BEST Archival, Natural Fixatives, Varnish & Medium: SpectraFix Natural Glass & FinalFix!

SpectraFix color change, etc Review: • PASTEL FIXATIVE Spray ...
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[@rita301977]

Hi Hajra, I had an issue of bare spots happening with the natural glass and wondered if you had any tips on how to remedy this? Thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

This has happened a few times to me as well, and can happen with other varnishes, too. I’ve found that using a sand eraser very gently and brushing off on the varnish resistant bald spot seems to help make the surface more receptive to a coat of varnish if it’s oil or other surface issue which is keeping the varnish off those little bare spots. Be very careful not to rub too hard and lift much paint/medium, just enough to make the surface porous and receptive to a varnish topcoat. If it’s an uneven paper surface gravity issue, just tilt the artwork and reapply to the bare spots. Hope that helps!

[@nannette628]

I am happy to see you back! Take care of yourself so you can post more often, you have been missed.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, my friend. Hope you are well! 💜 I will try my best--some things like health we can't fully control. But I have missed painting for the past several months, and hope to get back to it someday soon. :)

[@donnaeturner]

I am so sorry to hear that you have been ill. Your work is wonderful, and l pray that you will get better every day!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Donna, very kind of you and I so appreciate your prayers. 💜 🎨 ✨

[@sheilaparkins1402]

So sorry that you've been unwell - chronic illness is no fun! But I'm glad you have all these videos up. This one was basically exactly what I was looking for!

[@HajraMeeks]

So happy to hear that! And thanks for your well wishes, much appreciated.

[@desirae8591]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing this very thoughtful and informative video. We all need to do better now that we know better. Sending you love. 💕

[@spooniesarah]

I haven't noticed bad allergies to the acrylic spray stuff, but I hate having to set up outside to spray an acrylic varnish onto whatever project I'm working on. That's why I love the Degas formula so much as a workable fixative, there's a slight scent when it's wet, but not unpleasant. So happy I discovered Natural Glass, so I can just set up at the kitchen table!

[@HajraMeeks]

SO happy for you! I'm happy for many of the same reasons that SpectraFix makes Natural Glass. Was just using some today actually to varnish art after moving in.

[@SharonNolfi]

It's great to see you again! I'm glad you're feeling well enough to make this video. Thank you for sharing these wonderful products. I haven't used fixatives and varnishes for health and environmental reasons, but SpectraFix seems like something I could use. Take care.

[@HajraMeeks]

Yes, managed to make this video, but it was hard. I'm doing my best with my challenging chronic health issues. I think you'd like SpectraFix fixatives/varnish for the same reason as me--they don't make me sick. XD Hope you're well and good to hear from you, Sharon. 💜💜

[@leighannenight]

Missed your vids!! Hope you're on a healthy path to recovery!! Thanks for the vid!! I will definitely be checking these products out.

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, sweetie! 💜 I'm hanging in there. :D

[@kookatsoonjan]

Thank you Hajra...You are soo kind to share this awesome discovery with the world. I introduced this video to a friend, who is also interested for her graphite pieces. We are buying some together. I sure have missed your videos, and missed you...Hope you get better soon...yes I would LOVE more videos from you...but mostly, I want you to have good health and feel better....being sick for a long time is sooo tiring and somewhat depressive. Please, get well and take care of yourself. Janis

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Janis, especially for caring about my health and happiness first and foremost. It has been very tough, and yes depressing, but I'm hanging in there best I can. wishing you all good things, h

[@TheRealMythril]

Sending you lots of love and hoping that things are going well for you. Hoping that your health has been improving. 💖👩🏻‍🦼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks, sweetie. Very considerate of you to think of me after all this time. I'm trying my best, not quite there yet--my health is rough to deal with, but God will see me through. Happy New Year and hope you are well in all ways, h

[@antoniosalinas5369]

Hey I just want to say that I love your channel and I hope you’re feeling better! I’m glad I found someone with the appreciation for the Golden Age Of Illustration! Can’t wait to see more of what you have in store!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks so much, Antonio, how kind of you! And always lovely to hear from another Golden Age Illustration fan, it'll always be my fav group of artists--check out my masters studies playlist to see many of my GA ill. demos: kzbin.info/aero/PLAMQu8Nf_JPVmD_KeKRodSTMPHV2ARa4W

[@spooniesarah]

Thanks for this video! I've been using the Degas workable fixative for years (gonna need to get a new bottle soon) and I love it! Discovered the Final Fix and Natural Glass on Blick, so I came to KZbin to check out any reviews. Your video has pretty much answered all my questions, thank you so much!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're so very welcome, thanks for your kind words, and so happy I was able to help you on your natural fixative journey! 🎨 ✨ 💕

[@Katrina.for_art]

HAHAAAAAAAAAAA !!! I've found these in MY town here, the back wash ,end of the line in STOCK !! woohoooo!!

[@HajraMeeks]

WOWEEE! Really? The new FinalFix and Natural Glass? And not just the older degas fixative for pastels?

[@Katrina.for_art]

@@HajraMeeks these very ones. Pic in hangouts

[@juliebedwards]

You are so cool! So glad I found you! Thank you so much!

[@HajraMeeks]

🤗 🎨 ✨ 💕

[@ingridcoke1360]

Excellent review! Thanks so much for sharing.🙏🏽💖💖💖

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, Ingrid. Glad you enjoyed it. 🎨 ✨ 💜

[@MDCampbell]

So happy to hear your voice and see you back in action. I hope that the recent challenges are subsiding more and you are finding peace and relief. It's a slow road to recovery, so I urge you not to rush (I know you well enough to know you're a fighting spirit who does _not_ sit still, easily! lol!). Just happy to know you're able to access your creative spirit, my friend. Thank you for this video, too, as I had not heard of these products before. Love that you are presenting them to this community! We need more of these kinds of products! All thoughts for you, my friend! ~ Mark

[@HajraMeeks]

MAAARK!! Good to hear from you, dude! 💜 Yes, you know me pretty well if you can tell I cannot sit still and just do nothing without it feeling like torture. XD I'm not well enough to paint again yet, keep having relapses, etc--last time I painted or drew was July last year, but I am at least doing some varnishing as you can see in the vidya. And yeah, these are awesome quality and also so great that they don't add to my many health issues, you are right that we need more stuff like this. :D You take care of yourself as well, I know you also have battled big health monsters. hugs, h

[@PatriciaGodboutArt]

Great stüff. Thanks

[@RusticatedArt]

So sorry to hear about your illness Hajra I hope by now you're starting to feel better!! It must be so hard not being able to do the things you love to do!! On a lighter side a very informative, well presented tutorial! Thanks for sharing my friend!!🙏💯

[@HajraMeeks]

Yes, it is tough (haven't been able to paint or write for almost a year now due to health constraints), but we gotta work with what we've got. Thanks for caring! So glad you enjoyed my video! :D wishing you epic art adventures, hajra

[@RusticatedArt]

@@HajraMeeks Thank you Hajra, wishing you a speedy recovery my friend!!

[@rita301977]

Thanks for all of the useful information here. So sorry that you’re struggling with health though! I’m Also sensitive to all of the chemicals so this is like finding a gold mine for artists looking into non toxic methods of creating their artwork. Really appreciate it! Love your work!

[@HajraMeeks]

Thanks for your kind words, Rita! I'm so glad to be of any help to a fellow artist and a fellow "canary in a coal mine" who is sensitive like me. 💜 🎨 ✨

[@rednatmbtp2850]

Thank you so much. I found this via a post by Steve Mitchell Studios, and I'm very grateful for this info that will solve a lot of things that have been bothering me. Wishing you all the best.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're so welcome--these are lovely products, and they've solved many of my own issues. I hope they do the same for you! :D

[@stevekobb3850]

Super helpful. Many thanks.

[@HajraMeeks]

Glad to hear it, and you're very welcome! :D

[@ANPC-pi9vu]

This is so good to know! Thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome, glad you found it useful. :)

[@HajraMeeks]

SpectraFix color change, etc Review: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rccHG... SpectraFix Channel & Videos: kzbin.info/door/gsU... Buy Spectrafix (also on Blick and Jacksons): www.spectrafix.com/

[@sarajamal799]

Hi hajra ! How are you now? It’s been a while..

[@HajraMeeks]

Sorry didn't notice your comment till now. Thanks for asking, Sara, I am still having a hard time, made harder by incompetent and clueless doctors who don't know much about Hypermobility Disorders like mine. I had been trying to find an HSD/EDS specialist, and have finally found one though he is far away in Southern CA and booked out till past March of next year. So here's hoping things are better next year, inshallah. :p @@sarajamal799

[@sarajamal799]

​@@HajraMeeks I hope you will get well soon♥

[@harveypaints1318]

glad to see you back in action

[@verlaecktclark]

Thank you.

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome!

[@emilyerdbeere9210]

Hajra, you make wonderful artwork, I am totally impressed! Every piece an unique, so lovely... I was scared when you told of your illness and that it came from art. I am carefully, too with thinner and other toxic fumes. Never use this. Also loose pigments. But now I don’t know how to seal my oilpainting and protect it from dust. Then I decteted the spectrafix and was so happy but the write that doesn’t work as a final varnish for oilpainting. Have you tried it coincidentally? I know you use it for Acrylic and watercolour and so on but I don’t find anyone who tried it with oil colours

[@HajraMeeks]

Hi Emily, thanks for your kind comments. :) My allergies and auto-immune issues are made worse by certain art products, but luckily were not started by any specifically as I was smart enough to stop using most acrylics and other chemical products years ago. SpectrFix varnishes can be used over many mediums, but NOT OVER acrylic OR oil (though it can be used UNDER both acrylic and oil as needed). Simply put, if you are worried about fumes or chemicals, finish up using your oils or acrylics in a well ventilated space, and then switch to something like gouache, or casein or egg tempera to get an oil look. You can also continue to use oils if you are ventilating well, but inescapably the thinners and clean up chemicals will be worse for the environment or you. So like with so many environmental choices, ultimately it's up to you. Good luck with your art adventures!

[@geckonia]

Regular fixative smells so nasty... the spectra fix smells soooo good! I love that stuff. I didn’t know about the glass product thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

lol...yes, Spectrafix does have a nice smell. I hope you try their Natural Glass--it's the least problem free varnish I've ever used.

[@joycesnodgrass7068]

WOW...Thank you for this information💛

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@jenniefrench1338]

I love the products and have been using them too.

[@HajraMeeks]

Awesome! 😎

[@kikiangelos3482]

Thank you that was very helpful! One question. Does SpectraFix create little bubbles when used as a varnish top coat? I'm making icons and can't have any bubbles on top coat finish at all. I would love your opinion on it.Thank you!

[@HajraMeeks]

You're very welcome! As Spectrafix Final Fix and SpectraFix Natural Glass are both thinner and less "goopy" than dimensional acrylic varnishes, I have had NO trouble with any bubbles. I always hated those pesky bubbles, too! Also, in case you ever get any hair or lint in the dried varnish, I've found it very easy to sand erase it off and then patch it with wet Spectrafix, if it's dried Spectrafix vs dried acrylic. Hope that helps.

[@kikiangelos3482]

@@HajraMeeks I was fighting with those little bubbles for a while now I was getting discourage to continue with my art. I agree about sanding a project, that with a very fine sanding sponge like the 3M superfine you can sand it lightly and reapply the varnish. Thank you again for your help and for answering my question!

[@crystaleldridge3988]

Do you know if/how well this works on handmade mica watercolor paint?

[@HajraMeeks]

I've used it over mica paint (non-handmade), as well as over gouache, ink, watercolor of many sorts. Also used it to mix a custom mica glitter or chunky glitter paint from dry mica and dry glitter. That said, my assumption is it will work well with your paint. XD You can swatch test on a scrap, of course.

[@crystaleldridge3988]

@@HajraMeeks thanks. I have so far sprayed 3 times, and the mica is still coming off a bit. I guess I'll just keep spraying until it at least mostly sticks. Love this fixative in general though.

[@nadafarhan464]

Hi, I miss your vids

[@HajraMeeks]

How sweet of you. :) Been too sick to teach in-person or online for the past year. But there are my older vids on here at least. XD wishing you health, joy, and epic art adventures, h

[@nadafarhan464]

@@HajraMeeks so sorry to hear that , you know I never used gouache well but your vids helped me to improve my watercolour techniques. Get well soon 💕