How to Use Sandpaper to Sharpen a Pencil

Whether you are an artist of the fine art, comic book or hobby variety, you may need a new technique for getting just the right point on your best pencil. You can use sandpaper to sharpen your pencil which gives you a defined point for your intricate drawings and sketches.

Instructions

1. Buy a fine sandpaper that comes in sheets or in a block. They can both be used to the same result, and the difference is merely due to preference. These can be found in your local hardware store or hobby store.

2. Trim the excess of the lead off the pencil with a sharp blade, knife or scissors. Do this carefully to avoid slicing into your fingers, or damaging your drawing pencils to the point of destruction. This helps the sandpaper sharpen the fine point of your pencil for the best end results.

3. Hold the tip of a sandpaper sheet between your thumb and forefinger, or hold a sandpaper block on the table for stability. If you are using a block, make sure you have some sort of rough mat down to avoid slippage.

4. Use the other hand to hold the pencil for sharpening. Rub the tip of the pencil in the pouch created by your fingers and the sandpaper sheet, or rub the tip of the pencil on the sandpaper block.

5. Check your progress every few seconds to ensure that you sharpen your pencil to the exact point you need with sandpaper.