Question by Lexie: How do you keep pencil sketches from smearing/smudging?
I love to draw, mostly in pen.
But the few times i do use graphite or charcoal pencils, they smear to all hell and become almost unintelligible.
I would like to draw in pencil more, and i believe if i find a way to prevent the smudging, i would use them more.
I’ve heard spraying the drawing with hairspray will help keep it from smearing, but i don’t want to try it until i know for sure, so i don’t ruin a sketch.
Any help would be appreciated.
-Lexie
Best answer:
Answer by Victoria Alvarado
You can buy this traditional spray from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. It works great, I used it on my pencil drawings, and chalk pastel drawings. Try it!
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Keep a paper over what youve already drawn
try to draw a crap sketch that you know you won’t want and do the hairspray thing
there are a few things you can use to help, but a big part of it is just being aware of your hand and not dragging it across the paper
that said, you can buy fixative or workable fixative from art/craft stores. that stops/minimises smudging after you finish. to help out while you are drawing, put a piece of paper/tissue under your hand. you can then rest your hand on that, but still be careful to not let the top paper shift, as it can also smudge the pencil.
i’d steer clear of charcoal until you’re more comfortable with smudgy drawings.
Draw on wertical board not on table. If you hold your pencile right you will not touch the paper with your hand
Have a look at http://www.peter-clements-art.com/pencil-art.html
You should only use a fixative that is designed for drawings. Never use hairspray as suggested by some people.
An art fixative will protect your drawings (pencil, charcoal, pastel) from smudging. Be sure to read the label and look for the words “matte” or “gloss”! Decide if you want your drawings to have a matte finish or gloss finish. If the fixative is labeled “workable” it still allows you to use your drawing medium over the fixative after spraying it. A workable fixative is not permanent, so you will have to spray a final finish coat (permanent fixative) on your drawing or immediately frame it under glass.
Permanent Fixatives: Grumbacher Final Fixative, Lascaux Fine Art Fixative, Prismacolor Fixative
Workable Fixatives: Blue Label Workable Fixatif, Grumbacher Workable Fixative, Krylon #1306 Workable Fixative, Winsor & Newton Workable Fixative
Buy fixatives at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, any local art supply store, or buy them online at Dick Blick website, Jerry’s Artarama website, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff website, Utrecht Art Supplies website.
EXTRA TIPS:
Graphite Pencils come in the following pencil grades:
9B 8B 7B 6B 5B 4B 3B 2B B HB F H 2H 3H 4H 5H 6H 7H 8H 9H
Reading left to right (9B to 9H), the color range goes from dark to light. 9B is the darkest color (black), HB is the middle color (medium grey), 9H is the lightest color (light grey).
Reading left to right (9B to 9H), also shows how soft or hard the graphite is. 9B is the softest and it smudges very easily, HB is in the middle, 9H is the hardest which doesn’t smudge at all.