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Jef De Wit
member
Reged: 03/06/09
Posts: 95
Loc: Hove, Belgium
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Hello sketchers
How do you sharpen a blending stump? My first attemp with a pencil-sharpener was a real catastrophe 
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Clear skies, Jef De Wit
7x50 bino, Meade ETX-70 & Orion Optics UK 12" Dobson
"Bright skies aren't empty skies" (James Mallaney)
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Ugh, brings me back to my first experience with a blending stump & pencil sharpener 
For minor sharpening or to remove excess graphite/charcoal, hone the blending stump against a sanding block. You can pick one of these up at an art supply store for about a dollar. It's a small hand held paddle with a few sheets of sandpaper stapled to the end. Great for touching up the shape of a pencil tip or blending stump.
For a major re-sharpening on a blending stump, you either need to use a craft knife to whittle it to a point, or just buy a new one if you're inclined. (The sanding block really works great if you use it regularly.)
Hope that helps!
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Aaron
sage
Reged: 08/28/06
Posts: 299
Loc: Eugene OR
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Scissors work ok to some extent too
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dlapoint
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 529
Loc: Moncton NB Canada
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I agree with the sanding block. It works well.
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Derek
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Jef De Wit
member
Reged: 03/06/09
Posts: 95
Loc: Hove, Belgium
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Jeremy, thanks for the advice. I will try a sanding block in the future. Anybody experience with a nail-file?
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Clear skies, Jef De Wit
7x50 bino, Meade ETX-70 & Orion Optics UK 12" Dobson
"Bright skies aren't empty skies" (James Mallaney)
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6028
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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A craft blade works well.. can't recall the name offhand, but "exacto knife" seems to ring a bell. 
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 Authoring a monthly AstroSketch page for "Sky at Night" magazine
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 22301
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Quote:
For minor sharpening or to remove excess graphite/charcoal, hone the blending stump against a sanding block. (The sanding block really works great if you use it regularly.)
Hope that helps!
I'm with Jeremy with regards to the sanding block. 
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Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi. 
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frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 4034
Loc: Illinois
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They lose their point?  I better start using them more.
Frank
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my gallery
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6028
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Sorry Jef, i forgot to mention the nail file.
Yes, i've used them with great success, but it's more economical to get a pack of regular sandpaper at the hardware store and cut the large squares into small pieces. The nail files i've used aren't the metal kind.. they're the sandpaper type. We call them "emery boards" here. One side is rough, and the other side is smoother... is that what you were referring to?
Being sandpaper, the nail files work well to clean the graphite from the stump, but my preference for sharpening the stump is to use the craft knife. It's not actually a knife, it's a small triangular razor-blade which fits into a pencil-like holder. I use them to refresh the tips of my pencils during a sketch, too.
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Authoring a monthly AstroSketch page for "Sky at Night" magazine
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2831
Loc: Lodi, California,
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To be honest, I pick these up so cheap I don't even bother trying to sharpen them anymore. I just toss a few in my sketch kit whenever I go out for the night, and replace them when worn.
But prior to that, I too always kept either a small piece of sandpaper or a emery board at hand for this exact purpose.
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azure1961p
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/17/09
Posts: 731
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Quote:
For minor sharpening or to remove excess graphite/charcoal, hone the blending stump against a sanding block.
I second that - the sanding block is the way to go. Oh, I've been told by a couple of people [they must be real artists because they work at an art store ] that you can unravel it and tear and rewrap it. For get it. Just sand it down.
I will suggest - and I've never seen your work, but when blending, get a nice plate finish paper or illustration board. Avoid grainy or textured papers.
I used to do medical anatomical illustration in graphite with blending stumps. Plate finish illustration board all the way and a variety or stumps.
Pete
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