6 TEXTURE
Key Vocabulary Terms
texture real texture implied texture
I. Texture
a. feature of surface quality; how it feels
b. the physical surface structure of a material
c. can create diverse effects in a design
II. Surface Qualities
a. Real Textures – those that can actually be touched, for example, the spikes on a cactus. These textures offer both look and feel
b. Implied Textures – are simulated, or invented to look like a texture, such as a photograph of wood grain. These textures provide only the appearance of a texture.
III. Real Textures
a. important because they provide clues to a person’s, animal’s, or object’s nature.
b. Textures in artworks often provide visual as well as tactile interest.
c. Texture in artwork must be controlled or it can disturb and overtake the design.
IV. Implied Textures
a. plays an important role in photography
b. Just as real textures, implied textures can suggest certain feelings and moods
c. textures and textural contrasts can be used as organizational devices in design. They can serve to unify areas as well as create patterns and movement within the design.
V. Texture and Light
a. texture is a surface quality and the way light falls on a surface has an effect on its readability; smooth, rough, grainy…
b. low light can diminish the appearance of texture by making it appear less defined
c. bright light can enhance texture by heightening the definition of patterns within the texture.
d. the appearance of texture changes in all degrees of light, therefore, artists usually pay close attention to how and where their work will be displayed.
VI. Artists and the Use of Texture
a. Three-dimensional art- usually consists of materials having real textures such as marble, burlap, metals, and plastics
1. Pottery & Ceramics
a. pottery that has been thrown on a potter’s wheel usually has a uniform surface, while some hand-built pottery is more organic in shape.
b. potter’s can apply a variety of textures to the surface of their works by incising (cutting into), stamping, applying glazes, and firing.
2. Sculpture
a. works can be achieved by a selection and combination of materials.
b. selection can be based on qualities of the surface of materials or the way light effects the look
c. Surfaces can be altered by polishing, welding, rusting, cutting, etc…
b. Two-dimensional art – most of this type of work relies very heavily on implied textures, which are achieved by means of a process such as drawing, painting, or printing.
1. Drawing & Printmaking
a. Using a variety of drawing materials, a skilled artists can produce a wide array of implied textures.
b. use of pencil, inks, colored pencils, or pastels can portray any number of surface textures.
2. Printmaking
a. making a print involves transferring an image from one surface to another; carved or etched block onto paper.
3. Painting
a. as with drawing, some paintings rely on implied texture as a design element
b. paintings also achieve actual or real texture depending on how the artist applied the paint or medium (can thicken or thin) to the canvas or other painting surface.
c. texture in paint can be achieved by the use of painting knives, sponges, brushes, spraying, dripping or splattering of paint
4. Textiles
a. usually consists of fibers and fabrics woven together
b. texture is encountered in your environment on a daily basis.
c. colors, lines, shapes, forms, values and space are elements of design that are unavoidable in your life.
