Erasers

Art Gum — In my opinion these erasers are not an extremely useful tool. They are designed to crumble easily, even when used lightly on the surface, so they don't tear paper. If you use the Art Gum eraser it's a good idea to keep a soft brush nearby to brush away the crumbs. I find it much easier to stay away from this style of eraser.

Pink Pearl — These are a general purpose eraser that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These include the little pink eraser we put on top of pencils. These erasers crumble less than the Art Gum, but also can be tougher on the paper. I find these erasers work best for writing purposes. When erasing on artwork I have found that the Pink Pearl can smear the graphite leaving dark smudges.

Vinyl or Plastic — These erasers are probably the most useful of all erasers for drawing. There is a wide variety of vinyl erasers, some designed for film, paper, and a myriad of other surfaces. Some are so specialized that they are impregnated with chemicals to aid in the removal of ink and not damage the surface of drafting film. With such a wide variety of choices, it might be a little confusing to make what seems like such a simple purchase. I tend to stick with my favorite, the "Mars Plastic" manufactured by STAEDTLER. They are great for simply removing pencil from paper. But one of the reasons I like theses erasers so much is how well they work on charcoal drawings. They can remove a sharp thick line, or give a smudged edge a crisp clean appearance. They also come in a variety of sizes to help erase large or small areas.