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Magic Erasers for removing paint...yes or no? (Patreon)

Published:
2019-06-13 07:56:00
Imported:
2026-10
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Content

I saw an artist use one of these magic erasers on YouTube the other day to remove dried paint from a watercolour painting and I was amazed. I bought one when I got the groceries the other day and tried it on a painting that I had abandoned because it wasn't working out. 

Amazingly it removes the paint with some gentle rubbing. It is slightly abrasive so I was worried that it would damage the paper. I was also concerned that the paper wouldn't take the paint again properly after I'd used it but it seemed to be fine.

My other concern is that it might put some sort of chemical/acid on the paper and in years to come the painting could be damaged. I looked online and read a forum on Wet Canvas and most of the artists there agreed that they weren't concerned about it effecting the painting.

I think that it would only work ok on quality watercolour paper. I imagine that cheaper pulp papers would be damaged by it. 

If all is ok with using them they would be useful for removing areas of a painting that weren't working out or you could use them to remove specific highlights with the help of some low tack tape to protect the areas you didn't want to touch.

I'd love to know your thoughts. Have you ever tried using these on your paintings?

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Comments

Teri F

I have recently tried it myself after seeing another watercolor artist use the sponge type pad to remove paint. It has worked well for me. I had received one as a free trial some years back and had never used it for house cleaning haha. But I’m glad now that I saved it. I was at the grocery store last week and purchased them in sheets. Same material but about a 1/4” thick. They are much easier to use. I will continue to use them sparingly unless I hear that it’s not good long term. I’m not a master watercolorist (still consider myself a beginner) so I’m not too worried at this point. I have also found that they work well for removing pencil lines off of gesso board which can be quite difficult as pencil tends to soak in to the gessoboard and then can’t be removed with water.

Jess Sobel

I’ve never heard of this before. I’d try it perhaps on a piece that I knew I’d never sell, but without concretely knowing the long term effects I wouldn’t sell a piece having used that technique. It’d be an interesting experiment to keep checking that painting over time to see what happens...

Louise De Masi

Yeah I think so too Jess. I'll use it on this painting that I gave up on and I'll keep an eye on it.

Dax Castro

I have used it several times to remove watercolor when I have dripped or dropped my brush on the page. Worked amazingly well on my Arches paper but it did chew my cheaper paper a bit when I tried. I don't use anything but arches now anyway so it isn't a problem anymore.

Eve Eichner

Yes, I have heard about this. I have also used a magic eraser to take off un-wanted spots on my paper.

Huna

Is there a magic wand from the same company? Last night, my bunny developed sea anemone paw and I think it will take more than a magic eraser to fix it.

Cynthia Sexton

I too have used this product and it does work well for an any area that doesn't need a hard edge. If you try to use it and then need to have a hard edge on or near the treated paper, you will find it will not hold an edge. Its great for dropped paint, etc but not to completely remove an area that needs an edge. The abrasiveness of the sponge does damage your paper, as there is no chemicals in it.

Louise De Masi

Thanks Dax. I have done that quite a few times myself. Some marks I've been able to remove with a brush but other times I've had to add a background. I was amazed when I saw it being used the other day on YouTube.

Louise De Masi

Thanks Cynthia. They were saying on the forum that they didn't think there where chemicals in it and that it was just friction that removed the paint.

Jess Sobel

i dropped my brush on recent commission when my cats got into a fight and had to start over! I wish I had known this hack :P

Huna

I began to suspect my little white eraser was a tiny Magic Eraser so I did some internet sleuthing. There is such a lack of information it's hard to be sure and I hope the following is correct. Most of these white erasers are plastic vinyl but only some of them are PVC plastic vinyl. Magic Erasers are made of melamine foam (also used in building) which is a kind of closed cell PVC foam. As an eraser, it works as a fine sandpaper so yes, just friction. The first white eraser I used on the Saral was labeled FOAM and although there was no content label (or maybe foam is always melamine foam?) it is considered a PVC eraser. It smeared Saral on Arches hot press watercolor paper. The white eraser in my eraser stick feels like a soft pink eraser and my guess is, it is a non-PVC plastic vinyl. It cleaned up Saral without smearing. Erasers may have undesirable content including latex and phthalates. PVC erasers often (always?) have both but I could not find if Magic Eraser has either. Jackson's blog has a comprehensive eraser article and some of the erasers are listed as PVC-free but it is not clear if any of the others are PVC foam.

Louise De Masi

Thank you for your research work Huna. It gets very confusing once you start searching. I use a Staedtler mars plastic eraser most of the time for removing graphite and saral transfer marks. I also use those kneadable erasers sometimes.

Denise Gormley

So the magic eraser doesn't leave an unpaintable spot? There have been a couple of paintings I can't sell because of marks I can't get up that I'd be willing to try this on, though. Thanks for sharing!

Louise De Masi

I used it yesterday on one of my paintings. I dropped some paint where I didn't want it. It came off. So far so good.

Heidi Bingham

I use this as my watercolor instructor, Karlyn Holman, uses it all the time!! It’s a great trick but it’s very abrasive (sneakily so) and I use it very lightly, of course.

Louise De Masi

Thanks Heidi. It's good to know that others use it. Yes I agree, don't rub too hard when you use it.

Chantal NUGUES-PERRIN

Hi Louise, I found a similar sponge at my local hardware shop. It's a french manufacturer and the name is Starwax. I tried it and I must say it is quite fantastic !!! a pack of two was 4.50 € ...

Chantal NUGUES-PERRIN

Louise, I finished the rose but would like to know if there is a need of further improvement... It will be hard to reach your standard but I learnt a lot in doing only 2 tutos with you and I think I could try with my own photos... I will do the sunflower soon ... when I have recovered from that last one... I was sweating bulletts as would say an american friend of mine !!! thanks very much for those tutorials and your voice is so soothing...

Louise De Masi

Sweating bullets.....I do that when I paint too! You're not alone 😝. I think your rose is beautiful just as it is. I often get to a point at the end of the painting and I start to think to myself that if I do anymore to it I fear I might wreck what I've done. That's when I stop. 💛

Yolonde

Wow - would never have thought of using them.

sharon harding

I was recommended them to use to clean off any marks on the paper that do not come off with eraser. I am undecided - although saying that it does remove some of the accidently finger print marks. Definitely going to give it a go to in removing paint. I have just the one to test it out on. Painted a background colour on the paper planning to try a posterised 3 colour portrait, never got any further!