Erasing shield

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An erasing shield, eraser shield, or erasure shield [1] is a thin template or mask used to control the effects of an eraser, typically on paper media used by an artist, calligrapher, drafter, or typist. [2] [3] The tool is made of a thin, flexible material such as transparent plastic, or stainless steel shim stock for durability. [2] A number of narrow, straight or curved apertures have been punched out of the shield, similar to a drafting template or drawing stencil. The openings allow the eraser to work in a controlled fashion, while protecting masked areas of the paper from being erased or smeared. [2] [3] [4]

Erasing shields can also be used to draw evenly-spaced dashed lines, or as a simple stencil. [4] [3]

Erasing shields were common accessories used with a typewriter to ease the correction of mistakes, especially on carbon copies, which were prone to smearing if not erased carefully. Typewriters are less used today, but artists continue to use erasing shields when working directly on erasable paper media, such as pencil drawings, charcoal drawings, or pastels. [3]

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A writing implement or writing instrument is an object used to produce writing. Writing consists of different figures, lines, and or forms. Most of these items can be also used for other functions such as painting, drawing and technical drawing, but writing instruments generally have the ordinary requirement to create a smooth, controllable line.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kneaded eraser</span>

A kneaded eraser, also commonly known as a putty rubber, is a pliable erasing tool used by artists. It is usually made of a grey or white unvulcanized rubber resembling putty or chewing gum. It functions by absorbing and "picking up" graphite and charcoal particles, in addition to carbon, colored pencil, or pastel marks. It neither wears nor leaves residue, thereby lasting much longer than other erasers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technical drawing tool</span> Tools and instruments used for accurate and precise manual drafting

Drafting tools may be used for measurement and layout of drawings, or to improve the consistency and speed of creation of standard drawing elements. Tools such as pens and pencils mark the drawing medium. Other tools such as straight edges, assist the operator in drawing straight lines, or assist the operator in drawing complicated shapes repeatedly. Various scales and the protractor are used to measure the lengths of lines and angles, allowing accurate scale drawing to be carried out. The compass is used to draw arcs and circles. A drawing board was used to hold the drawing media in place; later boards included drafting machines that sped the layout of straight lines and angles. Tools such as templates and lettering guides assisted in the drawing of repetitive elements such as circles, ellipses, schematic symbols and text. Other auxiliary tools were used for special drawing purposes or for functions related to the preparation and revision of drawings. The tools used for manual technical drawing have been displaced by the advent of computer-aided drawing, drafting and design (CADD).

The following outline is provided as an overview of and typical guide to drawing and drawings:

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The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts also involve aspects of visual arts as well as arts of other types. Also included within the visual arts are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art.

<i>Erased de Kooning Drawing</i> Conceptual artwork by Robert Rauschenberg

Erased de Kooning Drawing (1953) is an early work of American artist Robert Rauschenberg. This conceptual work presents an almost blank piece of paper in a gilded frame. It was created in 1953 when Rauschenberg erased a drawing he obtained from the Abstract Expressionist and American artist Willem de Kooning. Rauschenberg's friend and fellow artist, Jasper Johns, later framed it in a gilded frame and added a written caption to mimic the framing style of the Royal Academy and monogramming found on Renaissance drawings and prints. The caption reads: "Erased de Kooning Drawing, Robert Rauschenberg, 1953.” It has been in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) since 1998. SFMOMA describes the work as a "drawing [with] traces of drawing media on paper with a label and gilded frame."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charcoal (art)</span> Form of dry art medium

Artists' charcoal is charcoal used as a dry art medium. Both compressed charcoal and charcoal sticks are used. The marks it leaves behind on paper are much less permanent that with other media such as graphite, and so lines can easily be erased and blended. Charcoal can produce lines that are very light or intensely black. The dry medium can be applied to almost any surface from smooth to very coarse. Fixatives are used with charcoal drawings to solidify the position to prevent erasing or rubbing off of charcoal dusts.

References

  1. "Definition of ERASER SHIELD". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  2. 1 2 3 Hesson, Robert (28 March 2023). "Erasers, Erasing Shields, and Brushes for Drawing - Construction Drawings". Northern Architecture. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Courtice, Becca (27 April 2021). "Little-Known Lettering Tool: Eraser Shield". The Happy Ever Crafter. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  4. 1 2 "Eraser Shield". ToolNotes. Retrieved 2023-04-06.