Paper is not as smooth as it looks. Its surface has tiny bumps called tooth. When you draw, the tooth scrapes graphite off the pencil and holds it. Paper with more tooth grabs more graphite or charcoal; smoother paper takes fine lines and ink well.
| Paper | Surface | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth (plate) Bristol board | very smooth, sturdy | pen and ink, fine detail |
| Drawing paper or vellum Bristol | some tooth | graphite, charcoal, colored pencil |
| Newsprint | thin and cheap; yellows with time | quick practice and gesture drawings |
Two erasers do most of the work. A kneaded eraser is a soft putty you can shape. Press it on the paper and lift: it picks graphite up without rubbing, so you can lighten a tone a little at a time. Stretch and fold it to clean it. A vinyl eraser is firmer. It removes marks more completely and leaves crisp edges.
Key idea
Lighten by dabbing with a kneaded eraser. Remove lines and clean edges with a vinyl eraser, and always erase gently.
Why it works
Hard scrubbing roughs up the paper fibers and flattens the tooth. Graphite then catches unevenly on the damaged patch, so new shading there looks blotchy and dark. Gentle erasing keeps the surface ready for more drawing.
Worked example: Too dark
Rosa shaded a shadow too dark. She wants it one step lighter, not gone. What should she do?
- She wants to lighten, not remove.
- A kneaded eraser lifts a little graphite each time it is pressed and lifted.
- Dab, check, and dab again until the value is right.
Answer: Dab it with a kneaded eraser.
Common mistake
Scrubbing hard with an eraser damages the paper, and later shading looks patchy there. Erase gently, and use dabbing to lighten. If a spot still will not come clean, it is often better to work it into the drawing than to scrub a hole.
An eraser is also a drawing tool. Shade a soft gray tone, then lift out light shapes with a kneaded eraser: clouds, highlights, a shine on a cup.