ALL ABOUT FIXATIVES AND MAKING YOUR GRAPHITE DARKS POP!

[Music] way back when i first considered drawing as a viable business i experimented with a lot of mediums and products for example i tried fixative over graphite and carbon and then tried acrylic matte medium over that i mixed powdered graphite with model aircraft dope a tissue paper varnish and found i could paint with pencil okay maybe not the brightest idea i've had i tried coating areas of pencil drawing with acrylic matte medium to see what effect that had then i explored the versatility of fixatives over different layers of graphite and i didn't just spray it i tried painting it over graphite too i wouldn't bother trying that one either and i variously painted and sprayed it over areas of shading blended graphite and indenting don't be constrained by convention think outside of the box experiment drawing is no different from any other craft you need to understand the materials you're working with so let's take a look at fixative types and then i'll explain the advantages of using them fixative is similar to the varnish you might apply to a painting it protects your drawing from smudging and in addition it minimizes the damage to the paper from the harmful rays of sunlight so once sprayed your drawing can age successfully without any discoloration of the paper you'll find high quality fixatives of pastels pencils charcoal and other dry media some are usable on all of them almost all are alcohol-based and they're acid free you'll find different types too such as final and workable which we'll look into later the one i use is billed as a colorless fixative for use on charcoal pastel pencil and short drawings and protects them from smudging and dust it's currently called windsor and newton's professional fixative when i purchased mine it was labeled fixative for pastel charcoal and pencil and as far as i know it's the same product they've had time to relabel the product since i began using this can which is almost 10 years ago that should tell you something cost doesn't matter so it's an all-purpose versatile fixative and it's workable what does that mean well i'll explain and dispel a common myth let's begin with the myth workable means you can erase sections that have been fixed and redraw them no you can't fixative the clues in the name fixes your drawing permanently once a drawing has been sprayed the graphite underneath cannot be erased it is fixed once you've drawn on or into the tooth of the paper spray it with a workable fixative workable fixative is a solution that dries not with a smooth but a matte finish that sets up a new slightly rough toothy surface so workable means you can add layers of graphite over the drawing after it has been sprayed you can spray the entire drawing or fix an isolated area before completion for example the background of this cockatoo has layers of 6b burnished with 2b and then fixed with a workable fixative then that was repeated twice more to build up a solid dark background you can either cut paper shapes to mask the areas you don't want to be fixed or hold the mover mask as you spray a little overspray doesn't matter because you can draw on the fixative's tooth in the same way that you can on the paper so once the workable fixative is dry you can continue to work on the drawing the fact that it provides new tooth can be a huge advantage because heavily shaded areas can become smooth making it hard or even impossible to apply further layers of graphite but it's more versatile than that your drawing will of course be protected from smudging the paper will be protected from yellowing with age that's because good fixatives contain an ultraviolet filter that counters the harmful rays of sunlight and there's a very welcome side effect too the use of a workable fixative removes the annoying but natural shine from graphite can you see that graphite has a strong reflective property especially in areas of really dark shading that's a combination of the paper's tooth being flattened so it's super smooth and the graphite itself being composed of reflective flat plates a smooth and shiny surface reflects light directly to your eye which dilutes the strength of the darks you drew but when you spray your drawing with a workable matte fixative that converts the surface from shiny to diffused which scatters light in all directions a common belief is that fixative darkens the drawing a little well visually yes it does but physically no it doesn't actual darkening isn't what you're experiencing with the strong reflection scattered the blacks and darts will simply display their true dark values you'll soon learn to make allowances for that increase in contrast as you draw watching the dark strengthen and the drawing pop as you apply the fixative really is a magical moment i never tire of it and let me quickly dispel another myth that fixative is expensive it's actually budget-friendly given the number of drawings it can be used to cover and its use reflects the value you award to your own work if you value it protect it and protect it properly can i use hairspray and save yes of course you can although you'll probably regret it later hairspray is cheap and championed by a few artists but why use a product designed for gluing hair together when you can use a product carefully formulated by qualified chemists for fixing your drawings for example krylon fixative is stated to be moisture resistant like water other girls back but hairspray is designed to completely wash out with the next shower and shampoo fixatives are formulated to be archival they will not destroy your drawing over time but hairspray is possibly acidic and is definitely not designed to possess archival properties it might for example cause the paper to become yellow over time and eventually brittle too it might contain oily conditioners and it could be alcohol or water-based you'll get what you pay for what you need is an even dispersion of micro droplets and a fine mist an absence of spitting and spotting and a carefully formulated acid-free coating that will preserve your drawing so buy and use a proper fixative but which type should you choose there are two application types manual spray and aerosol i don't consider manual sprays to be sufficiently controllable so i don't use them you might be adverse to the environmental issues of aerosol use but sometimes they're simply the best solution and there are two forms workable which i've already described and final final fixatives provide a more durable surface and should only be applied once you are absolutely certain you don't want to make any alterations to your drawing final means final however stopping at a workable fixative is perfectly okay i do and simply because it provides that contrast popping shine free result or you could combine the two and use a matte final fixative finally your fixative will most probably release a very unpleasant smell i joke that you'll need a gas mask and running food sorry i joke that you'll need a gas mask and running shoes for a speedy exit but i seriously suggest you work in a place that has proper ventilation that includes outdoors different conditions allow it so i'm working here beneath my studio's porch area expect most well-known brands such as krylon winter and new nuncinelli to produce professional results they all prevent smudging are acid free and archival quality and dry with a clear durable finish the winter and newton fixative is perfect if you're looking for a very versatile workable spray kryolan has an excellent reputation and i've seen sennelier deliqua which is stronger than their lacrosse pastel version voted the fixative with the most reliable spray now we know one fixative from another and i've maybe rejected hairspray that just leaves us with their actual use you've diligently worked for hours in your graphite drawing it's done and now you want to keep it that way i'm going to demonstrate this back inside the studio but spray outdoors if you can first erase all the smudges around the border gently brush or carefully blow away all loose particles and dust lay your drawing on a flat surface place scrap paper at either side you'll see why in a moment now read the instructions because not all brands perform the same way always shake the can for a minute or two this is particularly important for workable fixatives because the matting agent needs to be evenly mixed with the spray now test it practice spraying on a sheet of paper first some fixatives have a flat fan shaped spray pattern others don't check the pattern and its orientation before spraying your drawing well if you have a fine mist with no spitting then it's time to spray your drawing like this begin by holding the can at least one foot 30 centimeters above the scrap paper at one side the directions on the can might say to spray eight to ten inches from the drawing ignore it now spray no spitting good you're aiming to float a light coat onto your drawing pass the spray across your drawing to the scrap on the other side never spray one heavy coat which might puddle or even soak in and cockle your paper wait a few seconds to allow some of the propellant to evaporate now repeat the other way spray onto the scrap if everything is okay pass it across your drawing lower down so parties overlap don't stop at the edges spray beyond them onto the scrap so you cover the entire drawing evenly some artists prefer to keep the arm moving and cover the entire drawing in multiple passes i prefer to do it one pass at a time in either case avoid soaking or over saturating your drawing i also just spray side to side others like to alternate between horizontal and vertical layers whatever your choice always aim to spray gently and uniformly so the cover is even and consistent however if i have areas a particularly dark drawing i might float an extra very light coat or two onto those by making a sinuous pass over them just to ensure the matte finish is applied where it most benefits the drawing depending on the brand you're using a few seconds between passes might suffice however between layers that's one complete coat over the whole drawing wait until the previous layer is dry to speed up that drying time and stop just settling i usually pick it up and ripple it in the air otherwise 10 minutes between layers is probably okay although longer does no harm one brand at least recommends 30 minutes between layers after the final layer this is important turn the can upside down and spray until nothing comes out except air this prevents bits of dried fixative appearing the next time you use it and the nozzle from becoming completely blocked not doing this really is false economy leave your drawing for a minimum of 30 minutes and do not touch the paper even if it looks dry preferably hang it vertically to stop dust settling and leave it for at least an hour or two although it's a slow process the matte finish an additional tooth is well worth the weight even then if you want to apply additional shading or drawing first test on an area that can be easily repaired i sincerely believe in the use of fixative it restores all your darts to their intended intensity it increases contrast and three-dimensionality and it unifies the drawing into a single finished work it also protects the work from smudging and the adverse effects of sunlight but be sure the drawing is clean and that there are no smudges or areas you wish you had altered because once you spray it's there forever just remember the advantages are many but there's no going back for more helpful drawing tips and tricks subscribe to my channel and explore all the videos with me at drawidmite.net you

Channel: Mike Sibley

Views: 376

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: fixative, workable fixative, graphite pencil, drawing

Id: bsgwuRSkbJQ

Length: 16min 34sec (994 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 26 2020