30
votes
How can I avoid smudging my pencil drawings?
You can use an artist's bridge as well. It's basically a long metal ruler with either rubber feet at either end or a thin foam on the bottom. You can easily make your own out of a sturdy ruler as well....
- 401
25
votes
Accepted
How to prevent the paper from getting damaged due to a steel compass?
You will need to rest the point of the compass onto some other object first i.e. one that won't damage the paper.
Some sort of disc
A felt or rubber disc comes to mind. Something thin with enough ...
- 11k
15
votes
How do I prevent pencil colour drawings from fading away while I'm still drawing it?
Building on @Joachim's comments above, yes, the direct sunlight can affect the color and make them dull. Hence, when you are not working, you should store the paper in dark
(or use some protective ...
- 151
13
votes
Accepted
Future-proofing paper and ink letter
The choice of paper won't be very difficult. There are different types and brands of paper available in craft stores, stationary sections and even copy shops. You'll want to go for "acid free&...
Elmy♦
- 12.6k
12
votes
How can I avoid smudging my pencil drawings?
In addition to the suggestions by @user24, you can get workable fixative that allows you to continue to work on drawings after spraying it. This is handy if you can't finish the piece in the whole ...
- 3,443
11
votes
Accepted
Why have my paper crafts hung on the wall deformed and what can be done to prevent this?
I can think of a couple reasons why your paper curled like that:
Vertically displayed paper has a tendency to curl more in my experience, especially when it has no support.
The gum/glue itself may ...
- 291
11
votes
Accepted
How can you tell if an oil painting is dry?
Before providing a way to test the oil painting is dry, it's useful to know how the drying process works and why it is important.
How does oil paint dry (cure)?
Oil Paint doesn’t really dry, rather ...
- 1,338
10
votes
Accepted
How can I protect my pencil & charcoal drawings once complete?
If the pieces are likely to be handled and/or displayed then using fixative sprays is probably the best option. There are two purposely manufactured types:
Workable
Final
Workable Fixative
As the ...
- 1,338
10
votes
How to hang a painting on plywood on the wall?
If you have some power tools, you can make a very thin French cleat. The image below shows one designed to hold a heavy cabinet. The two mating pieces are cut at an angle, typically 45°, and the ...
- 11.5k
9
votes
Accepted
How to protect & preserve water color paintings
There are a couple of things that will definitely work to help preserve displayed paintings:
Paint quality. If you want the paint to remain vibrant over time, then you get what you pay for. Artist/...
- 3,443
9
votes
Accepted
Will putting an oil painting under glass cause damage?
As long as the Painting isn’t recently painted, within 6-12 months, then there isn’t a general consensus and the answer is: It depends.
The reason for the delay after the painting is finished is that ...
- 1,338
8
votes
Accepted
What causes frosting when applying a varnish?
What system are you using? Airbrush or bottle spray?
I have experienced a lot of frosting when applying varnish in humid environments.
I have observed more frosting with spray bottles compared to ...
- 1,333
8
votes
What's a good way to preserve live roses?
You need to dry the rose as soon as possible, before it wilts.
If the air in your home is dry and warm, hang the rose upside down over a heater or in front of an AC outlet by a piece of yarn you tie ...
Elmy♦
- 12.6k
7
votes
How to prevent the paper from getting damaged due to a steel compass?
I have a subject of engineering drawing before and that is my problem also!
What works for me is to use a plastic cover, the transparent one that you commonly used to cover your books.
Because it is ...
- 171
7
votes
How can I prevent my drawings and paper from yellowing over time?
I posted an answer to a similar question on this Exchange.
"The reason [paper turns] yellow is because the paper is made from wood pulp and not cotton. Wood is made up of lignin and cellulos. The ...
- 2,956
7
votes
How can you preserve oil paints on your palette between sessions?
Light, Air, AND Temperature. After restricting the air flow like by putting the palette into a container you can put it in the fridge or even the freezer for a longer period.
Some painters immerse ...
7
votes
How can I extend the life of clear nail polish?
Some people use acetone to thin down their nail polish to its original consistency, but this is not recommended since it will cause it to dry out more quickly after application and can cause cracking ...
- 323
7
votes
Which tool to use as watercolor paper press
The answer is to pre-stretch the paper before painting, and leave it stretched until dry.
To pre-stretch, wet the paper evenly, then tack down the corners to a drawing board with some slight tension....
- 3,159
7
votes
Accepted
How can I avoid fungus in an alien water tank?
It looks like you're making something rather like a specimen in a jar, so why not do it the way the professionals do it: pure ethanol or isopropyl alcohol?
As long as the jar is properly sealed, this ...
- 2,325
7
votes
Preserving chalk pastel artworks?
You will see a dulling or muting of the colors if you use fixative, which is why many pastel artists will actually “fix” in stages. Personally I like to build up muted color layers and use my ...
- 2,812
7
votes
Accepted
What can I expect from a fixative?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to completely fixate the pigment on its support, but there is a lot of difference in quality between brands and purposes. So, yes, you probably have a low-quality or ...
- 10.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Paper's preservation (fixative not working)
Paper will yellow over time because of lignin in the pulped wood.
Choosing an archival, acid-free fixative means that the fixative itself should not yellow over time. Unfortunately, the primary ...
- 4,356
7
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to "revive" or protect hand sewing needles from corrosion?
Tl;dr: Your best option may be to buy gold plated or stainless steel needles.
Everyday needles are nickel plated (says Wikipedia and other sources). Nickel corrodes in contact with sweat, worse for ...
- 6,594
6
votes
Accepted
How to remove paint fallen on an existing watercolor painting with the least damage to the painting?
It's best to act quickly, and absorb the paint with either a cloth or (nearly) dry brush. You can remove most of the spilled paint that way.
Then, depending on what's still visible, you might want to ...
- 1,999
6
votes
Accepted
How do I prevent chalk pastel from getting smudged?
Once you've finished your work, if you need to protect it from being smudged, use Fixative Spray that is made for specifically this purpose. Hairspray will also work in a pinch.
Only do this once you'...
- 1,788
6
votes
Accepted
Are there markers, paints, pencils, etc that are known to not change color over time?
The two keywords you need to look for are lightfast and archival.
For US manufacturers, lightfastness is usually given as an ASTM rating (that's American Society for Testing and Materials), which is ...
- 1,818
6
votes
Accepted
How can I prevent my drawings and paper from yellowing over time?
Proper storage is your biggest ally in keeping paper from yellowing. Storing your artwork away from light, where it's cool and dry can drastically extend the life of even newsprint.
Obviously, if you ...
- 2,615
6
votes
How to maximize the post-dried life expectancy of flowers?
If a flattened flower is okay for your purpose; you could adopt techniques from herbarium-sheet preparation. Keep the flowers in a fold of a diary or hardbound old notebook. Change their position ...
- 313
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