{"id":1572832,"date":"2026-02-06T16:17:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1572832"},"modified":"2026-10-05T15:29:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:29:41","slug":"erasing-techniques-for-dry-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

The humble eraser<\/a> is often underestimated as a tool made solely for correcting mistakes – but it also has great potential as a drawing tool in its own right. In this article, I explore the history of erasing, predating the invention of the eraser itself, define different types of erasers, and demonstrate mark-making techniques for detailed and reductive drawing. Articles in the Techniques Series<\/a><\/em> define the meaning and context of art-making processes and provide practical tutorials on how to work with them.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Definition:<\/strong> Erasing is the removal of dry or dried media from an artwork. This can be done to correct errors or as a reductive drawing technique. This is mainly done today with plastic, rubber, gum, or putty erasers, but subtle effects can also be achieved with a sponge or paper stump. <\/p>\n

What is the Effect of Erasing?<\/h2>\n

By removing media from a drawing, erasing opens up the mark-making potential of reduction. By subtracting media from their drawings, artists can pick out textures, reveal planes of form, and refine intricate details that would be impossible to create without them. Time-wise, it is much more economical to pick out the highlights on the fur of an animal with an eraser on the ground than to draw around each tiny highlight. Therefore, drawings that have cleverly devised erasing convey that the artist has planned the best way to render their subject. Aside from being a drawing tool, erasing mistakes to make room for alteration and redrawing is an essential facet of draftsmanship. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When a drawing has been made with lots of erasing, and the impression of previous layers is left visible, the artist may communicate themes as broad as time passing, movement, violence, and iconoclasm. Important artworks centre on erasing in this way – such as Frank Auerbach\u2019s The Charcoal Heads<\/em>, which were reworked to the point of destruction before being reformed. Erased De Kooning Drawing<\/em> by Robert Rauschenberg was made by conceptualising whether an artwork could be made entirely through erasing. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Erasing only looks bad on an artwork when it\u2019s clear that the eraser hasn\u2019t performed its job as it should have, by creating smudges or leaving media behind. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to know the difference between the variety of types of erasers, and to have options at hand. When erasing is done seamlessly, the viewer understands that the artist is using them as a refined drawing tool. <\/p>\n

The History of Erasing<\/h2>\n

The rubber eraser was invented in 1770, which is relatively late in the history of art, so how did people erase before then? From the onset of creating works on paper, people have been improvising ways to remove their mistakes. In manuscripts in ink on parchment, paper, and papyrus, scribes used knives to gently scrape or abrasive stones like pumice or sandstone to buff away their errors. Some scribes adapted around the permanence of their errors, so the marginalia contain corrective notes, or words are crossed out. Many depictions of scribes at work in illuminated manuscripts depict them holding their quill in one hand and a knife in the other. Aside from gently scraping off mistakes, the knife was also a useful tool for sharpening quills and holding the parchment in place. <\/p>\n

\"Saint
Saint Gregory as Author<\/em>, 1188-1200
Scriptorium of Weingarten Abbey, South German (Swabia)
Opaque watercolour on parchment, 34.9 \u00d7 24.5 cm | 13.7 x 9.6 in
Art Institute of Chicago<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Draftsmen used chunks of white bread to erase their drawing media for over 150 years, by wetting it slightly and rolling it into a ball, resembling the form of erasers as we know them today. However, this technique wasn\u2019t ideal as it could leave behind residual flour, grease and breadcrumbs, which would litter careful drawings. Bread also used to be an artwork conservation tool for cleaning artworks, including a 17th-century restoration of Michelangelo\u2019s Sistine Chapel frescoes. <\/p>\n

\"Young
Young Boy Playing the Lute<\/em>, 1662
Peter Lely
Black and white chalk on grey paper with erasing, 24.5 x 23.5 cm | 9.6 x 9.3 in
The National Museum of Sweden<\/a><\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Edward Nairne discovered that rubber was the perfect tool for erasing, by chance, when he picked up a chunk of rubber to amend his work instead of the bread he had handy. He released the rubber eraser to market in 1770, which signalled the end of the use of bread because of the effectiveness of the rubber. After distributing his product, the word \u2018rubber\u2019 was attached to the name of the plant and became the common name for the eraser in the UK. The problem with his discovery was that rubber in its natural state was perishable. In 1839, this was remedied by Charles Goodyear through vulcanisation – a process that originally involved hardening or curing rubber with sulphur and heat.<\/p>\n

\"Primitive
Primitive Being<\/em>, c. 1876
Odilon Redon
Charcoal and black chalk with stumping, wiping, and erasing, 44.5 x 36.9 cm | 17.5 x 14.5 in
Art Institute of Chicago<\/a><\/small>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Natural rubber was sourced mainly from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, but erasers have been made from many other materials following Nairne and Goodyear\u2019s developments. In 1903, \u2018art gum\u2019 referred to an eraser made from vulcanised corn oil and sulphur dichloride. In the mid-20th Century, plasticised vinyl was developed to create erasers that were cleaner than previous iterations. In 1943, the putty or kneaded eraser was created by chance by James Wright, a Scottish engineer trying to create a rubber substitute in World War II. Various other formulations for erasers exist today and vary by brand, making them suitable for lifting a plethora of different mediums. <\/p>\n

\"The
The Legend of the Wolves<\/em>, 1890s
Rosa Bonheur
Charcoal and pastel with stumping and erasing on blue paper, 59.9 x 80.7 cm | 23.6 x 31.8 in
National Gallery of Art<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Demonstrations of Erasing Techniques for Dry Media<\/h2>\n

Using Bread as an Eraser<\/h2>\n

Although it\u2019s clear that bread has been an inferior material for erasing for centuries, many artists are interested in adapting the traditions of artmaking into their practices. I wanted to try erasing with bread to experience it myself and see how effective it could\u2019ve been for artists of the past. <\/p>\n

I used the soft white core from a baguette, and began rolling it together after dampening it with a touch of water. When I tried to use this bread eraser, it just left a dirty smudge on my drawing, since it was too wet. The descriptions I read of the technique suggested that the bread should be damp, but I think it may only be necessary to wet very dry or stale bread. For my next attempt, I rolled a chunk of fresh bread without adding any extra water, and it worked very well at erasing my graphite drawing. It couldn\u2019t lift the darkest portions very well, but it immediately erased the lighter pencil in one swipe, without much pressure. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

Advice for Using Erasers<\/h2>\n

As you work with an eraser, you should be aware of making use of each of its edges. By turning an eraser in your hand as you work, you can make a variety of marks from the same implement. In the following sheet, I demonstrated the various marks made by a round and rectangular eraser, from thin lines to broad strokes. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As you work, you\u2019ll notice that your eraser gets dirtied, especially by dusty media like charcoal, or by keeping it in a pencil case. If you carry on using a very dirty eraser, it may make streaks, or actually apply more media than it removes from your work. To clean it off, rub it vigorously on a scrap of paper or on your desk. If the dirt isn\u2019t shifting, carefully cut off the dirty faces with a craft knife to reveal the clean eraser below. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rubbers can be a clumsy shape or size unless you customise them to suit your drawing. By cutting them to have sharp edges or into small bits, you can use the eraser as a precise drawing implement. <\/p>\n

\"Cutting<\/p>\n

Comparing Plastic, Gum, and Rubber Erasers<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon to assume that erasers are all made from the same material, but there are three key types of hard eraser \u2013 rubber, plastic, and gum. Each has distinct properties that make it suitable for erasing different materials, although they all work by shedding crumbs that have picked up media.<\/p>\n

\"Different<\/p>\n

Rubber erasers may be made from natural or synthetic rubber, and generally have a powdery feeling. Plastic erasers are the firmest and most precise, and perhaps the most popular today. \u2018Plastic\u2019 is a blanket term for a variety of formulations between brands, but in general, they tend to produce less excess dust than rubber, since the plastic clumps together rather than powdering off. Gum erasers are the softest of the three, and are designed to crumble as they collect pigment to reduce damage to the surface. They\u2019re also the least common type of eraser to find, and are best for using on delicate papers. <\/p>\n

For the following test sheet, I used an eraser of each type: Jackson\u2019s Round Soft Eraser<\/a> is rubber, Faber-Castell White Vinyl Eraser<\/a> is plastic, and The Master Gum Eraser by Milan<\/a> is gum. I used them to erase strips made with a 2B pencil<\/a>, Caran d\u2019Ache Luminance Coloured Pencil in Ultramarine<\/a>, Cont\u00e9 \u00e0 Paris Sanguine Pencil<\/a>, and Coates Willow Charcoal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

The finish between each eraser is subtle, but noticeable in practice. I found that the gum eraser removed graphite the best, but was also the worst with the coloured pencil. Plastic was the best at lifting the coloured pencil, but was so stiff that I felt it blended the sanguine and charcoal before removing it. The rubber eraser was consistent across all four materials, but didn\u2019t remove any of them completely. Therefore, it\u2019s best practice to have a selection of erasers to hand, so you can test each option for shifting your chosen media. All erasers are relatively inexpensive, so it\u2019s worth picking up one of each kind. <\/p>\n

Working with a Kneaded or Putty Eraser<\/h2>\n

The key difference between hard erasers and putty or kneaded erasers is that putty erasers don\u2019t crumb off, and are flexible. They work by adhering pigment to their surface, instead of wearing it off attached to little pieces. It\u2019s much harder to clean a putty rubber because of this, so instead, you should pull and fold the dirty parts inside the form to reveal new clean material. Once it gets to the point that you can\u2019t stretch and knead the rubber to reveal any clean material, it should be thrown away. <\/p>\n

To begin using a new putty eraser, it needs to be kneaded in your hands to activate its characteristic flexibility. Sometimes, putty erasers can have a harder exterior in their packaged form, but once you stretch and fold them several times, the oils in the eraser disperse more evenly. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Putty erasers are best for use with dusty material that you wouldn\u2019t want to physically brush hard eraser crumbs from, like charcoal and pastel, to not smudge the rest of the drawing. Since they are also the only malleable kind of eraser, they are brilliant for forming into specific shapes to create custom highlights. You can also easily break a piece off and then reattach it to the main eraser later.<\/p>\n

Reductive Drawing with Charcoal and Pastel<\/h2>\n

Reductive drawing switches the eraser from being an editing tool to a mark-making one. By working in reverse, artists can use erasers to reveal the paper below a ground of charcoal<\/a>, pastel<\/a>, or pencil<\/a>, working in reverse to bring back highlights. This can create a sculptural drawing effect, since the light brought back suggests plains that catch the light, and carve out form. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Putty erasers are the best tool for this technique, since they don\u2019t come apart in crumbs, so you don\u2019t have to brush or shake the debris off the delicate charcoal or pastel surface. <\/p>\n

To start, I covered a sheet of Strathmore Charcoal Paper<\/a> in Coates Willow Charcoal<\/a> and blended it flat with a scrap piece of paper. Next, I moulded my Jackson\u2019s Putty Rubber<\/a> into a sharp wedge shape, for picking out the highlights on a face. I remoulded the eraser as I worked to suit the edge or shape I wanted to carve out in light. <\/p>\n

\"Reductive<\/p>\n

For my second example in pastel, I covered a sheet of muted blue pastel paper with a Dark Lilac Jackson\u2019s Handmade Soft Pastel<\/a> and blended it evenly with a scrap piece of paper. Next, I used a piece of putty rubber to erase the pastel to form clouds blanketing mountains, with just a few peaks showing through.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The pastel was slightly harder to remove than the charcoal, which picked up immediately, but this made it easier to control the gradation of tone, depending on how much I rubbed each area.<\/p>\n

\"Using<\/p>\n

Using Putty and Hard Erasers Together<\/h2>\n

Putty erasers aren\u2019t the best for completely lifting pigment from a surface, so it can be best to use a putty rubber to lift off the initial dusty material layer, before gently refining the erased area with a hard eraser. In the following sheet, I tested erasing strips of 2B pencil<\/a>, Faber-Castell Albrecht D\u00fcrer Watercolour Pencil in Light Purple Pink<\/a>, Cont\u00e9 \u00e0 Paris Sanguine Pencil<\/a> and Coates Willow Charcoal<\/a>. For each swatch, I\u2019ve shown the results with the putty rubber alone on the bottom row, and the results combined with another eraser on top. For every material, the combination of the putty rubber with another eraser was more effective than the putty rubber alone. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Erasing Coloured Pencil and Pen<\/h2>\n

Erasing coloured pencils<\/a> and pens<\/a> can be challenging for artists. Some colours are hard, or impossible, to lift at all, or erasers can create unwanted smudges instead of removing pigment from the surface. There are some erasers designed specifically for this purpose – some of which have abrasive ingredients added to help them buff off the pigment. Since abrasive erasers are less gentle on paper by essentially sanding the pigment off, they should be used with a lighter touch to avoid putting a hole in your surface. <\/p>\n

For this test sheet, I tried erasing coloured pencils and pens with a Caran D\u2019Ache Design Eraser<\/a> (non-abrasive) and a Tombow Sand Eraser<\/a> (abrasive). I used them to remove circles of black biro pen, Jackson\u2019s Fineliner Pen<\/a>, Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen in Middle Purple Pink<\/a> and Caran d\u2019Ache Luminance Coloured Pencil in Violet<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

The non-abrasive eraser was much less effective at removing all of my swatches, but also didn\u2019t abrade the surface of the paper. I think the subtle glowing lift it gave to the marker and fineliner pen has the potential to make really compelling drawings. On the other hand, the abrasive eraser removed each material incredibly well, by buffing off the top layer of the paper. Despite this, there isn\u2019t immediately visible piling or tears, but when you run your finger over the erased surface, it does have a worn texture. This eraser is brilliant if you don\u2019t mind affecting the paper surface, if you\u2019re erasing on a solid surface, or if you need to remove a mistake that would be impossible to lift with other erasers<\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

Erasing by Scraping with a Knife<\/h2>\n

Like the manuscript writers of old, it\u2019s still possible to erase by scraping mistakes off with a knife. The Faber-Castell Erasing and Sharpening Knife<\/a> was designed with this function in mind. Thinking of the scriptorium, I drew my version of a creature from a Medieval manuscript, using copper ink, Daler-Rowney FW Artists\u2019 Ink in Indigo<\/a>, and a William Mitchell Dip Pen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Next, I scraped a portion of the dry drawing off using the erasing knife at an angle, to scrape off the top layer instead of cutting it out. This isn\u2019t an ideal method since it inevitably damages the surface, but it could be your only option depending on the medium or surface you\u2019ve chosen to work on. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

Erasing with Sponges<\/h2>\n

Sponges<\/a> are also a brilliant material for erasing, lifting media from the surface as it catches in their texture. This works best with dusty materials like charcoal and pastels, as opposed to graphite, which would be smudged more than erased by a sponge. The beauty of using sponges is that they can be rinsed out and used again, so they are a sustainable option for erasing dry media. This is ideal if you\u2019re worried about the waste of using erasers that wear out, or putty rubbers that are uncleanable. Natural sea sponges, in particular, are a sustainable choice, since they can be composted. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

To erase with sponges, I used an assortment of sponges from a Jackson\u2019s Large Assorted Sponge Bag<\/a>. I began my drawing by coating a sheet of charcoal paper in Coates Willow Charcoal<\/a>, and began twisting and pinching the sponges to create my desired forms. I lifted an image of tangled undergrowth, picking out long strokes and broader leaves by utilising the different sponge shapes. Once I was finished, I rinsed the sponges out and set them aside to dry.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Erasing with Paper Stumps<\/h2>\n

Paper stumps are often used for blending dry media, but they can also work as an eraser on a charcoal ground. I used a selection of Jackson\u2019s Paper Stumps<\/a> to do a reduction drawing of a dove. <\/p>\n

\"Jackson's<\/p>\n

By alternating between different sizes of paper stump, I erased broader fluffy areas like the dove’s chest, and refined small details like the texture on the wings. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

To clean the erased media off paper stumps, you need to rub them against a sanding block. Make sure to rotate the stump in your hand as you sand, to reform its point. <\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

Erasing with an Eraser Click Pen and Pencil<\/h2>\n

Eraser click pens and pencils are designed for precision erasing, and to keep the rest of the eraser you haven\u2019t used yet clean and encased. Eraser click pens are refillable, so you only need to buy the casing once, whereas eraser pencils will be sharpened away. <\/p>\n

\"Faber-Castell<\/p>\n

For this example sheet, I used a Tombow Mono Zero Eraser Pen<\/a> and a Faber-Castell Perfection Pencil Eraser with Brush<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Erasing<\/p>\n

I used the eraser pen to carefully pick out the highlights around the eye on my charcoal portrait, and enjoyed being able to hold the eraser with precision. It would be much clumsier to use a tiny piece of rubber pinched in my fingers. <\/p>\n

\"Reductive<\/p>\n

The pencil eraser was perfect for picking out highlighted details on my sponge reduction drawing of foliage. The brush on the end is ideal for gently dusting away eraser crumbs on pencil drawings. <\/p>\n

\"Reductive<\/p>\n

If using these eraser pencils is too slow for your purposes, or repetitive hand movements are uncomfortable for you, you could use an electric eraser pen, like the Jakar Mini Electric Eraser Pen<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n

Further Reading<\/h2>\n

A Guide to Erasers<\/a> <\/p>\n

Chiaroscuro Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dark History of the Pencil<\/a><\/p>\n

Sponging Techniques for Painting, Drawing and Printmaking<\/a><\/p>\n

Salt Texture Techniques for Watercolour and Wet Media<\/a><\/p>\n

Shop Art Materials on jacksonsart.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The humble eraser is often underestimated as a tool made solely for correcting mistakes – but it also has great […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":1572797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[159,474],"tags":[15240,15250,63,1644],"class_list":["post-1572832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-technique","category-drawing-art-technique","tag-art-technique","tag-behind-the-technique","tag-drawing","tag-erasers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nErasing Techniques for Dry Media - Jackson's Art Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u00a0Jackson's Art Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Louise Reynolds\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Louise Reynolds\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"21 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Louise Reynolds\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/afa2431397c006fc92f95263db452ccc\"},\"headline\":\"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3198,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Art Technique\",\"Behind the Technique\",\"Drawing\",\"Erasers\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Art Technique\",\"Drawing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/\",\"name\":\"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media - Jackson's Art Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/06\\\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\",\"description\":\"\u00a0Jackson's Art\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\",\"alternateName\":\"Jackson's Art\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/logo.svg\",\"caption\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/afa2431397c006fc92f95263db452ccc\",\"name\":\"Louise Reynolds\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png\",\"caption\":\"Louise Reynolds\"},\"description\":\"Louise Reynolds is an artist and writer who has been contributing to Jackson\u2019s Art Blog since 2021. Based in London, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Drawing School. Her artistic practice focuses on oil painting, printmaking, and coloured pencil. Her writing explores a wide range of materials and techniques. Louise brings insight from her studio practice into her articles, offering thoughtful reflections on the creative process and the materials that support it.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/louise-reynolds\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media - Jackson's Art Blog","description":"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media","og_description":"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/","og_site_name":"\u00a0Jackson's Art Blog","article_published_time":"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Louise Reynolds","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Louise Reynolds","Estimated reading time":"21 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/"},"author":{"name":"Louise Reynolds","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/afa2431397c006fc92f95263db452ccc"},"headline":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media","datePublished":"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/"},"wordCount":3198,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg","keywords":["Art Technique","Behind the Technique","Drawing","Erasers"],"articleSection":["Art Technique","Drawing"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/","name":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media - Jackson's Art Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-06T16:17:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-05T14:29:41+00:00","description":"We explore erasing techniques throughout art history and provides practical demonstrations for reductive drawing and using erasers as tools.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Erasing_Techniques_For_Dry_Media_Blog_Image-41.jpg","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/06\/erasing-techniques-for-dry-media\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Erasing Techniques for Dry Media"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/","name":"Jackson's Art Blog","description":"\u00a0Jackson's Art","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Jackson's Art Blog","alternateName":"Jackson's Art","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/logo.svg","caption":"Jackson's Art Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/afa2431397c006fc92f95263db452ccc","name":"Louise Reynolds","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-louise-reynolds-300x300.png","caption":"Louise Reynolds"},"description":"Louise Reynolds is an artist and writer who has been contributing to Jackson\u2019s Art Blog since 2021. Based in London, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Drawing School. Her artistic practice focuses on oil painting, printmaking, and coloured pencil. Her writing explores a wide range of materials and techniques. Louise brings insight from her studio practice into her articles, offering thoughtful reflections on the creative process and the materials that support it.","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/author\/louise-reynolds\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1572832"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1583607,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572832\/revisions\/1583607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1572797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1572832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1572832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1572832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}