The kneaded eraser/putty rubber is a tool for artists. It is usually made of a grey or white (though can be found in many different colors, ranging from green to blue and hot pink) pliable material that resembles putty

Putty

Putty is a generic term for a plastic material similar in texture to clay or dough typically used in domestic construction and repair as a sealant or filler. Painter's Putty is typically a linseed oil based product used for filling holes, minor cracks and defacements in wood only...

 or gum

Chewing gum

Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...

. It functions by "absorbing" and "picking up" graphite

Graphite

The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...

 and charcoal

Charcoal

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...

 particles. It does not wear away and leave behind eraser residue, thus it lasts much longer than other erasers. Kneaded erasers can be shaped by hand for precision erasing, creating highlights, or detailing work. They are commonly used to remove light charcoal or graphite marks and in subtractive drawing techniques. However, they are ill-suited to completely erasing large areas, and may smear or stick if too warm. Though they do not wear away like other eraser

Eraser

An eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for rubbing out pencil markings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency and are often white or pink, although modern materials allow them to be made in any color. Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end...

s, they can become exhausted and unable to absorb any more graphite or charcoal. In that case a kneaded eraser will actually make marks instead of erasing them. These erasers are however particularly long lasting as they can be washed. A soaking in a more substantial cleansing soap such as dishwashing liquid, with manipulation of hand initially, provides worthy results.

Kneaded erasers are also useful for making impromptu sculptures to sketch from. Manga, a form of Japanese comic, is usually corrected with these kneaded erasers for reliability. Different colors will blend together, creating a larger and different colored eraser. New kneaded erasers can be stretched and compressed easily, changing their texture and form.