How To Preserve Pencil Drawings

How To Protect Pencil Drawings

Some artists, including me, spend over thirty hours on one graphite pencil drawing.

The amount of handling during the drawing process can easily ruin the drawing surface, making it impossible for you to finish the piece.

If you spend that time on your drawings and use the best paper for your charcoal drawings or graphite drawings, you will want to protect the drawing surface during and after the drawing process.

In this post, I will share several ways to protect my pencil drawings so I can sell them.

Why Should You Preserve Pencil Drawings

Graphite is a beautiful but unforgiving medium to work with and can easily smudge.

The long hours you spend drawing the soft value changes to make a subject look like it is coming off the paper can be ruined when something rubs against the drawing surface.

The graphite transfers to anything it is in contact with, including hands, glass from frames, or paper.

As you grow your portfolio, more people will start to view and handle your drawings.

No matter how carefully the drawings are handled, fingerprints and small smudges are inevitable if they are not placed behind glass or plastic sheets.

The good news is that there is a product you can use to protect your drawings during the drawing process and to preserve a finished picture.

How To Preserve Pencil Drawings With Fixatives

Spraying a fixative on your finished drawing will protect your drawing and reduce the chance of smudging.

You will want to become familiar with two types of fixatives: workable and final fixative.

Workable fixatives allow you to continue to work on your drawing while protecting it until you return to work on it at a different time.

Final fixatives should only be used when your artwork is completed.

The final fixative provides some protection against smudging and ultraviolet light.

Workable Fixatives

• Blair Spray Matte Fixative
• Blick Matte Fixative
• Brush and Pencil Advanced Colored Pencil Fixatives
• Grumbacher Workable Fixative
• Krylon Workable Matte Fixatif
• SpectraFix Spray Fixative

Final Fixatives

• Blick Gloss Fixative
• Brush and Pencil Advanced Colored Pencil Fixatives
• Grumbacher Final Fixative
• Krylon Gallery Series Final Art Fixatif
• Lascaux Fine Art Fixative
• Pebeo 4Artist Marker Varnish
• Sennelier Delacroix Spray Fixative for Pencil and Charcoals
• Sennelier HC10 Universal Fixative

Many fixative brands are available; you will want to try a few to see what works best.

I use Grumbacher Workable Fixative, and I am pleased with the quality of the product.

How To Spray Your Drawing

• Read the instructions on the can before using it.
• Shake the can before spraying on your finished drawing.
• Always test on a scrap piece of paper first to ensure it is spraying evenly. Sometimes the nozzle will get clogged and spit instead of spraying.
• Use the fixative in a ventilated area. Some fixatives can be hazardous to your health. Refer to the label for more information.
• Put your drawing on a flat surface, lightly spray, and even coat from side to side.
• Let dry for 15 minutes and test with a tissue to see if graphite transfers to the cloth. If it does, then add another coat of fixative.

How To Preserve And Frame A Pencil Drawing

As I have mentioned, some of my graphite drawings take over 30 hours to complete.

I always take the extra step to protect my finished drawings.

After spraying the drawing fixative, I let it dry for 24 hours.

Once the drawing is completely dried, I will mat and put the drawing in a frame.

Wash the frame glass at the same time you spray the fixative. Doing this will allow enough time for the glass to be completely dry.

The drawing is safe for handling and will be in perfect condition when it arrives at the buyer’s residence.

I also include a safe handling letter for the buyer that explains not to touch the drawing surface and always keep the drawing framed.

How To Store Pencil Drawings

If you are interested in storing your drawings without a fixative, you can place the picture between two pieces of glassine interleaving paper.

Glassine interleaving paper is an acid-free translucent paper ideal for protecting and storing delicate artwork like graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels.

Place the drawing on top of a larger piece of glassine interleaving paper.

The glassine interleaving paper should be approximately an inch bigger than the drawing on each side.

Place another piece of glassine interleaving paper on top of the drawing.

Tape the edge of the glassine paper with masking tape on all sides.

Store the drawing flat in a dry area. You can add layers to each other as long as they are separated from the glassine interleaving paper.

Do Not Use Hair Spray

Some artists recommend using hair spray as a cheaper alternative to fixative sprays.

Fixative sprays are not much more than hairspray and are made especially for protecting graphite and charcoal drawings.

Hairspray and fixatives share the same ingredients, but fixatives will not yellow over time, whereas hairspray does.

If you plan to sell your pencil drawings, I strongly recommend spending a couple of extra dollars on a fixative.

Final Thoughts On Sealing And Protecting Drawings

A large amount of time is invested in pencil drawings.

Taking the extra steps of caring for the paper during the drawing process and sealing the drawing after it is complete is well worth the small investment of fixatives, glassine paper, and frames.

I advise practicing spraying a fixative on a drawing that is not a final piece. Use a sketch or something that has no value to learn how to apply the fixative properly.

Always spray the fixative in a ventilated area and let it completely dry before framing or storing it.

Are you thinking about selling your drawings? The first step you will need to take is to see how much pencil drawings sell for so you can set a price.

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