Sennelier Fixative Sprays

Tempera is a vague term these days. There are a number of types of what we call tempera. The most common usage now is for school temperas, which use inexpensive, but usually non-staining, pigments with a water-soluble binder such as a plant gum. If you like a particular painting done in this medium it can be sprayed with something like a pastel fixative or hair spray to help it hold together over time. However, these paints are often made with relatively impermanent pigments that may fade badly regardless of what you spray them with. An older meaning of tempera refers to paints that use a binder derived from egg yolks. Usually, these are prepared by the artist in the studio for work on a particular day. Different oils or resins may also be added, but the binder is ultimately an emulsion that first dries by the evaporation of water and then cures as the oil or oil/resin component polymerizes. Egg tempera is interesting for usually being a good foundation for both aqueous and oil media later. The Van Eyck brothers used alternating layers of egg tempera and oil paints to create some of the most stunning and beautiful paintings in the history of European art. That was more than 500 years ago and their paintings are still vibrant and beautiful. It is very likely that an egg tempera painting would accept many kinds of spray surfaces quite well. As a caveat, though, not all “sprays” are equal. I would create test panels with a variety of colors of my egg tempera, properly cured, and spray them with the product I wanted to use. Give them some time to see if they do anything bad.

D'Artigny Oil Pastel Fixative is labeled with the CL label and Conforms to ASTM d 4236 Products bearing the CL seal of the Art & Creative Materials Institute ("Caution Label") contain ingredients that are toxic or hazardous, but they can be used safely with appropriate caution. Materials that bear the CL seal should be used only by those persons who are able to read, understand, and follow suggested safety precautions for handling those materials. The Caution Label signifies that although the product contains a toxic element, it can be handled safely if the directions on the container or packaging are followed. Many such art products cannot be made non-hazardous, but are necessary for certain creative activities. This product also has a Prop 65 warning. The State of California requires clear and reasonable warnings on products and/or storage containers containing chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Even if these products contain only trace levels of harmful chemicals, a warning is required by the State of California. Manufacturers of certain products have included warnings pursuant to California Proposition 65, and caution is recommended when using products marked with the Prop 65 icon.