Is It Okay to Use Hairspray to Fix Pastels or Must I Only Use Artists Fixative?
Is It Okay to Use Hairspray to Fix Pastels or Must I Only Use Artist’s Fixative?Is it acceptable to use hairspray as a cheap fixative for pastel or charcoal, or should you never use anything other than artist’s quality fixative? Just what are the differences between art spray fixative and hairspray? About.com’s Chemistry Guide, Dr Anne Helmenstine, has an answer for artists.Answer: To some extent, you get what you pay for. In hairspray, you can pay a lot for a well-recognized name or for a fragrance that smells nice. For an art spray fixative, you are paying for even dispersion of the spray and a good acrylate coating that will preserve your piece. Some hairsprays will have the same ingredients as art fixatives, but be wary of the dispersal system (spray). There may be some excellent hairsprays that will serve your purpose. They may or may not cost less than the art spray.
