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The eraser: a guide for dummies
by Vincenzo
The eraser is an indispensable companion for our drawings, however many different types have been produced for different drawing needs.
Each type always carrying advantages and disadvantages that a good artist should firmly keep in mind when deciding which eraser to buy and use for a particular project.
With this simple guide I will analyze the main types of eraser and for each one I'll point out strengths and weaknesses to help you judge for yourself which one you should invest your money on and which one might be the one that fits your drawing style.
| Prior to the invention of the rubber eraser, tablets of wax were used to erase lead/charcoal marks from paper. It has been claimed that crustless bread was, in the past, commonly used as an eraser. |
The kneaded eraser
Pros: pliability, no residues, long life
Cons: not suited to erase large areas, tendency to smear
The kneaded eraser (or putty rubber or Kneaded rubber) is usually made of a gray or white pliable material similar to putty or gum.
It functions by absorbing and graphite and charcoal particles and it perfect to erase these kind of media. It is particularly well suited to delete soft pencils ( B and HB H types) cause it might lack the stiffness to erase more hard marks (H2-H6). It does not wear away and leave behind eraser residue
One of the principal advantages of kneaded erasers is that it can be shaped for precision erasing.
However, they are not efficient in erasing large areas due to their tendency to stick to paper instead of sliding on it. This tendency can cause smearing particularly if the eraser is too warm.
Though they do not wear away like other erasers, their life gets to an end when they are unable to absorb any more graphite or charcoal. When this is the case a kneaded eraser will actually make marks instead of erasing them.
Soft vynil eraser
Pros: soft and gentle on paper, erase without smearing small areas and light marks
Cons: not good for precision erasing, leave residues, do not last as long as the rubber erasers.
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Soft vinyl erasers have a plastic-like texture, they are soft and non-abrasive, making them less likely to damage canvas or paper compared to other types of erasers. Vinyl erasers are commonly white.
They may cause smearing when erasing large areas or dark marks if not used properly and consequently they tend to be more efficient on small areas and light marks.
They are not pliable like the rubber erasers and tend to leave plenty of eraser residues in the form of crumbs and particles which requires frequent brushing to get them off the paper.
They are not exceptional for precision erasing because they loose the sharp edge immediately but can be cut with a blade to reconstitute a small edge again for precision erasing.
Engineers favor this type of eraser for work on technical drawings due to their gentleness on paper. The eraser made of vynil is overall my favorite.
Pink rubber erasers
Pros: multipurpose eraser generally good for pencils and pens
Cons: smears easily, can abrade paper, leaves residues
Pulverized pumice is blended into this type of eraser to make it abrasive.
| Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. |
It is a general purpose eraser and in fact it can be used to erase pencil, charcoal and even pen. Being ace of all trades makes of this eraser master of none and it shows many of the disadvantages of the other erasers without the advantages.
It tends to smear and can damage the paper if used too heavily due to the presence of the pulverized pumice.
However it is thanks to the pumice that it can erase certain pen marks. Thus is usually the duty of the darker and more rigid section when present.
It leaves eraser residue that must be brushed away; care must be taken in brushing away residue, as the eraser particles can leave marks on the paper.
The same material is often used for the eraser that is attached to pencils.
Synthetic rubber eraser
Pros: Suited to large areas due to its softness and coarseness
Cons: short life, leaves crumbs, not precise
| Synthetic rubber is any type of artificially made polymer material, which can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress, than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation. Synthetic rubber serves as a substitute for natural rubber in many cases, especially when improved material properties are needed |
These types of eraser are called also art gum eraser, and are made of soft, coarse rubber.
These erasers are especially suited to erase large areas, and do not damage the paper (however it really depends on how strongly you erase!). Due to the coarse nature of the rubber used they are even less precise than the vynil erasers and tend to leave a lot of big rubber crumbles. They life span is expected to be even less than the vynil erasers.
Art gum erasers are commonly tan or brown.
Correction fluid
Pros: suited to correct mistakes done in ink
Cons: messy and not very useful to pencil artists as an eraser
Last but not least, a correction fluid is an opaque, white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text. However it used to be extensively used by comic book inkers in recent years. Its use has seen a slow decline with the introduction of digital inking but it is still used to correct mistakes done with ink that cannot be erased.
Once dried, it can be written over. It is typically packaged in small bottles, and the lid has an attached brush which dips into the bottle. The brush is used to apply the fluid onto the paper.
That's it for today! I hope this article on the eraser has been of interest to you!
If you feel like it, please leave a comment on the contact us page, we would love to hear from you!
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