One of the most amazing things in my art and sketching career is the kneaded eraser. Along with a white eraser and rubber eraser, it has helped me a lot in perfecting my artwork and excluding graphite from paper.
Not only that, I got to learn different kinds of shading and highlighting by using this kneaded eraser.
A kneaded eraser consists of synthetic rubber-like material. You get to fold and make it into several putty rubbers to eraser-colored pencil marks. The silly putty constituent at times gives dirty marks on your paper because of high graphite shavings.
At one stage, I found it challenging to use the kneaded eraser like the regular eraser. I took a break from arts and sketching, but that shouldn’t be the cause of the difficulty. Then I noticed the eraser I usually use became more rigid and less flexible.
I couldn’t use it like other ink erasers and removers. It became quite like plastic erasers and began to become stiffer. Also, hardly it could remove intensive marks from paper. Even charcoal pencils became tough to be removed with a hard kneadable eraser.
Discussing the matter with my team, we came to a reasonable conclusion. We saw the reasons for the kneaded eraser being in that state. Also, we did a couple of research on the structural property of the kneaded eraser along with various branded art supplies’ reviews.
Finally, we fulfilled the steps of making a kneaded eraser softer perfectly and regained my original eraser piece in its normal state. We disclose our activity and experience in a detailed manner further in this article.
Why Kneaded Eraser become Harder?
More or less, all kneaded erasers need to be kept operating all the time. They are meant to use frequently for different kinds of works like removing writings of colored pencils, graphite marks, etc. When you are used to keeping them in other operations, they remain soft and flexible.
The problem arises when pliable material begins to lose its structural property. Its body starts to become problematic; the flexibility decreases and cannot be used like always. From a soft eraser, you get to deal with a hard unusable one.
Reason? The improper management and usage of the kneaded eraser make it harder. You cannot implement different shapes of the eraser and operate it in your work. Depending on the type of eraser, the difficulty varies.
Unlike a rubber eraser or a pencil eraser, kneaded eraser becomes complicated when it remains stiff for a long time after consuming the pencil materials.
Also, when you use the eraser without softening it, it becomes rigid to work conveniently. Even you cannot make eraser putty out of the piece of eraser.
There are no doubts about the compatibility and long-lasting of the kneaded eraser. It lasts longer than most other erasers. Also, the kneaded erasers are neither oily nor slippery.
So, when it becomes more complex, it is because of the extra ingredients it gains from its usage.
If you care about the eraser properly, you won’t have to worry about its hardening. That’s why we bring you the fantastic section where you could get the perfect instructions for making kneaded erasers softer in the best possible way.
Ways to Make Kneaded Eraser softer
When you get a kneaded eraser, it is never perfect to use it conveniently in the first place. You need to soften it accordingly and then make it feasible for further uses.
A soft kneadable eraser is not confined to erase your pencil marks. It is one of the versatile materials in arts and sketching with vast uses in pencil and charcoal drawings. You get to reshape the eraser in your convenient manner and make it a perfect service.
But how would you do that? Let’s get to know the most accessible and most feasible manner of getting your kneaded eraser to your desired softening and shape.
Here’s Discuss with Step by Step
Step 1: Get the new kneaded eraser in front of you. Unwrap the plastic from the kneaded eraser. Keep on pressing the eraser with your finger. Make sure you are not too harsh on them right from the beginning.
Step 2: When you press the eraser and make it comparatively softer, break a part of the eraser. The amount should not be more than 1/4th of the whole body. Not no obligation in taking that specific portion, but it is best to work further.
Step 3: With the 1/4 section of the kneaded eraser, start to pull them out gently. Keep pulling the eraser gently until you feel it soft enough to move to the next step.
Even if you break it, you won’t have any problem rejoin them and do your operation accordingly.
Step 4: After you are done quite softening the body of the eraser, you should proceed in making it into a ball shape. You get to press and make the softened eraser into a malleable ball-shaped structure with proper shaping.
Step 5: Take the putty eraser ball in your hand and keep on rolling it over your palm. This makes the whole surface of the eraser softer and smoother.
Moreover, after the operation, you get to reshape the eraser more conveniently and quickly. Test the softness of the ball with your palm. Make sure it is as soft as dough. Don’t forget to retain its elastic property, which is one of the best traits of the eraser.
Step 6: Keep the ball on a table and press it with your palm. This will make the ball wholly flat and ready for further stretching, which will make it softer. If your eraser is not softened yet for the procedure, sprinkle some little hot water on it and repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 couple of times when the eraser is too hard.
Step 7: When the eraser is soft and flattened enough with proper elasticity, tear them down into pieces. Regain the broken pieces and form them into a single sample. You are ready to work with that piece that will be soft and efficient enough to serve you perfectly.
In this manner, break the remaining part of the eraser into pieces and try to soften them conveniently and accordingly.
Warning: Make sure you don’t lose the property of the kneaded eraser in doing so. This will ultimately result in your favor when you are to implement it.
FAQs
Q: Can a kneaded eraser dry out permanently?
When you keep a kneaded eraser idle for a long time, they intend to dry out. But they don’t settle permanently in that state. You can quickly get the hardness out of them with proper measures.
The kneaded erasers are mostly dry. Because of their elasticity, they are convenient to use for different purposes and works. Keeping them idle for a long time will make them dry and stiff.
As a result, it becomes a good issue for anyone to use the dry kneaded eraser. Solution? Maintain it properly.
How? Use the kneaded eraser every now and then for drawing art and removing pencil marks. If it cannot be used, exercise it frequently. You can also use warm water to make the eraser soft. It’ll make your eraser more like a wet kitchen sponge.
Q: How to make a kneaded eraser less sticky?
The kneaded eraser becomes sticky when it is used for a long time. Then, you cannot use it usually on a piece of paper. But the thing you can do is make it less sticky, which will assist you in using the kneaded eraser for some time further.
The best you can do is to tear the solid eraser by part. This will extract the sticky nature from the eraser and make it more elastic. After that, you have to imply the procedures of softening it.
After rejoining the eraser parts, you can form a ball or whole structure to use it further. Keep in mind, keeping an eraser idle with syrup or sugar substance makes the eraser sticky.
Conclusion
Softening the kneaded eraser should not be an issue anymore. Our guide on how to make a kneaded eraser softer will solve all your questions without any complications.
Keep in mind, no issue or problem can refrain you from your art and sketch passion. All kinds of issues have the best solution. And we are here to provide you the right path of getting the answers.
Till then, we bring your more exciting articles regarding arts, crafts, sketching. Be with us!
Read Also: How to clean kneaded eraser ease