How to use a kneaded eraser › The Weekend Beckons

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I love my kneaded eraser! It’s a fantastic addition to any drawing kit, plus it’s very inexpensive. It can take a bit of getting used to but once you start using it, my guess is you’ll love it too.

First up, you remove it from the packaging and give it a bit of a kneading. Then it’s ready to use. With a kneaded eraser, you dab, drag or rub it against the paper to remove graphite or charcoal. After using it and it gets a little dirty along the area you’ve used, you just knead it a bit, just for a second or two, and it’s ready to use again.

You can keep using a kneaded eraser until it’s dark grey and you find it no longer picks up graphite like you expect.

Watch me demonstrate how to use a kneaded eraser on my YouTube channel.

Four ways to use a kneaded eraser

Roll it into a point to remove small pinpoints. This could be a highlight or a small detail. I use a dabbing method to remove tiny spots. Keep in mind that you sometimes have to re-form the point to use this method more than once. The eraser is soft and can flatten a bit as you use it.
Flatten a narrow section to remove a longer area of graphite. This could be to add a highlight to the edge of a bowl or light sections of hair. For this method, I will either dab the eraser to the paper or drag it along to remove a longer section.
Flatten it completely and lightly dab the paper to gently lighten an area. I do this for many reasons. Sometimes I have drawn an area too dark and need to remove a bit of graphite. Other times, I will use it to lighten a drawing before I paint it with watercolour. Occasionally, I use a grid when drawing, and I want to lighten the grid before adding my drawing.
Sometimes I just use it like a regular eraser. It’s nice because you don’t get all the eraser bits everywhere like you would with a typical eraser.

The kneaded eraser rolled to a point which can be used to add a highlight to a drawing.

Kneaded vs. regular eraser

But how well does it work on different graphite degrees of hardness? And is it any better than a regular white eraser? Check out the photo below and see what you think.