Flags

[Patricia Joyce]

Thanks, for the heads-up and enjoyable tales, guys! Oh Steven, I would just have to redraw this portrait, stripping a whole log cabin . . . O U C H ! ! ! !

It must have been a varnish I got and I will not use it again! That is, unless those pesky mosquitos don't leave me alone

[Patricia Joyce]

FYI

For anyone else out there wondering what NOT to use on their graphite drawings. I went home for lunch just to check what I did use and it is Grumbacher (Gloss) Tuffelm Final Fixative. The Tuffelm is in smaller print. I saw Final Fixative and thought it was what I wanted but now I think it was the Tuffelm that may be the culprit. Anyway, it made the drawing dark, and grainy and very dull, as you can see.

[Julie Deane]

Hi Pat -

I'm sorry - I've been out of town, or I would've responded sooner.

What I use is a product I got at a Hobby Lobby store: called "Krylon Matte Finish" - it says "eliminates glossy sheen, creates a soft, satin finish".

No product is perfect,, and this one wasn't either. I overdid it once, resulting in the same problem of value reduction that you mentioned. Plus, as it gets down to the end of its "life", it gets more drops and less mist. So if you decide to try it, use with caution.

Steven's suggestions for spraying sound very helpful.

Even with the spraying problem, I bet your family loved this picture!

[Patricia Joyce]

Julie,
I should have gone back and found your post but I was lazy and found mysel fin the art supply store looking at them all w/o recall to what you suggested.

Thank you, and yes, my family does like the portrait. Of course I have said nothing to them about the value change!

[Steven Sweeney]

Some interesting and worthwhile follow-up reading on the subject:

http://aldridgestudios.com/610-Fixative.html
http://www.capecodpastelsociety.com/conservation.html
http://www.equiis.com/table.html