What Is Texture In Art?
When we are drawing or painting a piece of artwork, we have to identify the correct texture. The texture is the way something feels if you could touch its surface. For many people, the term texture is often used negatively, since it implies roughness. However, texture refers to any tactile and sensory qualities: an object's smoothness, roughness, shininess, and softness.
Types of Textures
There are multiple ways to create texture in a drawing.
Firstly, artists implement a certain texture by using a surface that creates a particular finish. Meaning, the canvas usually has a rough yet matte finish on its surface. This texture creates an original, traditional, and classic sensation, which is widely enjoyed.
Another way of creating texture is through creating an illusion. This is called Implied texture: the form of texture that is created through the actual sketching and changes in value using mark-making.
Simply put, the different pencils and the pressure we implement manipulate the texture of the strokes. Check out one of our other posts about the type of pencils. This is by far the most known and used as it is intuitive and easy to fix.
As the bottom line, texture boils down to mark-making and edge quality (hardness and softness of a stroke). If you make the same type of marks throughout the drawing, you will continuously get the same texture over and over again. Each unique texture requires a different quality and pressure of the stroke. As seen below, creating reckless lines could create an interesting texture that is beneficial.
Spheres 1,2 and 4 appear smooth when it comes to the strokes. However, the very same spheres have different textures because of the varying edge quality. Spheres 1 and 2 feel hard because they have sharp edges. In contrast, Sphere 4 feels soft since the edges contain loose marks.
One of the most common mistakes is a lack of values in the drawing. If you are unfamiliar with values, check out our post about values.
Values are important because it is the contrast in values that creates an illusion of texture. By using a variety of light/dark and hard/soft marks, any texture is drawable. This is easier said than done, so practice is always the best way to improve, and we are here to help.
How To Practice
A great way to practice texture is to gather objects with varying textures. Then, attempt a freehand drawing of the object by implement all the concepts above. Good luck!
When you are done, send us a photo through our email. We will give you additional tips on improvement.
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