...for those who do art.

If you want to keep drawings made with charcoal, graphite, conte crayon, etc. in fine condition (without too much smearing) what brand or product do you use? What works well? Would the average hairspray work?

Hairspray is a pretty bad idea, it tends to get sticky if you don't do it right. You'd be much better off using any random brand of matte finish fixative or sealant. You don't want to use anything shiny, that looks stupid. I just use the crap my art teacher has so I don't know any brands, but I'm sure that if you go to Walmart or any craft store, somebody could point you in the right direction.

And for god's sake, use fixative in a well ventilated area.

Psshh, what's the fun in that? :p

Just buy a cheap fixative. Hairspry tends to yellow your art in later years.

Go down to the local art store. They'll have what you're looking for.

Don't use anything myself..

I usually float the paper inside of a picture frame.. tends to do the trick for me.

Won't last THAT long with contè, charcoal, or chalk pastels.

I assume fixatives are pretty much the same brand to brand?

If you let them lay flat, and don't disturb them, they're arround pretty much forever.

It's also important to use a paper that has alot of bite.

If you want to preserve them, or hang them vertically, use fixative. It's true they'll be ok if you don't as long as they lie horizontally and are never disturbed but... who has room to store drawings like that?

The art museum here has several Degas pastel drawings it doesn't display because, not only would light gradually damage the pigments used, but if they hung them vertically the media would eventually all fall off.

And though they probably aren't the same brand to brand, I don't know which is the best. After years of buying art supplies, I've come to realize that in most cases brands really are different from each other (tube colors being literally very different hues from brand to brand, and quality widely varying) and paying more usually does mean a better product (you can still find good deals, and this rule does so not apply to Liquitex.. the suck). You might think it wouldn't apply to something as basic as fixative, but it applies to even seemingly simple things like gesso and canvas.

Yeah, if you really want to save these drawings then do a little test with one or a few kinds of fixative, using something unimportant/expendable. And remember to hold the can far enough away while giving it multiple lighter coats (rather than one or two heavy coats). And, as someone said, good ventilation is essential!

then post the art here