Hold fast and stop that smudge! You worked so hard on that coloring page. All that time and creative talent. Now it’s time to prevent smudging! But how? How do you stop your glorious colors from smudging all over the place? The answer: Fixative Sprays! The REAL question is which are the best fixatives to stabilize your art?
What is fixative spray anyway? It is basically a resin or casein and something to evaporate quickly, like alcohol. Some novices will resort to using hairspray instead of fixative. But, don’t. PLEASE! For the love of all that is good and creative, DO NOT USE HAIRSPRAY! Your art deserves better.
Fixative Spray Disclaimer: With any fixative, some of the sheen of your original art will disappear after spraying. Also, your darker tones will naturally have a deeper color after they are sprayed. But the colors are not actually altered. Instead, the fixative shows what the colors look like without small independent grains reflecting stray light. With practice you can plan ahead for these changes in your art. Also, there’s a smell with fixative sprays. Like, always a smell. Just plug your nose and spray.
5 Fantastic Fixative Sprays:
- First is the Grumbacher Final Fixative. This is permanent. As in, life-time-commitment-for-better-or-worse permanent. It’s available in gloss or matte finishes. And it doesn’t yellow. This fixative spray can be used on drawings in dry media like graphite, pastel, and charcoal. It seems to work best if you spray this in several light coats. A gentle touch gets the best results here! If you are using this spray for the first time, be sure to practice. Take an old coloring, or color swatches on a scrap piece of paper and do some practice sprays.
- Next is Lascaux Fine Art Fixative. This is a delicate fixative spray. That means it is kind to your lighter colors and highlights and doesn’t alter them too harshly. It claims to be a workable fixative (but I’m always hesitant to rework after spraying). Also it dries fast! AND has a great matte finish. HOWEVER, due to the gentleness of the spray it is not the most hardcore protection. It will keep your colors on place, but if you rub them they will still smudge.
- A third is Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray. This spray is one smooth move. It goes on clear and doesn’t alter the color of your art. It’s double safe because it is acid free and archival. PLUS this fixative will safeguard your art from yellowing, wrinkling, and smudging. But it is not fade-resistant. Some artists use this as a workable formula. That means it gives it’s useful for layering colors and correcting nearly completed ones. For real though you need to be PATIENT when you use this spray. Make sure you let it dry for at least 30 minutes after spraying. 30 minutes. Set that stop watch and go get a snack and drink of water while you wait.
- Fourth is Winsor & Newton Artists’ Fixative. This spray is fantastic for colorists who work in graphite, pastel, pencil, and chalk. It provides smudge and dust protection. But it’s also workable. So spray it on, let it dry then keep working. But don’t worry, it dries pretty quickly. So it won’t disturb your creative process too much. It stop colors from fading and applies a slight bit of texture for your next layer of color. However all this layering can’t go on forever. I’m going to say stop after 12 layers. Seriously, 12 s the max.
- And last but not least is Sennelier HC10 Universal Fixative. This is a MIGHTY fixative spray. I mean, BAM this is a super concentrated formula. This bad boy is the highest level of protection for numerous mediums including pastels, watercolors, inks, charcoal, acrylics, photographs, and decoupage. This stuff is so strong you can use it as an adhesive or as a primer for surfaces such as wood, canvas, glass, and porcelain. It’s not supposed to yellow your art. HOWEVER due to the intensity of this spray I super-duper recommend you test it first!
How To Spray On Fixative:
- Ventilate: Set up in a well aerated area! Or at least crack open a window! If you are not sure if your room has proper air flow, take it outside.
- Set It: There’s nothing more frustrating than chasing a floating piece of paper with a spray can. Set your art so it does not move around or jostle. Tape the paper edges down with Painter Tape. Or if you are worried about tape, then put a small weight on each corner of the paper.
- Spray Once: Pass the spray across your art in one direction. Let’s say horizontal. We’ll go with horizontal lines first.
- Spray Twice: Next spray over your coloring in the opposite direction. That would be vertical. But you can switch it up if you prefer vertical first, then do horizontal second. You do you.
- Be Gentle: REMEMBER – Light, gentle coats are better than one heavy coat. Too much of anything can be bad. And too much spray on your paper can cause warping. GASP!
- Dry: Allow each coating to dry fully before spraying again. Leave your art in a ventilated space and give it time to dry. Don’t rush! This is a great moment to go take a bathroom break!
If you are not sure how to spray fixative then practice, practice, practice! Color swatches on scrap paper and spray them. Get a feel for how the fixative comes out. See how the colors may change.
Don’t have any art ready for spraying? No worries! Check out my hand-drawn coloring pages, all ready for you to print and color today: Coloring Shop
There it is! The list of top five fixatives and how to use them! After all the work you’ve done creating your art, your art deserves a little fixative. A bit off staying power. Something to keep your colors from fading. To stop your medium from smudging. Now it’s your turn! Have you tried any of these fixative sprays? Leave a comment and let me know!
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