Why Do You Use a Sandpaper Block When Drawing?
A sandpaper block is a small wooden paddle with strips of sandpaper stapled to one side. You use a sandpaper block to sharpen pencils, charcoal or pastels, or to clean drawing tools.
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Sharpening Pencils
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Create special effects by shaping pencil tips. Some pencil-drawing techniques require you to shape the pencil lead in a way that is difficult to accomplish with an ordinary pencil sharpener or penknife. Use the sandpaper block to create a pointed, flat or diagonal tip, after first sharpening a pencil with a knife or sharpener.
Sharpening Charcoal
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Soft-drawing charcoal requires careful sharpening. Charcoal for drawing is usually too soft to sharpen properly with a pencil sharpener or knife, and the tip of a charcoal stick wears down quickly. Use the sandpaper block to refresh the tip for fine lines or other effects.
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Sharpening Pastels or Conté
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Pastels, chalk and Conté crayons are generally harder than charcoal, but they are often too crumbly to sharpen easily with a knife or pencil sharpener. As with charcoal, you can refine the tip with a sandpaper block to draw fine lines.
Making Graphite or Charcoal Powder
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Create interesting effects with powdered pastels. You can create interesting shading effects by applying powdered graphite, charcoal or pastel to your drawing. Create a small amount of powder using sandpaper and then pick it up with a paper stump, chamois or tissue, and draw with the powder.
Cleaning Erasers
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To avoid making a mess when you erase lines from a drawing, use the sandpaper block to freshen your eraser. You can also use an eraser as a drawing tool, to add highlights. Use the sandpaper block to shape the eraser for the effect you want.
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References
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- Photo Credit crayons 4 image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com falmenco dancer drawing image by PinkShot from Fotolia.com Powdered paint image by paolanogueras from Fotolia.com
