It’s possible to use varnish to seal oil pastels!

Sealing oil pastels doesn't just involve using a fixative: a varnish has been available since 2014!

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The most frequently asked question on the web about oil pastels is how to seal them. The most common answer is to use fixative. That’s what I’ve been doing until now, the best-kept secret in the oil pastel world is that there is such a thing as oil pastel varnish.

There’s always been this sheriff in town, but the lack of information about the product naturally imposes a rejection, a fear of failing, a fear of ruining one’s work. The product in question: oil pastel varnish by Royal Talens.

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So I contacted the technical department to find out how to use it. Why don’t many people think of doing this? Just contact the manufacturer and a technical advisor will answer all your questions. That’s what I did before I tried it… and it’s great!

Here are the tips I’ve had for applying fixative correctly:

  • I prefer to take photos of my work before applying the varnish, to avoid reflection problems.
  • Let your work dry, which is necessary in my case because I use many layers of color.
  • Use oil pastels with quality pigments, artist grade oil pastels, the oil varnish will not enhance the quality of the pigment used in the oil pastels.
  • Use a wide, flexible brush, and if possible, one dedicated to varnishing only.
  • Putting some varnish on a palette or a plate and applying it with the brush will give you more control about the even spreading on your artwork.
  • Don’t linger, go fast, a first pass from top to bottom and a second from left to right.

That’s all there is to it, I leave it to dry for an hour before signing my work.

The varnish itself is UV proof, so what’s the difference for me? I won’t have to systematically buy mats board for my works, and above all I’ll be able to continue working on watercolor paper that I’ll stretch on a canvas stretcher.

There’s always a solution.

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