Pencil Smudging

[Necrisque]

Hey everyone,
This might be a stupid question, but I gotta ask it where people know how to draw :) How do I avoid smudging when I draw with pencils?. I've always drawn with ballpoint pens because of this problem as I'm cross-dominant and draw with my left hand in this strange manner very close to the paper.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1310/img0001vb3.jpg

I've tried many different things, like learning the normal way (http://www.drawyourworld.com/i_write/griptripod3.jpg), or using my ring finger to hold the rest of the hand up. Both feel like they'd take years getting used to. Here's a pic (http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/8803/billede036kl9.jpg) of how I normally hold pens/pencils.

I'd be grateful for any advice on avoiding smudging with pencils
(Maybe I'll learn how to draw from right to left always?)

[Elwell]

Use a slip sheet.

[Jamie Romoser]

ill ethire go from the left or right top of the page and work in a diagnal line and i sometimes use like 3 peices of kleenex and just rest my hand on the parts were ive already shaded

[Fine-touch]

To avoid smudging I do two things. one is if I am working on a table I will just raw my sketch first so if I lean on the paper I will not worry so much.
When I start getting into I work from left to right since I am a right handed person, i also use tracing paper to cover the area that is detail while i lean on it. The other is working on a easel. by stading it forces you not to lean on the art work.

[chaosrocks]

use a piece of mylar as a slip sheet or a pieve of computer vellum. you can see through it... and photoshop is your friend
chaos

[Necrisque]

photoshop is your friend
chaos

Hehe, yeah when you don't need a clean original ;)
Hey thanks for the help guys, I'll try things out :)