Why Should I Care About Lightfastness?

What is Lightfastness anyway? Lightfastness explains how resistant an image will be to fading when over time.

I wanted my work to last for decades without fading. Since no one manufacturer had a completely lightfast set of pastel pencils or soft pastels, I cherry picked through my pastel pencils and soft pastel sticks so I removed the ones that had fugitive colors. That way I was sure to only use the ones that had high lightfast ratings. If one manufacturer had limited colors range that was lightfast then I supplemented it by looking at another manufacturer, gradually building out the range of colors at my disposal. That way I can ensure that each piece I make has the maximum lifespan available.

I recommend that if you purchase one of my pieces that you consult with a frame shop about glazing and frame them behind UV glass, conservation glass, or museum glass, as those glazing products can filter out up to 98% of the UV rays that fade images over time.

I also recommend that an art piece is not hung in direct sunlight.