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Kneaded eraser - am I missing something?

Everyone recommends the kneaded eraser because it's pliable. Supposedly it will pick up pencil, even in very thin lines, and is used as part of the drawing. But it's very soft! It doesn't create thin lines. It flattens out and does whatever it wants. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong because I'd like to use it like everyone else does.

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  • Rhuby
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favourite answer

    the softness is actually the appeal of the eraser. If your working on a drawing and you've filed a 2x3 inch area too dark a conventional eraser will chew the crap out of your paper, and probably destroy your image with smudging. with a soft eraser you squish it on then lift it up and it will remove a layer of graphite without damaging the paper.

    For super thin lines I use a harder eraser, I put a piece of paper over the areas I don't want to erase and just rub over the area.

    This is also good for cleaning up smudges or dirt around your drawing, you can put a piece of paper over your drawing and clean around it without effecting it.

  • 1 decade ago

    The kneaded eraser is preferred because it can lift up graphite without leaving smudges so the drawing that you place over the cleaned area goes on clearly without any evidence of what was removed below the new drawing.

    If it is too soft, you might try combining two pieces together, this will make it thicker and less pliable. Also, the more it is kneaded, the softer it can become. If the eraser is a larger eraser, you don't have to knead it as often and more sides of it will remain harder so you can create thin edges and it won't flatten as quickly.

  • 6 years ago

    This Site Might Help You.

    RE:

    Kneaded eraser - am I missing something?

    Everyone recommends the kneaded eraser because it's pliable. Supposedly it will pick up pencil, even in very thin lines, and is used as part of the drawing. But it's very soft! It doesn't create thin lines. It flattens out and does whatever it wants. Please tell me what I'm doing...

    Source(s): kneaded eraser missing something: https://shortly.im/F7uao
  • Tim D
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    To use it to remove very fine lines without affecting neighbouring lines you need an eraser template (below the ruler in the link). The eraser needs to be kneaded regularly to make sure that a clean surface is used. An alternative is Blu-Tack but that is limited because although it lifts off graphite well it will reapply it too readily so you need to throw it away before it gets loaded with graphite.

    http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100...

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/awbJt

    1)Use a 2H for light,HB for medium,2B for dark,2) Spray with a (workable)fixative to keep from smugging. 3)Draw what's not the hair,(background) to show hair and keep it light, (till the end).4) Put paper over your drawing so as to keep the smugging to a minimal and erase first with kneaded then with pink pearl, b) think light to dark, not what your drawing, (dark on light paper),5) It's used to pick-up extra pencil lead and details at the end, (see #4). Good Luck! Draw everything not light start at the top and have a piece of paper under your hand, keeps smugging to minimal!

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    So..

    A very good site that teaches how to draw realistic pencil portraits is http://pencilportraits.toptips.org/

    I have searched so many sites on the internet for so many years (wasting my time really) to try and better my drawing/sketching style but have never succeeded getting pasted the flat 2D outcome; that is until I tried using some special methods I found on http://pencilportraits.toptips.org./ This is exactly what I have been searching for and with time on my hands I have the outcome I have always wanted. I bought this online course. I strongly recommend it.

    I hope it helps

  • 5 years ago

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  • 5 years ago

    It is too soft? it is too simple adds flour to it and it will be ~hard...why flour ? before the artists do not know actual eraser so they used the soft inner bread to erase..so flour can t affect the quality of the Kneaded eraser, i though about it i try it and it is work nicely to me...

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    you can form it into a point, and it can do all types of things (i sometimes even use it for blending) but it is not the best for small, controlled lines. if you want to erase thin lines, get an eraser stick by papermate. they are fantastic

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago
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