Why I don’t spray my colorful soft pastel with fixative

I often get asked whether I use a fixative on my pastel paintings — and the short answer is, not usually. Today I wanted to share a bit about why.

A finished soft pastel painting, especially one full of color, should always be protected behind glass. Soft pastel is one of the most archival mediums because it’s made almost entirely of pure pigment. That said, it’s also a delicate surface that isn’t meant to be touched. Some light shedding is completely normal, which is why proper framing is an important final step.

I have a few free videos that expand on this topic “Caring for Your Pastel Painting & DIY Framing Tips” that walks you through how to protect and frame your work at home.

Why I Avoid Fixative

Using fixative can drastically alter your colors, especially your vibrant hues and whites. The result can look duller or darker — not ruined, but different. You can absolutely build the colors back up again, and sometimes artists choose to do that intentionally.

However, when working on quality sanded pastel papers like UART or Clairfontaine PastelMat, there’s no need for fixative. These surfaces are specifically designed to hold multiple layers of pastel beautifully without it.

How I Store My Finished Pastels

When I finish a piece, I place it between a folded sheet of glassine paper and sandwich that between two pieces of cardboard for extra protection. This keeps the surface safe until I’m ready to frame it.

When I Do Use Fixative

There are a few rare times I’ll use a light fixative — usually during the early layers. For instance, I might spray a dark underlayer to secure it before applying lighter values on top. Sometimes I’ll also use it intentionally to “knock down” my darks and create more room for building new layers.

That said, this is the only time I use fixative on a colorful pastel painting.

When working with only black PanPastel

When I’m working on a monochromatic piece, such as my black PanPastel works, fixative becomes less of an issue. Without the challenge of preserving bright colors and whites, I can experiment more. These pieces can even be mounted to wood panels and sealed, giving me different presentation options — a fun alternative approach to working with PanPastel.