If you want to remove layers of pigment to lighten an area or to apply more layers of a different colour on top – a kneaded or putty eraser will do the job just remember to constantly clean it by kneading as you use it. The holes in the erasing shield are where the erasing is done. The metallic parts are to protect what you don’t want to erase. Position the holes over the lines to be erased – hold the shield firm and flat. What’s the difference between flexible and flimsy eraser shield? A compass (diagram 3) (or pair of compasses) is a technical drawing instrument that can be used for drawing circles or arcs. As dividers, they can also be used as tools to measure distances, in particular on maps. Compasses can be used for mathematics, drafting, navigation, and other purposes.

Eraser, piece of rubber or other material used to rub out marks made by ink, pencil, or chalk. The modern eraser is usually a mixture of an abrasive such as fine pumice, a rubbery matrix such as synthetic rubber or vinyl, and other ingredients. How should you erase pencil marks? Staedtler Combi Mars Plastic Eraser White & Blue– (two sides – one for graphite and coloured pencils and the other for ink) (phthalate and latex free) Faber Castell Green Dust-Free Eraser (‘dust-free’ means that crumbs clump together) (phthalate free) Harder pencils can make grooves in the paper which cannot be erased.- It turns out that the hardness makes it hard to erase even when lightly applied. Kneadable putty erasers work by absorbing colour, they do not wear away. They can be very soft or quite stiff, but are not abrasive.

Want to know more?

Staedtler produces one eraser with two sides – one for graphite and one for coloured pencil and ink. Coloured Pencil

How it performed: Worked moderately well when rubbed or when pressed and lifted. Best on the light lines of graphite, not so well on the dark. Fine on press and lift for coloured pencil lightening. Fine on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens and didn’t lighten the ink. Removed the graphite under the watercolour with a bit more damage to the paint than the one above. Felt abrasive. Start drawing from light to dark. That way you can correct / erase the drawing while there are no dark marks on the paper yet. This will ensure you end up with an accurate drawing with minimal erasing. Set Squares are used to draw accurate angles. The most common set squares are 45 degrees and 60/30 degrees. When using set squares they should always be used along with a T-Square. The Set-square rest on the straight edge of the T-Square and this ensures that the angle is drawn straight and with accuracy. Diagram 4 – Set squaresBut I found that if you use a two-step method you can erase coloured pencil quite thoroughly. I used Faber-Castell Polychromos Crimson thinking it would be a tough one to erase because it is oil and wax as well as red which is often a staining colour. Not suitable for erasing large areas where a rubber works better. But tiny little areas that are resistant to a rubber, perhaps it is a splatter of paint, a lump of some sort or a stain on the paper – a very gentle scraping will remove the lump or scrape away a very thin layer of paper so the stain goes. Also sharpens pencils like a knife.

Used for erasing or rubbing out unwanted pencil lines on your drawings. They are often used with the aid of an erasing shield. Diagram 6 – Staedtler eraser If the eraser is very greasy and dirty, one can use a craft knife to trim away the ends. To clean a kneadable eraser, you need to stretch and fold the eraser like putty, so that a fresh surface is created. After a while, the eraser becomes saturated and you will need to replace it. This innovative and portable Jakar sharpener combines a reservoir sharpener with an eraser, which has a plastic cap to keep it clean. It is suitable for use with standard diameter pencils. The makes of putty rubber vary a lot in softness- from very soft and melty to super stiff almost like a hard rubber eraser. Erasing shields can also be used to draw evenly-spaced dashed lines, or as a simple stencil. [4] [3]

Cite this Entry

c. Plastic/vinyl erasers– the firmest eraser. The most popular eraser, these modern erasers usually give the most complete removal of graphite. If you are like me the word ‘plastic’ might make you think they wouldn’t work well, I mean you can’t erase with any of the other plastic items on your table, right. But you need to remember two things: plastics come in a huge variety of formulas and also ‘plastic’ can means ‘pliable’ as in ‘the plastic arts’ meaning sculpture. Many plastic erasers come with paper sleeves that you can use to hold the rubber. ‘Dustless’ means that the eraser residue particles clump together for more complete removal, leaving fewer tiny particles that are actually still on the paper but you don’t see… until you take a close-up photo. They can be heat-moulded into many shapes, both for finger grips and for sharp edges that allow the erasure of fine lines. How it performed: Was better when rubbed than when pressed and lifted. Best on the light lines of graphite, not so well on the dark. Fine on press and lift for coloured pencil lightening. Great on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens without lightening the ink. Removed the graphite under the watercolour with only slight lightening of the paint, might be the winner for that task. If you intend to erase small exact areas you might wish to try an eraser shield. A great little device, that is a good value in the drawing companion set. For tidying up small areas and edges where a sharp clean edge is needed, an eraser shield is useful. Any eraser will work with a shield, just be sure to hold the eraser shield firmly down onto the paper. An electric eraser with a fine tip also removes very sharp edged small areas. How it performed: Fine on light graphite lines, not good at dark graphite lines and not great on coloured pencil. Fine on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens and didn’t lighten the ink. Removed the graphite under the watercolour with a bit of damage to the paint.

For clean, smudge-free results, resist the urge to brush the eraser crumbs off with your hand as this can cause unwanted smudging and blowing the crumbs off can add dampness to the paper. Instead, a good habit to get into is to lift the paper and shake the crumbs off. A drawing broom/drafting brush can be really useful. The sharpener revolves: it can be turned inwards so that it does not leak graphite dust through the blade aperture. To empty the pencil shavings from the (very small) reservoir, simply swing the sharpener outwards and pull it off the main unit. Faber Castell Latex Free Eraser, Red and Blue (two sides: one for graphite and colour pencils and the other for ink.)Most people assume they know all there is to know about erasers. But there are different types for different jobs and you are more likely to get the result you want if you use the right tool. After testing different types of erasers, different brands and different methods I have discovered a few things that might help you get the most from this small but important drawing implement. Compasses are usually made of metal and consist of two parts connected by a hinge. One part has a spike at its end which stops it from sliding on the paper when drawing a circle or arc, and the other part a pencil. The distance between the legs can be adjusted to allow the changing of the radius of the circle drawn. Diagram 3 – Compass A good eraser must be capable of completely removing pencil or ink lines without leaving smudge marks or roughing the surface of the paper. For vellum drafting paper, soft rubber erasers should generally be used. There are also special erasers designed to remove ink. In general plastic erasers are similar. Except the dustless ones that I find difficult to use because of the lump of crumbs that builds up underneath the eraser.