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I have a paper box of Prismacolor coloured pencils. I avoid using them since I think my drawing doesn't deserve them. The odd time I do use them and make mistakes I have a hard time erasing them.

After looking at their FAQ I realize this is the nature of the beast:

Q: Why is it so hard to erase a Prismacolor colored pencil?

A: The Premier Soft Core and Premier Verithin® Colored Pencils are wax based pencils, thus they are not designed to be erased easily. If you’re looking for a medium that is designed to be erased, try out Col-Erase® Colored Pencils and erase away!

What erasers or corrective tools can I use with wax coloured pencils?

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Lifting something like the Prismacolor line with a hand-held eraser is going to require a lot of elbow grease. So, when the need arises, either for a misplaced line or trying to get an effect, then the best answer is an electric eraser. There are a few options out there, Sakura makes one that is quite popular and I have the Derwent model.

Are they perfect? No. Lighter colors lift easier, but the electric is going to do far better regardless. The only thing to bear in mind is that you're going to take some paper surface with you when you do this. For a small area, once, not a problem, but multiple times in the same place is probably unwise.

Your other option is to not erase at all. This means layers, layers, and more layers. Basically, the goal is to get enough color down that the mistake is, effectively, covered. How easy that is depends on the paper. Mine tends to be heavier and some colored pencil artists even go for watercolor paper. However, if your layers have gotten to the point when color no longer takes, a shot of workable fixative can give you back some tooth for adding more.

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  • Despite my wide collection of erasers, I hadn't actually heard of electric erasers until this answer and I'm glad you mentioned it. It was later mentioned in a big list of eraser types, but I saw this first.
    – user24
    Commented May 22, 2016 at 20:10

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