How do you store oil pastel pictures?

[JustinBeckett]

K i did a oil pastel picture, and i am going to do many more, but how do you store them. I was told in between a 2 sheets of paper, with plywood or something on top to keep them flat. But i dont get it, won't the pastel come off from the paper? Also how do you protectt it, fixative? I also read that fixative takes a way the original look of dark pastel paintings, but stays the same on lighter ones? Please help, if anyone knows please tell me. Thanks!


Justin.

[R'john]

ground some sunflowers and make a paste using 1/2 vodka and 1/2 carnation coffee cream. What you want to do with this mixture is add 2 bananas and a little balsamic vinegar. Then you dip the peice in this mixture,let dry for 2 years,and you're set...







































honestly man,I don't know. I would have thought a fixative would work. Also,I heard that oils take a long time to dry...but that's oil paints. Maybe you should ask a fine arts forum,or call up Loomis art store. They'd probably know.

[figure2]

but how do you store them. I was told in between a 2 sheets of paper, with plywood or something on top to keep them flat.I think flat files are your best bet. Something like these (http://www.dickblick.com/categories/flatfiles/) which architectural and engineering companies use to store large drawings. If you buy them new they will cost you a small fortune but if you keep your eyes open you may find some used ones for cheap

[Elwell]

Oil pastels never really dry and can't be fixed.

[Ilaekae]

MY GAWD! Whatever you do...do NOT spray fix on oil pastels! It's about as effective as rubbing a stick of butter across your watercolors...and has just as nice results.

The problem with oil pastels is...oil...d'uh! If you stack one drawing on top of another, the oilpastels will...

1. Come off on the one above.

2. Oil stain the one above...and below.

3. Add heat and a book just tossed on top, and you get an oil and paper sandwich.

This sounds really stupid, but the best way I ever found to store oil pastels is to double mat them (you're going for a deep mat here---if you're in a bind, use a single mat) which gets that chore out of the way up front, then lay a piece of clean white paper across the entire mat/piece. Just stack each one on top of the other as deep as you want. Try to keep everything to the same size (or set of sizes), make sure their on a solid flat base, and dont pile anything in the middle of the top without thinking.

Basically, you want to keep the place where the oil pastel is from touching anything else. You can even use strips of clean white thick cardboard or foam core as a kind of mat, just so all the "mats" end up above each other.

[dbclemons]

Actually, Sennelier makes a fixative especially for oil pastels. Never used it myself though.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz217/13/

-David