Elements of Art

Texture

As you discovered already, texture is the feel of things. To help you understand the importance of texture in your life, explore texture by closing your eyes and letting your hands feel the things around you. You may feel the smooth slick surface of glass, the coarse feel of thick drapes, or the bumpy surface of a pencil.

You are experiencing textures when

you rub your finger over the rough surface of sandpaper
you feel the bumpy bark of a tree
you stroke a soft, fluffy rabbit
you rub the smooth, sleek surface of a marble
you touch the prickly whiskers of a bearded man

These textures are real because you can feel if they are smooth or rough.

You can draw a pretend or simulated tree trunk texture that others would be able to recognize. It would be a simulated texture of the real tree bark. When you repeat one sort of line or one sort of shape over and over again you create a texture.

You will now examine a drawing of a house that uses repeated lines and shapes to create interesting textures. The textures in the drawing are simulated (pretend) ones. After all, the page is still smooth to the touch. By drawing similar lines and shapes close together you can make a texture.

Drawn textures make surfaces more interesting and more realistic. Imagine how different the diagram of the house would look if no textures were added. You wouldn’t know that the roof was thatched, that the walls were stone, or that the path was graveled.