Maries Kneadable Art Eraser, Large, Grey

A kneadable eraser is soft, putty-like rubber that you shape with your fingers. It does not rub graphite or charcoal off the paper — it lifts it, by being pressed onto the mark and pulled away, which takes the pigment without abrading the paper surface or leaving crumbs.

That lifting action is the whole point: you can pull a highlight out of shading, lighten a passage a step, or pick up loose charcoal before it smears, none of which an ordinary eraser can do without tearing the surface. Knead it to expose a clean face when it greys, and pull it to a point for fine work. It has limits — it will not shift ink or a hard pencil line pressed into the paper, and it hardens with age and in the cold, at which point it stops lifting and needs replacing.

A large grey kneadable eraser — the standard artist size, big enough to knead comfortably and to keep working through a long tonal drawing. Grey is the natural colour of the compound; it greys further as it lifts graphite, which is normal and does not affect how it works.

• Soft putty eraser — lifts pigment, does not rub
• Pulls highlights out of graphite and charcoal shading
• No crumbs, no surface damage
• Knead to a clean face; hardens with age and cold