Bob Ebdon first introduced me to the battery operated eraser, and I immediately wanted one, but it wasn't until I was given one as a gift that I realised just how useful it was. It has great potential, not only as a tool for erasing, but as I found out by accident it will also create patterns and shapes as well as being a drawing tool as part of the painting.

Some points to remember when using it as an eraser.
a) To erase a very small part you need to make a point like a pencil on the tip by using it on its side first on clean paper .
b) After erasing always, always clean the tip (or sides), also on clean paper, so as not to transfer colour.
c) Using a large soft brush, (mine is a mop-head), clear the erased parts of the picture. It makes quite a lot of debris which needs to be brushed away regularly.
d) Remember to touch the paper gently, then apply more pressure if needed.
e) It's also a good idea to have two eraser tips handy, one with a point, and one with a flat end, and swap them when necessary.

When using it to create patterns and shapes and to draw, patterns can be achieved by holding the eraser steady to create lines or circles, and even to make tiny highlights as in the pupil of an eye. When I was doing an "Undersea" painting I had great difficulty with the patterns of the fish scales. While I was erasing I noticed that I had made a shape like the scales, so instead of trying to colour round them, I coloured the fish all over lightly, then erased scale shapes. This worked very well, although I didn't achieve the required definition. I then re-coloured around the scales to achieve the desired clarity.

Creating foliage or trees with highlights, even bushes with flowers, is another way in which the eraser can help. The procedure is to paint the trees etc first, but not to their full depth of colour, then erase the highlights or flowers, and finish the layering round the highlights. Remember to keep brushing away the debris and cleaning the eraser. I have tried to demonstrate this by showing a tree I did, without any blossom on it. Then I erased the spaces for the blossom, which I coloured shades of pink to make them stand out more . (This was purely for the purpose of showing how the eraser can save a lot of work, making it unnecessary to try and colour round the shapes of the blossoms.) When doing this, use the eraser first on its side for any large areas, so you then achieve the point you need for tiny areas or dots. This method saves wastage. Or refer to the point I made earlier, to have two tips ready. It is also very useful when wanting to put in distant trunks and/or branches of silver birch, tiny thin lines can be made afterwards. Try erasing the poppies in a field afterwards, and then colouring them in.