The ARTdiscount guide to drawing accessories.

After finding that all important pencil set that suits all of your needs, the next step is to make sure you have all those little extras to complete your tool kit! Erasers are one of the most important tools you need along with the pencil. It is best to have several types in your drawing box for all drawing functions.

Next up, the humble pencil sharpener! We have listed a few of our sharpeners that will save time and energy, especially when you choose the electric ones! For all your graphic needs we have listed rulers and stencils that will really help to create the perfect curve, circle or ellipse.

Let's get started...

Which art eraser should you use?

An eraser has to do the job required, and there are many different erasers with very different functions; pencil erasers, kneadable putty erasers, block erasers, electric erasers, dust free erasers, and erasers that come in a plastic pen holder! We have listed some handy erasers and their functions to help you choose the right one for your project needs.

Art erasers are made from either synthetic rubber, synthetic soy-based gum or flexible vinyl, plastic or gum-like materials. Whichever eraser you choose, and you definitely need more than one kind, aim to test your erasers on a number of materials like, graphite (various grades), charcoal (various grades), pencil sketches under watercolour or pastel pencils. This will help you to understand their potential or limitations. Sometimes a putty rubber will lift graphite or charcoal but then a plastic eraser will finish off the job if you want the bright white of the paper to shine through. Or, you might want to carve through your charcoal or graphite dust on your paper to create some gestural figures in movement, for this you would need a good sized block eraser with some harder edges or try a larger pen holder eraser for some more direct line making. Don’t be tempted to wipe off the debri that is left on the paper after erasing, with your hand. Aim to keep a dedicated clean brush to swipe away the residue or a soft clean cloth used lightly. This will eliminate smudging the eraser's residue with carbon on into the paper, or smudging the existing graphite work and stop the oils from your hand polluting or marking the paper.

Pencil and pen grip erasers

These erasers have a focused point like a pencil, which allows you to remove thin and precise areas of your work. Good for charcoal and graphite work, these pencils sharpen like a normal pencil so you can achieve that important point like precision needed for fine strands of hair or fur details, or for taking out the graphite on the iris to create highlights on portraits. The Faber Castell eraser comes with a brush on the end for brushing away the small bits of debri that break off. Very useful and helps prevent smudging your work.

Kneadable erasers

Kneadable erasers are an invaluable addition to your tool kit, but you need to prepare them correctly. Simply warming them up in your hand will allow you to re-shape them so they are fit for their intended function. They can be used for reductive drawing, where you would like to reduce your graphite or charcoal marks but not obliterate them completely! Great for working with soft mediums like 7B, 8B, or 9B graphite pencils or with compressed or willow charcoal. They can also be used with soft chalk pastels.

Kneadable erasers can be moulded to any shape you desire. You can create fine points or roll your eraser over your work to create interesting marks whilst lifting graphite or charcoal. They don't usually leave any residue on the paper because of their sticky nature, whatever medium you use will cling to the putty. This will make it look dirty but it is still usable. Pull the eraser apart and reform to create a cleaner area on your eraser, push into the paper and lift rather than rub over your work. If your putty rubber doesn’t have a storage case, wrap it in a little bit of plastic bag so it doesn’t stick to any of your pencils.

Rechargeable and battery operated erasers

These erasers will take the effort and stress from repetitive wrist movement. They make light work of erasing.

Block erasers

Block erasers come in many shapes and sizes and are great for cleaning up messy edges and erasing large areas of work. These erasers are usually harder than the putty erasers, which is perfect for creating hard erased edges in a drawing or for erasing out that HB or H pencil mark under a graphic sketch. Some can even be dust-free similar to the Faber-Castell Art eraser. Usually block erasers are hard enough to erase pencils, graphite and charcoal but soft enough not to damage the paper underneath.

Erasing shield

An Eraser Shield is a fantastic tool for your art box. Simply lay the shield over your drawing and position the required hole or shape over the area you wish to erase.

Rub with an eraser without the risk of accidental erasing. This flexible metal eraser shield provides a multitude of different shapes through which to erase, whilst protecting your drawing.

Perfect for highlights and when you need to be precise.

The ARTdiscount guide to drawing accessories.

Which art eraser should you use?

Pencil and pen grip erasers

Kneadable erasers

Rechargeable and battery operated erasers

Block erasers

Erasing shield

What is the best pencil sharpener for graphite or softer pencils?

Jakar Electric Pencil Sharpener

Jakar Desktop Sharpener

Jakar Three Hole Electric Pencil Sharpener

Derwent Super Point Manual Sharpener

Staedtler Double Hole Tub Sharpener

Staedtler Pencil Sharpener

Professional Solid Brass Sharpener

Derwent Pastel Pencil Sharpener

Drawing templates for that perfect ellipse, silhouette or small detail.

ARTdiscount Ellipse Drawing Template - 266 x 146mm

ARTdiscount Student Circle Template

Jakar Combo Circle Template

Jakar Circle Radius Master Template

Jakar Female Human Figure Template

Jakar Landscape Template

Jakar Even Ellipse Template

Jakar Male Human Figure Template

Rulers for all types of art, design and craft.

Linex wooden folding ruler - 2m

Jakar Aluminium Cutting Rulers - Grip Handle

Transparent Acrylic Ruler - 30cm

Jakar Wooden Rule 1 Meter Yard Stick School Office Tailors Ruler 1M 100cm 3007

Jakar ACRYLIC Cutting Rulers

Jakar Lightweight Aluminium Cutting Rule

The Maun 12" Safety Rule

Helix 2x Magnifying Rule 12"/30cm

Blending paper stumps/tortillion blenders

Derwent Paper Stumps

Drawing Companion Set

Scalpels for the ultimate pencil point!

ACM No.1 Handle with No.11 Blade & Guard

Sandpaper blocks

Sandpaper Block

View all drawing accessories

Talk about your website

Subscribe