Brayering vs. Sponging

[paulaq]

Could someone please tell me the difference between brayering and sponging? Sponging seems easier but do you get the same results? Thank you-Paula:cool:

[Louisa May]

One difference in laying down color is brayering can make smooth strokes for an even surface. Sponging creates a mottled, textured effect. Brayering can be used to apply glue and mediums evenly on surfaces. It's much harder, if not impossible, to get even surfaces with sponging. However, there are always qualifiers: Some brayers are made of sponges!

[shazsilverwolf]

For applying inks, a brayer will give a smoother blending of colours than a sponge. I'd suggest looking at You Tube for Videos on sponging and brayering- it will give you a better idea of the difference, its easier to see it than explain it, lol. And brayering is not as difficult as it looks, its just practice, and the right technique. This Lady has 2 excellent videos on how to brayer, I was hopeless until I watched hers. Its almost all down to how you hold the brayer.
The first two images are brayered, the tags sponged.

[wavejumper]

I agree about YT vids to really get it, but I might say think of painting a wall.

Brayering is like roller painting. You have seen sponged walls? There you go.

The thing about sponges is that you can "distress" the edges of a piece as well. You can use sponges or daubers Tsukineko � high quality inks and inkpads for your crafting projects
I use finger ones (like a thimble) for edging but people also just drag the edge across the pad. Depends how much you want the color to move toward the center of the card.

While you can add more ink with both, brayering generally is a thinner even coat. (I like it on glossy paper) I use small make up sponges when I want to do a heavy coat like metallic on a embossed pattern (say to look like metal).

To the tell the truth-they are both fun to do.