How can I make sidewalk chalk last longer?

Asked by: Rebecca Hamilton

The best way to preserve chalk art on paper is to use a fixative spray. Hair spray works, but it can yellow the paper, so fixative is the best choice. You can use the workable fixative while you’re drawing so that you can make changes while the chalk art doesn’t smudge or rub off.

What can you put on chalk to make it stay?

To make your chalk drawings permanent, lay your chalkboard out and carefully spray with a THIN even coat of hairspray from AT LEAST 10 inches away.

How long will sidewalk chalk last?

But to give you a rough idea, we’ve found that a chalk piece drawn onto standard sidewalk cement will last 5-10 days in great condition if left untouched in gorgeous California weather. We’ve seen pieces last as long as one month or more at 75% quality.

Does hairspray set chalk?

Hairspray: You may have noticed that when you sprayed chalk pastel artwork with hairspray, the spray tends to discolor/lighten/darken or even pixilate the artwork. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking spraying as you never know what’s going to happen.

What do professional sidewalk chalk artists use?

Although some artists might use chalk or paint to create these drawings, most “chalk artists” use professional-quality pastels that allow for bright colors in a range of hues.

Does hairspray set chalk pastel?

The properties of hair spray as a fixative for pastel and charcoal on paper. Many artists who create drawings with friable or powdery media, such as chalk, pastel and charcoal, choose to use hairspray as an inexpensive alternative to commercially available art fixatives.

What is fixative spray?

Fixative is a clear liquid made with resin or casein and something to evaporate quickly, like alcohol. It is usually sprayed onto a dry media artwork to stabilise the pigment or graphite on the surface and to preserve finished artwork from dust. It is similar to varnish.

Does wet chalk work better?

Just add water….



The chalk will go on smoothly and be almost a little slippery. The color will be more vibrant and more opaque than if it were dry. It doesn’t take long for the water on the chalk to be used up.

How do you make chalk more vibrant?

Dip the chalk into water then head directly to the cement and start drawing. That’s the whole trick. The water softens the chalk and allows so much more pigment to lay down on the cement. The colors are super bright- no comparison to how they look when applied dry.

What is the difference between sidewalk chalk and regular chalk?

Regular chalk, also sometimes referred to as school chalk, usually comes in small, thin, white sticks that are designed to be easy to hold and write with. Sidewalk chalk comes in much thicker, larger sticks that are easier for kid hands to grab and hold while drawing.

How do you make sidewalk chalk look good?

So if you are in fourth or fifth grade we talked about analogous colors colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Then you know for sure are gonna blend.

How do you clean sidewalk chalk?

Just add a squirt of mild laundry detergent in a spray bottle and fill with warm water. Generously spray the bricks with the soap solution, and scrub away. Wet the brush as needed and rinse with the garden hose.

Can you use soft pastels as sidewalk chalk?

Instead of gritty, unwieldy sidewalk chalk, Heinrich suggests trying soft pastels. Available at most art stores, they’re water-soluble and yield deeper colors. Try layering color by rubbing a piece foam over a drawn section to really press the pigment into the concrete, and then layer another shade on top.

What do sidewalk artists use?

Using mostly soft pastel chalks (which are environmentally friendly), we transform the streets and sidewalks into living art. Watching art come to life is considered a performance art and has an immediacy that gives every piece a uniqueness that can never be truly duplicated.

What’s the difference between chalk and pastel?

Soft pastels are not chalks. They usually don’t contain chalk and are nothing like blackboard or pavement chalks, save for the shape and feel. Just like any other artists quality art material, soft pastels are made up of pigment and a binder to keep it in a certain shape.