How I Care for Soft Pastel Paintings

Once you’ve finished a pastel painting, the next part can feel oddly intimidating.

How do you store it? Do you need to spray it with fixative? Does it need special framing? What happens if a little pastel comes off?

It really doesn’t need to be that complicated.

Here’s the short version: I don’t spray my finished pastel paintings with fixative. I protect them with glassine until they’re framed, and I frame them behind glass.

There are a few options that can make framing pastel even better, but you don’t need an elaborate setup for every painting you create.

Do I spray my finished pastel paintings?

No. I don’t use fixative on my finished pastel work.

I do prefer working on sanded pastel paper because the tooth grips onto the medium, holding the pastel in place. Paper really does make a difference. But even if you’re working on an unsanded surface, that doesn’t mean you need to spray your finished pastel painting. Pastel still needs to be protected behind glass when it’s framed.

One of the things I love about pastel is the beautiful color, glow and surface you can create with it. Spraying a finished painting with fixative can change that. Colors may darken or shift, lighter areas can be affected, and the surface can look different after it has been sprayed.

For my own work, I prefer the way the pastel looks before fixative is applied, so I leave my finished paintings unsprayed and protect them through storage and framing instead.

That doesn’t mean fixative can’t have a place in pastel painting. Some artists use it during different stages of their process. I’m specifically talking about spraying a painting as a final step simply because it is pastel.

Using fixative on your finished work is ultimately a personal choice.

If you’re curious about fixative, test it

This is one of those places where I think experimenting for yourself is incredibly useful.

Make two small pastel samples that are as similar as possible. Leave one alone and spray the other with the fixative you’re considering.

Once it’s dry, put them side by side.

Look at the color. Look at the lighter areas. Look at the surface and the overall vibrancy.

What changed? And which do you prefer?

That simple experiment lets you actually see what the fixative does with your materials and decide for yourself whether you want to use it.

For me, doing this kind of testing is part of why I choose not to spray my finished pastel paintings.

See How I Care for + Frame My Pastel Paintings

In the video below, I’ll show you how I protect and handle my finished pastel paintings, along with a simple, inexpensive DIY framing option for your own artwork at home.

There are several ways to frame a soft pastel painting. For original artwork I sell, I prefer professional framing methods such as spacers or a reverse mat. The DIY option I’m sharing here is simply an accessible way to frame and enjoy a pastel painting you’ve created for yourself.

How I store unframed pastel paintings

Until I’m ready to frame a painting, I protect the surface with glassine.

Glassine is a smooth, acid-free paper that works really well for protecting pastel. I often fold a sheet in half, place the painting inside and gently tuck it into the fold so it isn’t sliding around.

Tracing paper can also work as a temporary option if that’s what you have available.

From there, you can place the protected painting between pieces of cardboard or mat board for additional support. I also sometimes simply stack paintings carefully while they’re protected in their glassine.

You’re really just trying to keep the pastel surface from being rubbed or disturbed.

It doesn’t need to become an elaborate storage system.

What about a little pastel residue?

When you open the glassine, you may notice a little pastel residue on it, particularly with a newly finished painting.

That’s normal.

Before framing, I will often gently tap the painting and blow away any loose particles.

A little residue does not mean there is something wrong with the painting, and it isn’t a reason by itself to spray the painting with fixative.

Framing soft pastel

Pastel should ultimately be protected behind glass, much like a watercolor. For professional framing, I prefer either spacers or a reverse mat, both of which create a little space around the pastel surface. If you’re framing a painting you’ve created for yourself, a regular mat and frame behind glass can also be a simple, inexpensive option.

Framing without a mat

If the artwork goes all the way to the edge and you don’t want to use a mat, small framing spacers can be placed between the artwork and the glass.

The spacers are hidden inside the frame. Their job is simply to keep the pastel surface from touching the glass and create a little space inside the frame.

This is often how I frame my own work when I want the painting to go all the way to the edge.

Framing with a mat

If you prefer the look of a mat, you can use what is sometimes called a reverse double mat.

A second mat with a slightly larger opening sits behind the visible mat. That creates a small gap around the edge of the pastel rather than having the front mat sit directly against the painting.

That space also gives any loose pastel particles somewhere to fall instead of collecting along the visible edge of the mat.

But you can also keep it simple

If you’re framing your own artwork at home, it doesn’t have to be elaborate.

If you created a pastel painting you love and you simply want to frame it and hang it in your home, you can use a regular mat and frame behind glass.

You don’t have to take every painting to a professional framer or create a perfect archival framing setup before you can enjoy your work.

With a regular mat, the mat may pick up a little pastel where it touches the painting. You might eventually see a little residue inside the frame.

That’s okay.

If needed, you can open the frame and clean out any loose particles.

Once you understand why the gap can be helpful, you can decide what makes sense for the painting in front of you.

Glass or plexiglass?

I prefer real glass for pastel.

Regular plexiglass or acrylic can hold a static charge, which can attract loose pastel particles toward its surface.

Regular framing glass works perfectly well.

If you are professionally framing a special piece, you can certainly explore options such as anti-reflective or UV-protective glass. Those can be beautiful upgrades, but they aren’t necessary simply because the artwork is pastel.

A final note

I’ve been working with soft pastel for over eight years, and one of the things I care most about is helping remove some of the barriers that can make this medium feel intimidating. Fixative and framing are two of those places where a lot of questions tend to come up.

Thanks so much for being here. If you have a question about caring for or framing your pastel work, feel free to leave it in the comments.