A stump is a cylindrical drawing tool, usually made of soft paper that is tightly wound into a stick and sanded to a point at both ends. It is used by artists to smudge or blend marks made with

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ...

Conté crayon Conté (), also known as Conté sticks or Conté crayons, are a drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal mixed with a clay base, square in cross-section. They were invented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who create ...

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a tra ...

or other drawing media. By its use, gradations and half tones can be produced. Stumps are typically made of paper but can also be made of

felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...

. They are sold commercially in a range of sizes suitable for manipulations covering large areas, for operations on a miniature scale, and those in-between. A variant that is not as tightly packed and has a hollow core is called

tortillon A tortillon (; also blending stump) is a cylindrical drawing tool, tapered at the end and usually made of rolled paper, used by artists to smudge or blend marks made with charcoal, Conté crayon, pencil or other drawing utensils. A blending stu ...

Technique

When blending, a stump may be held at an angle to increase the surface area that contacts the paper. The tip of the stump must be kept clean while blending in light-toned areas of a drawing, so as to not smear darker media from other areas onto it. Eventually the tool will become dull from use; sandpaper pointers are often used to clean and re-sharpen it. While similar effects can be produced by smudging with one's fingers, this deposits oil from the skin onto the drawing surface, making the surface less receptive to the charcoal or other drawing medium. Visual arts materials {{Art-stub