G6000 Fixative Spray, Clear, 400 ml

Fixative is a thin resin carried in a solvent, sprayed as a fine mist that dries into a transparent film. It is what stops charcoal, pastel and soft graphite lifting off the sheet — none of those media actually bind to the paper on their own, they simply sit in its tooth until something touches them.

Spray outdoors or beside an open window, hold the can about 30 cm back, and build the film in two or three light passes rather than one wet one — a heavy coat darkens the drawing and can bloom into a cloudy patch that cannot be undone. Let each pass flash off before the next, and work with the sheet lying flat rather than upright, or the fixative runs. Test on an offcut first: fixative deepens the darks slightly in almost every medium, which matters if you have judged your values carefully.

A 400 ml can is a studio quantity rather than a single-drawing one, which is the sensible way to buy fixative: a part-used can keeps well for a long time as long as the nozzle is cleared by inverting it and spraying for a second after each use.

• Clear fixative for charcoal, pastel and soft graphite
• 400 ml aerosol
• Two or three light passes from about 30 cm, sheet lying flat
• Ventilate well, and test on an offcut — it deepens darks slightly