Utility for Day 20 #100DaysStudioObj

I've featured several objects of utility that I consider essential to my work: cutting mat, knife, adhesive and a tray for it, palette, and I'm adding this brayer. It's messy and studded with glue and scraps of paper and I love it. After I've used my fingers to glue something down I'll give the piece a few rolls with the brayer for extra measure a few minutes later. If I'm going for flatness I'll use the brayer several times, slowly and firmly and varying stages of dryness. I also use it for the opposite purpose: adding texture. I'll put a layer of gel medium on a piece let it dry until tacky and then roll over it roughly. Little bits of paper and medium get stuck to the brayer and add a nice ruggedness to the piece. Or I'll roll over sections and then remove what I just rolled over, often taking a few layers with it for a "torn" look. 

Gluing is scary. The brayer calms me.