It is wise to practice drawing without using an eraser, as this tip explains leave-the-eraser-behind.

However, there will be times when you need an eraser, and the secret to doing a clean erase is not pressing too hard with your pencil to begin with, and we will talk more of this in the future!  At the moment, I want to talk just about erasers.

In the elven world and in the human world, there are many types of erasers.  Let’s focus on your world, the human world:

1. Steadtler Pen Eraser
2. Derwent Vinyl Eraser
3. Derwent Kneaded Eraser
4. Utrecht Synthetic Rubber Eraser

I want to show you some examples of what the different kinds of erasers are especially good for.

Below is an elf I have drawn.  Say that I don’t really like her hat. It is a pretty big area so I use the Synthetic Rubber Eraser as it is good for large areas and gentle on the paper.  (Note:  You can see the problem with these erasers, they leave quite a mess.  Also, they are not good for small areas.)

I draw a new hat, but I don’t particularly like that, either.

This time, I use the standard Vinyl Eraser. As you can see, it leaves less of a mess, however, it is a little rougher on the paper.  Furthermore, if you don’t keep the eraser clean, it can leave smudges!  (Note:  You can keep your erasers clean by washing them with simple hand soap!)

I now feel that her hands need a bit of redoing, so I use the Kneaded Eraser. This type of eraser is a favorite among many illustrator elves. It feels like non-sticky chewing gum, and the benefit of this kind of eraser is that you can form it into any shape and thereby erase very small areas without touching other parts of your drawing. It is also great for keeping your paper free of smudges.

Now, I am not sure that I like the way her eyes are looking.  I would like them to be lighter.  So, I use the Pen Eraser. The Pen Eraser is wonderful and exclusively for detail erasing.  It is very hard and won’t do a clean erase, however, it is excellent for lifting some of the lead off the paper and working darker areas into lighter areas after you have done some shading.

All of these erasers are very inexpensive and won’t cost you more than a few frumbos (about $2) at most.

After learning about erasers, you may now like to know a bit more about pencils!  the-pencil-is-a-mighty-tool