When and How to Use Essential Erasers
Note: This is NOT an affiliated post. We mention specific products that our instructors like to use for the Draw Botanical Technique, and we encourage you to use what you have.
Good news about making “mistakes” in art…
You can always “fix” them!
As Bob Ross says, “mistakes” are just “happy little accidents,” and they often spark wonderful additions to compositions!
Did your watermelon subject accidentally stain your paper with its juices? Go with it! Add watercolor and colored pencil to turn your “mistake” into a juicy wedge to create a special final composition. See Pam work her magic in the recording of our Wonderful Watermelon Zoom Workshop!
Watch Watermelon Zoom Recording Here
Artistic Toolkit
In your household toolbox, you probably have a variety of tools like screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, etc. to help with different tasks. You wouldn’t use a wrench to do a hammer’s job… right? By the same principle, we don’t use one eraser to do another eraser’s job.
In your artist’s toolkit, we recommend having this full list of art supplies, including an assortment of erasers to help with different kinds of erasing. Scroll through this post to find out which erasers to use for:
+ Major Erasing Jobs
+ Fine Details
+ Color Lifting: Colored Pencils
+ Color Lifting: Watercolor
Major Erasing Jobs
For erasing large areas, we recommend a dust-free vinyl eraser like this one, but be sure to use it gently! If you are too rough, it can rip your paper. Most hard plastic erasers will work just as well.
Fine Details
When you’re working on details, you need a fine point eraser like this Tombow Mono Zero. It can get in-between the intricate parts of your composition to give you a clean final illustration. AND it’s refillable! For even more precise and controlled erasing, try using an erasing shield.
Color Lifting: Colored Pencil
When you want to erase a few layers of colored pencil without ruining your whole drawing, here’s your solution – a kneaded eraser! We recommend this Faber Castell soft kneaded eraser because you can lift a lot of color in one dab. If you only want to lift a little bit of color, press lightly, or try another brand like Prismacolor for a harder eraser.
Color Lifting: Watercolor
If you notice too much pigment after your watercolor layer has dried, don’t worry – you can still lift some color!
Try this: put clean water on a chisel blender watercolor brush like this Princeton Velvetouch Synthetic Brush and gently scrub the area where you’d like to erase. When the brush has picked up some pigment, wipe it on a paper towel. Repeat this process until you’re satisfied.
(Be careful not to oversaturate the paper! Too much water will warp the paper and ruin your flat surface.)
“Get to know your erasers. They’re your friends. They want to be useful. Use them!” -Pam Thompson
This gem was from our Lichen & Moss Zoom Workshop!
If you want more pearls of artistic wisdom like this one, check out our archive of Zoom Workshop Recordings.
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