"I was interested to read that you use Colourfix on Masonite, which I do, as well, on occasion. Do you ever have a problem with pastel wearing the grit down after you have worked on an area for a while and then not adhering in just one spot? I have had this happen twice in paintings, and haven't had much luck in fixing the spots; wondering if you have a solution?"
I have not noticed this problem. I did have some trouble with Colourfix paper when I brushed too much alcohol on it for an under painting. I use water more often, now.
So I checked out the Colourfix site and found a couple of PDF files you can download.
A few tidbits I found interesting:
I learned something new and I hope this helps Sue and others. Thank you, Sue, for the question.
To correct and remove pastel they recommend packing tape. You can lift one layer at a time without disturbing the layers below. Use a clean piece of tape for each layer.
They recommend sanding down to a smooth surface and reapplying Colourfix if a spot becomes unworkable due to too much fixative or whatever. It dries quickly so shouldn't interfere with painting time.
They do not recommend brushing pastel off. As we all know, you can breathe in the dust. They recommend using a damp cloth to keep the dust level down. I brush very carefully and outside if I have a lot of pastel to remove.
They did say you can wash their Colourfix paper with water and a brush, just lie flat to dry, weight it down if necessary. This means you could wash a board as well.
They recommend it for collage and many other craft ideas, too.
4 comments:
Thanks, Jo, for doing the heavy lifting on this! I, too, learned a lot from your research. Another pastelist friend, Denise Mahlke, also suggested just doing more layers of the Colourfix medium; that way, if one or two layers rub off, there are still more layers to go.
It's a continual learning process for us all, isn't it?
Susan, thank you for the question. I learned some new things, too.
Hi Jo,
Colourfix continues to be quite probably my favourite surface.
I don't know about the damp cloth, won't it affect the "brilliance" of the pigments, even if painted again ? Or lose adherence between layers.
Besides the mentioned tape, I guess that one can also use something like Blu-Tack.
Anyway, I still prefer to use a stiff brush in many occasions.
Best regards,
José
Hi José, Your photo always makes me smile. :)
I like Colourfix too. The damp cloth doesn't hurt if you are taking off quite a bit and don't touch the dry part. It works like an under painting. I often reuse the paper or boards by brushing off the pastel and then spreading around the residue with water and a brush and paint over it.
I can only see a problem if you are trying to use a very light pastel on top in a thin layer.
Thanks for writing. Nice to see you.
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