Sos Roofline Systems

How can I go about this? Well, you may ask, I can tell you this may not be very easy to achieve. Pastels are smudgy paints! You will find they pick up dirt specks and the paints are actually quite fragile.

The pigment in pastels is fairly loose, so bear in mind this could be dangerous. Care is needed with the specks of dust pigments. You will not want to inhale these. Therefore it can be a problem looking after your work.

Some people do use a daily newspaper to store their work, but with this you stand the risk of spoiling your work with the newsprint or acidity of the paper. Another way out of this would be to use a tissue paper that is acid free.

Now for those of you who want to store your art for a future date, I would suggest you use the following method. You will need tissue paper or greaseproof paper to cover your painting. Then it needs to be strapped down with masking tape to a board that is acid free.

Always reconsider your work at the framing stage. You may find you prefer to eliminate some. A couple of inches could make a big difference.

Most artists, you will find, probably have a frame of card to put over their work at different angles and decide what they think is best. Does the painting look better with less at the sides for instance? You have to make a considered choice.

If you want to put your work in a glass frame make sure that you have like a cardboard mat over the sides of it, as you do not want it touching the glass. Never have your work next to the glass with pastels. Otherwise you are likely to get condensation and get dark spots on your work.

Your painting will remain intact for years without “fixing” like this. Fixing, by spraying, is also possible if you wish, as long as you are aware of not inhaling the fumes.

I cannot stress enough how dangerous these fumes can be to your health. Care is needed when spraying. Take your work outside if the weather will allow it. Failing this, fling open all your windows, if you must do it inside.

Pastels can be quite messy and tend to create dust. This is not too good if you suffer from allergies. It is possible to buy plastic masks which will cover your nose and mouth, to alleviate the problem.

It is quite possible otherwise that your nose will get all stuffy if there is not much air in the room, so this is a word of warning. As I said previously when you work with pastels they do tend to make a mess of your hands. I find that I take quite a few breaks for coffee, just so that I can give them a very good wash, before I continue.