I love working in pastels because their wonderfully rich, complex, and layered colors produce images unlike any other medium. However, their chalky nature makes pastel pieces more susceptible to smudging when being handled.

While there are dozens of commercially available fixative sprays on the market that will help protect pastels and reduce the risk of smudging, I have found that even the best of these significantly alters the color of the original artwork, darkening lighter colors/highlights and making them appear more splotchy (see side-by-side comparison below). These changes can effectively destroy the integrity of the original work. 

As a result, I have chosen not to use fixative sprays on my pastel pieces. Instead I mat and frame (most of my frames are custom made) each piece as soon as I finish it, in an economical, attractive frame, behind glass or plexiglass. The added cost of the framing is factored into the price shown,