The Fix.

For some time, I have been experimenting with alternatives to spray fixatives for pastel. Not only was I looking for an alternative to aerosol lacquer (which is essentially what all fixatives are) but also because of the darkening alterations that occur when you fix a drawing.

I did some research and found several artists who had used clear acrylic medium as a option. So, I chose a recently completed drawing and dove in.

Disaster.

No matter how diligently I tried to use clean brushes, choosing separate ones for highlights and shadows, the medium picked up the pastel and dragged it across into other areas, muddying the entire piece. I let the medium dry for several hours, to no avail. It dried thicker in some areas, and slightly milky. All of the true character of pastel was lost, the drawing reduced to a murky mess. I truly put myself in a "fix" with this one.