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Why must charcoal drawings be protected with fixative?
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Drawing
The Artist's Sister, Edma, with Her Daughter, Jeanne, watercolor over graphite on paper by Berthe Morisot, 1872; in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Charcoal drawings must be protected with a fixative because the medium is inherently impermanent and lacks strong adhesive qualities.12
Because charcoal is produced from charred wood, it creates a porous stroke that does not bond firmly to the drawing surface. Without the application of a fixative—typically a form of gum or resin—the charcoal particles remain loose, making the artwork highly susceptible to being smudged or accidentally erased. While this lack of adhesion makes charcoal an excellent medium for corrective sketching and preliminary studies, it poses a significant risk to the longevity of finished works. Applying a fixative secures the charcoal to the surface, ensuring that the drawing is preserved over time.12