How do I stop pencil lead from smearing?

Question

I am a lefty when I write and draw. As I write, pencil lead crumbs smear on the left side of my left hand, from my wrist to the tip of my pinky. I constantly have to blow (literally) to get the lead crumbs off of my paper and prevent SOME of the smearing, but it still occurs. Is there any way to stop this from happening? I really need it to stop when drawing, or it ruins the picture.

Answer 1

I am also a left handed artist and have been doing artwork for over forty years. When I first started, I had the same problem you're having now. I found that by resting my hand on a blank piece of paper on my drawing, it reduces the amount of smearing. Try it! I think you'll agree. Hope I helped you out alittle. Good luck and keep drawing.

Answer 2

If you use a harder lead than you will have finer and thinner lines with less smudging.

When you draw properly you keep your hand off the paper, but it is harder to hold your hand that way and it can interfere with the creative process. If you clean your hands well or wear a plastic glove then you can still smear your work. It isn't how much oil or water is present, it is the act of moving one smooth object across another that is giving you problems.

Most people don't understand what a 2H pencil really means. It means hardness level 2 on a scale of 1-6 with 6 being the strongest. Then there are the softer lead pencils HB and then F. Below that you have B1-B6 with B6 being as soft as warm butter. You can find different leads and different lead pencils at an art store, a craft store, or at a drafting supply store. You can also find the different leads from an Office store like Staples or Office Depot, however only the very large stores will stock a wide range of lead. To get the ones you want you will probably have to order them online. You could probably sketch your drawing in with the hard pencils, and erase your mistakes. Then you could go back and use a softer lead pencil to draw over the lines that you want to keep in your final drawing. If you do it this way then you can work from right to left so your hand will always be off the soft lead lines.

Another good way to stop the smearing is to use a template and spray fixative. If you put another sheet of paper or a piece of cardboard under your hand then you won't smear your work as much; provided that you move your hand across the cardboard or sheet of paper, and do NOT move the cardboard or sheet of paper. You need to lift it and then move it to another position. Drawing Templates can do the same thing. Art stores do sell spray fixative, but often hair spray works as well. Just make sure it is dry before you rub your hand across it. The best time to use spray fixative is when your artwork is complete.

I trained as a draftsman in school and college, before Computer Assisted Drafting became so popular. I had a lot of problems with smearing my drawings, and I am right handed. Often I would put my hand on a plastic template to stop the smearing. It became a major problem when I started drawing perspective drawings on 22" X 17" sheets of paper and larger. Even standard drafting drawings could be smeared if I had a lot of detail in them.

Another common way to protect a drawing is to use a bag of eraser dust (art stores or craft stores carry them). The bag has a lose weave so you can shake out the fine eraser dust on your drawing. If you smear the drawing then you smear the eraser dust, which could erase the smear, or it can help keep your hands from contacting the page. To get rid of the dust typically a horsehair or camel hair (camel hair is finer) brush is used. You want a fine hairbrush so it doesn't smear your drawing as well.

Another good technique is to pick up an Eraser Shield. This paper thick sheet of steel has holes and thick lines cut into it. When you erase something you put the eraser shield over the drawing with the area you want to erase in the middle of a space cut in the shield. Then you can press hard without smudging the paper. You can also use the shield to let you erase a line that is very close to another without touching the line you want to keep. Most eraser shields have a right angle cut in them so you can make your lines match.

For more ideas go to an art store and ask the sales force, or you could visit an artist and ask them for some advice. Most artists use pencil and paper to make a sketch first to give them an idea of what they want to create.

NOTE: Pencil lead is the name of the rod of graphite in the pencil. All pencils use graphite, so you can't get lead poisoning from drawing too much.

Answer 3

i feel your pain, i'm a lefty too. some of the things i've done in the past is to start from the right side of the page and work back toward the left. it's a little awkward at first but it does help. when you get to the shading portion, or even while you're still sketching you can put a piece of paper between your left hand the paper you're drawing on.
you might also want to go to an art store and see if they have any pencils that don't "crumb" as bad. i usually just use a regular #2 pencil when I'm drawing. eagle claw (i think that's their name it might be black eagle) are really good from my experience.
good luck

Answer 4

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Answer 5

LEFTIES OF THE WORLD UNITE! :)

I feel your pain, and I've had that same problem many times. I've found that, when writing, if I keep my hand below the line I'm writing on, there's nothing there to smear on my hand! When drawing, on the other hand, I usually try to start on the right and work my way over to the left. It also helps if you put a small piece of paper between your hand and the paper.

Answer 6

My sister is left handed and had this problem when we were kids I remember. My parents bought her a heavier lead pencil, I think #9. Anyway I know it made a difference!

Answer 7

Supposedly there is a product out on the market that resembles a resin bag (like they use in gymnastics and in rodeo's), only it has eraser dust in it and it is suppose to be good. But I have never found one. My other option is to put another sheet of paper under your drawing hand. That seems to work fine foe me. It may not keep the smudges completely off, but it minimize the frustration of all the erasing that comes later.

Answer 8

I think your best bet would be to listen to "Car Guy". I would have suggested the same thing he did but he said it so well I will just leave it to him. He gave some really good advice and he is obviously a pro to solving this dilemma. Be patient and you will find a solution that will work for you...just don't give up!

Answer 9

for more quality of work without the smearing you can get, from an arts and crafts store a powder you sprinkle on the material before you begin drawing/writing.

Answer 10

try lifting your hand up when writing and drawing. the whole reason for the smearing is becuase you are dragging and rubbing you hand on the paper as you go along. if you lift your hand up, in the end you will have a perfect picture. thats all i can come up with.try it. good luck!