How do I stop my finished pencil picture from smudging?

Question

I swear, I have been drawing for years yet i still cant figure this one out. How exactly do i stop my finished pencil picture from smudging? I would appreciate anyone's help or ideas to the situation.

Answer 1

Additionally you can use a sheet of wax paper to keep your hand from smudging you work. For large drawings you can also use a Painter Mahl stick to keep your hand from dragging over the surface. You can make one at home by purchasing a wooden dowel about the length of a yardstick and one inch in diameter, screwing a rubber chair leg cap to one end. My professor made us some for us to use in college and it worked like a charm to prevent smudging. Good luck and keep up the good work!

Answer 2

Workable fixaive spray.

Use in a well ventilated area and away from other art. This spray will allow you to seal your pencil, pastel, and charcoal in place. The workable park means that you can continue to add to your piece if you'd like.

If you want to seal pieces in a book, use wax paper to cover the other leaves above and below so the rest remain workable. Leave the wax paper in place until the fixative dries. Bargain store wax paper works well for this purpose.

I do not use final fixative as it darkens work.

An alternative that people use is hairspray, this is a mistake. It never dries properly and usually remains tacky.