Just like other art supplies, erasers come in a variety to choose from. Generally, I like to use these three types of erasers when I’m drawing:

The first is the pink pearl eraser, which you can pick up at any store that has school supplies, although art supply stores carry these as well. They have two very thin edges that are handy for erasing small areas, and I find they work better at erasing darker lines. These cost about $.75 each. I’ve recently discovered the white pearl erasers, too.

The second is the kneaded eraser, a gray, square-shaped eraser that can be pulled apart, put together again, twisted and turned. “Kneading” the eraser in this way helps keep it clean, and children think it’s so much fun. These erasers are good for picking up lighter areas of graphite, especially when you want to take up some of the shaded areas. These cost around $.85 each.

Art Gum erasers are rectangular tan-colored erasers that are good for erasing in general. They will sometimes break if rubbed too roughly on the paper; I just save the pieces to use later. These cost about $.75 each.

Do you have a favorite type of eraser you like to use?