Editing Pastel (section)

==Protection of pastel paintings==
[[Image:Scenery painter Schlosspark Charlottenburg berlin 20080423.jpg|thumb|Scenery painter in [[Charlottenburg|Schlosspark Charlottenburg]], Berlin]]
Pastels can be used to produce a permanent painting if the artist meets appropriate archival considerations.  This means:

* Only pastels with lightfast pigments are used. As it is not protected by a binder the pigment in pastels is especially vulnerable to light. Pastel paintings made with pigments that change color or tone when exposed to light suffer comparable problems to [[gouache]] paintings using the same pigments.
* Works are done on an acid-free archival quality support.  Historically some works have been executed on supports which are now extremely fragile and the support rather than the pigment needs to be protected under glass and away from light.
* Works are properly mounted and framed under glass so that the glass does not touch the artwork. This prevents the deterioration which is associated with environmental hazards such as air quality, humidity, mildew problems associated with condensation and smudging. [[Poly(methyl methacrylate)|Plexiglas]] is not used as it will create [[static electricity]]{{Explain|reason=how Plexiglas creates static electricity while other glasses do not|date=October 2024}} and dislodge the particles of pastel pigment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Framing Pastelbord {{!}} Artist Surfaces |url=https://ampersandart.com/full/framing-pastelbord |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Ampersand Art |language=en}}</ref>
* Some artists protect their finished pieces by spraying them with a [[fixative (drawing)|fixative]]. A pastel fixative is an aerosol varnish which can be used to help stabilize the small charcoal or pastel particles on a painting or drawing. It cannot prevent smearing entirely without dulling and darkening the bright and fresh colors of pastels. The use of hairspray as a fixative is generally not recommended as it is not acid-free and therefore can degrade the artwork in the long term. Traditional fixatives will discolor eventually.

For these reasons, some pastelists avoid the use of a fixative except in cases where the pastel has been overworked so much that the surface will no longer hold any more pastel. The fixative will restore the "tooth" and more pastel can be applied on top. It is the tooth of the painting surface that holds the pastels, not a fixative. Abrasive supports avoid or minimize the need to apply further fixative in this way. SpectraFix, a modern casein fixative available premixed in a pump misting bottle or as concentrate to be mixed with alcohol, is not toxic and does not darken or dull pastel colors. However, SpectraFix takes some practice to use because it's applied with a pump misting bottle instead of an aerosol spray can. It is easy to use too much SpectraFix and leave puddles of liquid that may dissolve passages of color; also it takes a little longer to dry than conventional spray fixatives between light layers.

[[Glassine]] (paper) is used by artists to protect artwork which is being stored or transported.  Some good quality books of pastel papers also include glassine to separate pages.