What is Texture?

The surface of every object, natural or man-made, has its own special look and feel. This is called TEXTURE.
A piece of driftwood or a sheep's coat has a rough texture. A pebble or an egg has a smooth texture.
Find out more about TEXTURE by making a collection of objects with different surfaces.
We don’t always have to touch something to understand its TEXTURE. Sometimes we only have to look.
We use our memory of feelings to help us know what things feel like. It sometimes helps to look very closely at objects with viewing aids like magnifiers or microscopes.

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Try:
Look for things made of wood, stone, metal , cloth. Sort them into smooth, hard, soft, rough. Put them in a bag and try to identify them by feel alone. You could make a game of this with a friend and describe the object without naming it but by its feel alone. What words did you use? Make a note and stick it in your sketchbook with a drawing of the object.
In your sketch book experiment with different tools and medium to see if you can make SURFACE TEXTURES. Remember that do not need to work directly into your sketch book. It is often better to try exercises and experiments on loose paper or other surfaces and cut or tear samples to stick into your sketchbook at a later date. Do keep notes about the process and write these alongside your samples.
Try:
Making a TEXTURE BOOK. Fold a piece of A3 paper in half. On the first page, make as many different marks with pencils, charcoals, pastels, crayons and inks as you can. Overlap some, blend or rub them. Look at the surface you have created. What does it remind you of? Make notes in you texture book next to the marks.
Try:
Using broad and fine brushes with watery and thick paint.
Try:
Mix dry powder paint into ‘Readymix’ but leave it lumpy.
Let it go tacky (not completely dry) and scratch into the surface with a nail or end of your paintbrush.
Try:
Mix several different colours of very thick paint and dribble it slowly onto strong paper. Don’t mix the colours. Allow them to settle on to the paper. Dry flat.
Try:
Wetting a sheet of A4 cartridge paper and dripping runny paint onto it. Carefully cut the paper in half. Dry one half flat and hang the other piece up to dry. Compare the effects.
Try:
Wetting a sheet of A4 cartridge paper and sprinkling on dry powder paint. Again carefully cut in two. Dry one half flat and hang one up to dry.
Try:
Sprinkle dry powder paint onto dry paper. Drip water gently onto the surface. What happens? You could fix this with hairspray.
SAFETY NOTE - this needs to be done in a well ventilated room or out doors.

There are many other ways of creating surface and texture in painting and drawing.
It is an important skill for artists to master. Keep adding to your texture studies as you and notes as you explore in your painting and drawing.

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