Mortar and Pestle Question?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Bit of a stupid question - how do you crush garlic in a mortar and pestle, to get a paste? I'm never sure if I'm meant to be thumping it, or grinding it. And what about dry spices - thump or grind?

I've got a really nice heavy stone mortar and pestle, and I do use it, but I just suspect I could be using it better, you know?

Thanks ...

Message withdrawn

Best way to smooth garlic is to add sea salt which acts as a kinda of abrasive and breaks it down.