Fun with charcoal

J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Here's an extremely random question for y'all...What can you put on a charcoal drawing to keep it permanent? Ya know, because charcoal is always messy and the drawing may smear when its done...say if you wanted to make it last, is there some kind of coating to put on it?

Anyone?

anyone??
 
PrincessAli

PrincessAli

New Member
There is a type of spray you can buy to put on it....we used it in art classes all the time. Although I can't remember what it's called. I'm sure if you go into an art supply store they would know what you're talking about.

edit:
I just asked my friend and this is his exact quote "Fixall or something like that." :lol: I hope I helped.
 
ghostlyguitar

ghostlyguitar

New Member
I used it on a charcoal drawing in college a while back, and I think it's called Fixall. Does the trick really well, but can darken the paper and stuff. And make sure you're 100% finished with the drawing, 'cause once you put that stuff on, you're done whether you like it or not. Hope i was SOME help.

-Adam-

PS: HI ALI! :)
 
Maria

Maria

New Member
A loooooooong time ago when I was in school and they made us draw with chalk, I remember we then sprayed our "masterpiece" with hairspray. I don´t remember buying any type of special one though.... :animwink:

(again... it was a looong time ago)
 
J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
ooohhh yeah, I remember heaaring about hairspray...I heard that there might be some funky side effects from using that, though...maybe not..

Thanks everyone! I'll have to go find some "Fixall".....
 
tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
Hairspray...aeorsol, not pump works well. Fixall is found with your regular art supplies. One word of caution...spray outside or in a WELL ventilated room. Let the page dry completely before you close the book or turn the page (speaking from exp).
 
NowInc

NowInc

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by tigsmom
Hairspray...aeorsol, not pump works well. Fixall is found with your regular art supplies. One word of caution...spray outside or in a WELL ventilated room. Let the page dry completely before you close the book or turn the page (speaking from exp).
Click to expand...

TRUE THAT!! Cant tell ya how many light headed nights I had cuz of thats stuff
 
Dizknee_Phreek

Dizknee_Phreek

Well-Known Member
i love art questions!! :D
well, JLW11Hi (love your avatar btw...homestar runner is the greatest!) my high school teacher always used hairspray just cuz it was cheaper. so if you want to go the cheap route, go that way....but i'll warn you. you get what you pay for! hairspray, from what i've heard, will eventually turn it yellow. now remember, that's just what i've heard. i don't know that by experience.
what *I* like to use is D!ck Blick Matte Fixative which, i believe, you can find at Hobby Lobby and, of course, any D!ck Blick store.
really, any kind of spray fixative should work. and you don't HAVE to lay the paper down...i'm sure it would make it easier. but i always hold one corner, hold the can as far away as i can, and spray. of course, ALWAYS test your spray and make sure that it squirts a mist and doesn't squirt a jet (i do know that one by experience!) and you want your surface to look wet when you're done...that always sort of freaked me out at first. but it's ok...it'll dry and look like it's supposed to. don't be afraid to pile on the fixative! the more you get on there, the less it'll smear. once you let the fixative dry a while, lightly touch a heavily shaded area, and if you still get charcoal on your finger, spray it down some more! once you get enough fixative on there, you should get very little to no charcoal residue on your finger.
ummm, let's see...what else?
as others have said, outside is the best place to do it cause anything you use will have some really strong fumes and will be extremely flammable! but if it's too damp or windy out, either wait for a better day, or get some where that you don't mind the fixative getting on (as in furnature, floor, etc.) and very well ventilated!
i believe those are the biggest, most important points. good luck and have fun! :wave:
 
J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Originally posted by Dizknee_Phreek
i love art questions!! :D
well, JLW11Hi (love your avatar btw...homestar runner is the greatest!) my high school teacher always used hairspray just cuz it was cheaper. so if you want to go the cheap route, go that way....but i'll warn you. you get what you pay for! hairspray, from what i've heard, will eventually turn it yellow. now remember, that's just what i've heard. i don't know that by experience.
what *I* like to use is D!ck Blick Matte Fixative which, i believe, you can find at Hobby Lobby and, of course, any D!ck Blick store.
really, any kind of spray fixative should work. and you don't HAVE to lay the paper down...i'm sure it would make it easier. but i always hold one corner, hold the can as far away as i can, and spray. of course, ALWAYS test your spray and make sure that it squirts a mist and doesn't squirt a jet (i do know that one by experience!) and you want your surface to look wet when you're done...that always sort of freaked me out at first. but it's ok...it'll dry and look like it's supposed to. don't be afraid to pile on the fixative! the more you get on there, the less it'll smear. once you let the fixative dry a while, lightly touch a heavily shaded area, and if you still get charcoal on your finger, spray it down some more! once you get enough fixative on there, you should get very little to no charcoal residue on your finger.
ummm, let's see...what else?
as others have said, outside is the best place to do it cause anything you use will have some really strong fumes and will be extremely flammable! but if it's too damp or windy out, either wait for a better day, or get some where that you don't mind the fixative getting on (as in furnature, floor, etc.) and very well ventilated!
i believe those are the biggest, most important points. good luck and have fun! :wave:
Click to expand...

Thanks! I was just about to ask how much I should actually spray on it....Its nice to see so many people that know about this stuff!

And let me tell you about strong fumes....I remember in Painting class this past year in high school, when we were doing an oil painting unit, we used turpentine to clean our brushes....wow, did that room reek! It was especially bad for the people comming in for the next class in the same room who weren't used to the smell...
 
J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ok, here's another related question...what kind of paper do you think is the best for making a nice charcoal drawing? (one you'd want to frame and hang on a wall or something)

I usually use newsprint, because it is easy to work with the charcoal on its rough surface...but I also have bristol board and it seems that a finished drawing would look nicer on a smooth, heavy surface like that...? Suggestions? Comments? Slurpie? Hot Dog?
 
Dizknee_Phreek

Dizknee_Phreek

Well-Known Member
you got to use oils in high school?! lucky!! my dad got to when he was in h.s., but they're just too expensive, so my h.s. made us use acrylics and watercolor, and that's it! i've always wanted to get my hands into some oil, cuz there's this great scene from The Mummy that would just look awesome in an Impressionism style oil painting. i've just been too afraid to attempt oil...i'm sure i'll get into it while in college, though.

anyway, i believe turpentine is the same as mineral spirits, right? i don't use much of it, that's why i don't really know. but if it is, i know exactly what you're talking about! we used mineral spirits for collages in high school. it's MUCH stronger than fixative, that's for sure!

on to your next question! which is one i can't answer. that's completely up to you. it depends on what kind of look you're going for (if you want it really tense and emotional, go with the rougher surface...if you want it soft and gentle-like, go with the smoother surface) and it also depends on what you're more comfortalbe using. really, any paper works, and you can get a nice work out of any surface you use. take my h.s. art class for example....we had TONS of paper donated to us...the only problem with it is that it has watermarks. most of the time, once shaded over, you can see the watermark very clearly and it tends to distract. but if you shade over it enough, it disappears into the drawing. anyway, it's just your preferance. you seem to already have some experience in charcoal and using it on different types of paper, so that'll, of course, help you decide. if you're not really sure what you're going for, i'd be happy to put in my 2 cents, if it's worth it to ya. either way, i'd be interested in knowing what you're drawing if you're interested in telling us! :)

*hands JLW11Hi a hot dog and slurpie*
 

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