Kneaded eraser

Akneaded eraser,also commonly known as aputty rubber,is a pliableerasing toolused by artists. It is usually made of a grey or whiteunvulcanized rubber(though it can be found in many different colors, such asgreen,blue,hot pink,yellow,and so fort) resemblingputtyor chewing gum. It functions byabsorbingand "picking up"graphiteandcharcoalparticles, in addition to carbon, colored pencil, or pastel marks.It neither wears nor leaves residue ( "eraser crumbs" ), thereby lasting much longer than other erasers.

Kneaded eraser is used to remove thin details

Kneaded erasers have greatplasticityand can be stretched, compressed, split, and molded for precision erasing, pruninglines,cleaning edges, creating highlights throughsubtractive drawing,or performing other detail work. They can completely remove light marks, but are ill-suited to fully erasing dark areas. They may also smear or stick if too warm.

Besides their precision, kneaded erasers are preferred by artists for their long life and ease of cleaning. One simply kneads the eraser and the medium will fade into its mass. Although kneaded erasers do not wear away like other erasers, they can become saturated and unable to absorb any more graphite or charcoal. In this case, the eraser will leave marks on the paper instead of removing them. The saturating material can be removed by rinsing andkneading.