{"id":21630,"date":"2014-08-29T09:08:53","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T08:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=21630"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:21:23","slug":"fixatives-are-not-all-the-same","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/29\/fixatives-are-not-all-the-same\/","title":{"rendered":"Fixatives Are Not All The Same"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fixatives<\/a> are clear liquids made with resin or casein and a fast-evaporating solvent, like alcohol. They’re typically sprayed onto dry media artworks to stabilise pigment or graphite on the surface and protect the finished piece from dust. In many ways, they function similarly to varnish.<\/p>\n

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\"8<\/a><\/p>\n

A Comparison of Brands of Fixatives<\/h2>\n

At Jackson’s, we stock 10 brands of fixative plus some varnishes that might be used as fixatives. I wanted to know how they differed.
\nThe two main things you want to know about a fixative are:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> How well does it fix the dry media onto the surface to prevent smudging?<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> How much does it alter the appearance of the artwork?<\/p>\n

Some artists don\u2019t use fixative because of the negative colour changes, especially to pastels and coloured papers. These artists frame the un-fixed artwork behind glass. Other artists use a fixative but then afterwards add back the ruined highlights to the artwork. Is there a fixative that secures the pigment to the surface without changing the colour?<\/p>\n

Jump straight to the conclusions at the end.<\/a><\/p>\n

Tests I Set Up to Judge the Fixatives<\/h5>\n

I tested 10 spray fixatives and 4 spray varnishes.<\/p>\n

Fixatives<\/strong><\/p>\n