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

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...

, Conté crayon, pencil

Pencil

A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....

 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

Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....

 or leather

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

. 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.

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.