Tag: how to draw

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Fixatives for Charcoal, Pencil, and Chalk; Is it Worth It?

messy art supplies and papers

A fixative is designed to enable artists to lose the least amount of their work, especially when it is important to conserve as much as possible. Let’s explore more how fixatives for charcoal, pencil, and chalk can help or hurt our art.

Why Would You Use Fixatives for Charcoal, Pencil, and Chalk

Our art is precious to us. It represents our thoughts, emotions, and interests, directly from our hand. Drawings are a great way to create and express ourselves. They also allow us to study objects, develop beautiful scenes, and make wall art that suit us, our friends, or our customers.

The last thing we want is for our art to be compromised in its quality and ruined by smudging, flaking, or smearing. Chalk and charcoal in particular are very prone to being disrupted, with particles falling at the smallest bump or movement. Even blowing on powdery charcoal can make it fly everywhere.

What is a Fixative, Exactly?

A fixative comes in a spray can that projects a type of varnish which affixes particles together, sort of like a very thin and invisible glue. Fixatives are meant to be as unnoticed as possible, designed for easy use and no hassles. They are not meant to add to artwork, but to be applied as an invisible aid to the artist.

There are two types of fixatives. One is a workable fixative, the other is a final fixative. They each have their own place, but some artists might want to rely only on one.

Workable Fixative

A workable fixative is meant to be used throughout an artist’s process. The fixative itself is applied between layers of drawing. This helps the artist make changes throughout their practice, without disturbing or disrupting the charcoal, pencil, or chalk. The fixative itself can help accept the medium, acting as a sort of invisible ground that holds the particles to itself.

Final Fixative (non-workable)

A final fixative is meant to hold a drawing together at the end, without further work being done on top of it. Some artists just use a workable fixative throughout and ignore a final fixative, as it might feel redundant. A final fixative, however, can bring an overall harmonious quality to the end product, whether the artist wants a satin or matte finish to interact with light in a consistent way.

Which Do You Choose?

This comes down to the preference of the artist and their working methods. By reading how fixatives work you might get a sense of how you could use them. Just be sure to understand that a final fixative will not work well as an in-between layer of protection. It is meant to be final.

Cons of Using Fixatives for Charcoal, Pencil, and Chalk

The most common frustration for artists when it comes to using fixatives for charcoal, pencil, and chalk is a change in coloring of the paper. When you spray the paper with the fixative, it does alter the way the paper looks, even if only slightly. That might be enough to bother some artists.

However, some of this may be due to faulty use. While there will probably be some change in the color that is unavoidable, there are good practices to prevent it from being overwhelming. Make sure to have the artwork at a vertical angle, not on its back. Otherwise, puddling and oversaturation can happen, making the color-changing worse.

Another thing that may affect coloring is holding the can too close when spraying the surface. This results in a heavy spray, without much finesse and control. Make sure to hold the can far enough away to prevent this from happening. Starting with a small amount helps. Testing on scrap paper also gives you more clarity as to the effect the spray will have on the paper.

Alternatives to Fixatives

Even with practice and a good understanding of fixatives, some artists will not like using them. There are some other solutions that can make for successful drawings and displays.

Paper Choice

First, starting with a paper that has a lot of “tooth” can help from the get-go. This won’t prevent all issues, but it can make things easier from the start. Choosing a paper with texture will help the particles of charcoal, graphite, or chalk remain embedded in the fibers of the surface. This helps the drawing stay together when the paper is moved or jossled, but won’t always help with smearing or smudging.

Framing Behind Glass

While putting the artwork behind glass isn’t a perfect fix in its own right, thinking about the distance you can put between the glass and artwork with matboard helps display the art without problems. Choose a thick matboard to frame around the art and make sure to clean the glass before framing, on both sides. Cleaning the glass with cleaner reduces static, which might interact with the drawing.

Hairspray, a No-No

Do not use hairspray to affix a drawing. In the past, this was something artists did if they didn’t have fixative handy. However, it is harmful to the paper and not acid-free. Avoid it.

In Summary

Fixatives for charcoal, pencil, and chalk are a mixed bag. However, with the proper methods you may end up happier using them than foregoing them. This is especially true if you find yourself frustrated by your drawings smudging or smearing or losing delicate powdery parts.

Ultimately, you are going to have to decide what is most important to you. As technology improves, I’m sure there will be better options eventually, but for now we have to decide based on our own preferences.

Charcoal Supplies at Dick Blick

Pencil Supplies at Dick Blick

Chalk Supplies at Dick Blick

Fixative Supplies at Dick Blick

Interested in Learning a Painting Medium? Read This First

Need More Help?

I am always open to taking on private lesson students. I offer one free half-hour to get an idea of what your goals are and how we can get you to them. Then I design a specific lesson plan for you and we go from there. You can hire me for your personal lessons here at SuperProf or here at LessonFace.

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Charcoal or Pencil: What’s the Better Drawing Tool?

Orcas Island Sailboat Art Print Drawing

Which Medium is Better for Beginners?

Maybe charcoal vs pencil is a debate that seems silly and not worth having. However, I can look back at my past and see ways in which charcoal might have been a better solution to learning how to draw. I grew up on the pencil. We all have pencil experience. But maybe if you haven’t tried charcoal, you should reconsider.

Pencils: The Trusty Sidekick

As a child in the 80’s and 90’s, there were a small handful of ways we could draw and create. Crayons were a big deal at the time. Markers (especially those smelly ones) were pretty cool, too. I suppose we all might have done some finger painting at some point. But it was the pencil (graphite or colored) that stuck with us through the years.

We weren’t learning cursive with crayons, nor were we writing our first essays with markers. No Senior papers were being turned in with finger paint covering them. It was pencil (or sometimes pen) that was our required implement. It makes sense, because pencils are easy to write with. They have a nice point to them that is very handy for clearly writing the small shapes that make up letters and numbers. They are a detail-oriented tool.

How many classes did you attend where you realized you didn’t have a pencil and had to ask a neighbor or, ashamedly, a teacher if you could borrow one? How many tests did you take that required a number 2 pencil? We used pencils so often that I developed a favorite brand and model. The Ticonderoga number 2 pencil was where it was at! Other pencils were poseurs and amateurs with waxy tips that couldn’t replicate the chilly sharpness of the Ticonderoga.

Pencils: The Measure of an Artist?

This attachment to the pencil (and the readiness at which they were available) forced us to also draw with them. Sure, crayons and markers and paint were utilized in the arts and crafts modules, but those could be few and far between. An occasional treat. Think back to high school. When you think of the artsy kids who were creative, how often did you see them associated with their pencil and pen skills? It seems like at least half of the art projects in school revolved around pencils and pens.

Drawing games also revolve around pencils and pens. Pictionary comes loaded with pencils. Telestrations has dry erase markers, which are no less restrictive. Pencils and pens are cheap, clean, and easy to package. They are incredibly versatile, too.

I got really good with a pencil. I stuck with it. Where other kids were not as dexterous with their pencils, I was trying things, experimenting, finding the best ways to progress with them. Hatching, shading, blending, and on and on. For whatever reason (lack of interest, early disappointment, frustration with the tool, some other combination of events), other kids just weren’t really adapting to the pencil as well.

Is There a Better Alternative?

Now, I do believe in some amount of natural abilities, whether by nature or nurture or both. However, I remember my first time using charcoal. It was incredibly difficult for me. I had to completely change the way I thought about drawing. It wasn’t in the dexterity of my fingers anymore, but in the control of my whole arm; not just small details anymore, but large shapes. It wasn’t building from the inside out, but from the outside in.

And that’s exactly how beginners (young and old) should be thinking about drawing. I was oddly blessed to be as apt with a pencil as I was, working through the stages of drawing development quickly with a pencil. Others would be so much more served with charcoal being their first real drawing implement. I would pit it against pencil any day.

Pencil is a great tool. I still draw with pencil and I doubt I will ever stop. But it is NOT the best tool for learning how to draw. That award goes to charcoal. Charcoal is without a doubt, the best medium for beginner drawing. Couple charcoal with good-natured playfulness in art, exploration, a good amount of knowledge and practice, and you’ll find a student that will grow by leaps and bounds in every facet of drawing, including observation, problem solving, and stress relief. So, in a competition between charcoal vs pencil, I come down on the side of charcoal, for beginners.

Nevertheless, I think any implement is better than nothing! And pencils are fantastic in their own right. You’ve got to choose the medium you most want to use.

I truly believe that anybody with an interest can enjoy and excel at drawing. Remove every false and limiting belief, because we’re all on equal ground. You’re not too young or old, too slow, too poor, too busy, or too late to become good at drawing. It isn’t an impossibility, but is actually quite possible.

Why You Might Want to Start Drawing

And here’s what drawing does for you:

  • Communicate visually
  • Increase memory
  • Raise observational skills
  • Boost learning ability
  • Spark your imagination
  • Help you unwind and relieve stress
  • Create avenues for exploration
  • Improve problem solving
  • Lower anxiety
  • Increase emotional intelligence
  • Open you up to other pursuits
  • Grant the ability to create beautiful drawings for loved ones

I will be continuing to communicate my thoughts on drawing over the next few weeks.

Drawing Pencils Available at Dick Blick

Charcoal Supplies at Dick Blick

Are You Interested in Painting? Read this Article on Painting for Beginners

Need More Help?

Speaking of painting for beginners, I am always open to taking on private lesson students. I offer one free half-hour to get an idea of what your goals are and how we can get you to them. Then I design a specific lesson plan for you and we go from there. You can hire me for your personal lessons here at SuperProf or here at LessonFace.