Pastel Painting: Hairspray vs Fixative
Saturday October 6, 2007
Is it acceptable to use hairspray as a cheap fixative for pastel or charcoal, or should you only use artist's pastel fixative? Just what are the differences between art spray fixative and hairspray? About.com's Chemistry Guide, Dr Anne Marie Helmenstine, has an answer for artists...
Comments
I guess it depends on how much you value your artwork and how much you think it’s worth keeping. Good quality fixative often doesn’t cost more than the price of 2 or 3 good quality pastels.
The advice I’ve always received has been to stay away from using hairspray unless it’s an absolute emergency such as the need to transport a piece (and frankly taping newspaper tight over a piece would work as well).
A very valid point comparing the price of fixative to the price of pastels. And why spend money on decent pastels only to skimp on fixative? It reminds me of a travel photographer who once told me rolls of film were considerably cheaper than the price of returning to a spot, so he always took twice as much as he thought me might use.
i dont work in pastels but i sometimes work in chalk.i dont mind using hairspray as a fixative because the main ingredient in chalk is calcium carbonate and that’s a great acid neutralizer.it can neutralize any acid in the paper and any acid in the hairspray.