Newer pastel grounds have begun to appear on the market as well. Now available commercially are sanded sheets or rolls created on a strong, non-buckling paper base. They can even stand up to mixed media works that use oil, acrylic and watercolor under-painting and pastel overlay. Special absorbent grounds are available that allow you to create a great mixed media surface. It is a very unusual work surface and one that has great potential and can be tinted before being applied.
Pastel paintings are very fragile.
The artwork created with pastels is little more than dust sitting on a soft or rigid surface. Fixing this powder to the surface will hold the particles in place but, in the process, the wonderful feel and look of the powder is forever changed. Most pastel artists cringe at the thought of fixing their works, never spraying or otherwise altering them. There is great risk in this practice. Even with the most innocent or accidental touch to the work, a smear or smudge may occur.