Shadows tools / abrasives pens

Shaders allow you to work with shades of gray, mainly on copper or zinc, but also on plexiglass. They are abrasives in the form of soft erasers or hard leads. They can be used either as a pencil, to make shades of gray. Or as an eraser to fade black or gray areas (in this case, they can be seen as a middle ground between a scraper and a burnisher). They are available in 4 sizes corresponding to 4 different handles: micro, 2mm, 3mm and 6mm.
The soft erasers are available in 4 grains: the largest grain makes soft grays, the finest is almost polishing. As they are flexible, they are good for blending and making soft and progressive shades. They exist from 2mm to 6mm.
The rigid, abrasive leads exist in 6 grains from 80 (medium-dark gray, scratching hard) to 1200 (almost white, polishing). As they are rigid they are close to a pencil in use, you have to draw well to have a nice shade. They exist for micro handles (0.5mm leads), 2mm (square leads of 1.4mm side) and 3mm (square leads of 2mm side).
Each handle is available with the leads and erasers above, but also with other possible options:
  • Micro handle: allows you to use 0.5mm abrasive leads in 6 grains, but also etching needles, as well as silver tips (only used for the silverpoint technique on paper, not in engraving)
  • 2mm handle: allows you to use 2mm abrasive erasers (4 grains) and 1.4mm square abrasive leads (6 grains). Other options for this handle are the nano scraper (widely used in mezzotint and for small details), a micro cutter (for paper and all thin materials) and a silver point (only for the silver point technique on paper, not in engraving).
  • 3mm handle: allows you to use 3mm abrasive erasers (4 grains) and 2mm square abrasive leads (6 grains). As an option, there is a metal brush that creates brush effects.
  • 6mm handle: as a shader, only 6mm erasers (in 4 grains) which allow you to work large surfaces. As an option, a large scraper blade;

As shaders, the 2mm and 3mm handles are very similar, the choice between these 2 handles is made according to the possible options (scraper, cutter, metal brush, etc.). Otherwise choose the micro handle if you want to draw like with a gray pencil, on the other hand the 6mm handle to work on large surfaces.