixative and think it works like a varnish. It can do, sort of, but if you use it heavily it will spoil your work.

A light burst will suffice to restore tooth, and that’s about IT. It will prevent SOME of the pastel from shedding. That’s all.

Jackie

http://www.jackiesimmonds.com

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