Texture
What Is Texture?
 Texture refers to how the surface of
something feels to the touch.
 It is perceived through touch & vision.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Actual Texture
 Actual Textures occur in real objects that
you can actually touch.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Simulated Texture
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 An imitation of an actual texture using a
visual illustration of a real texture
 You can see these textures and imagine
how they feel, but they would only feel like
the surface painted on.
 It’s the illusion of a 3D surface.
Invented Texture
 The impression of texture, invented by the
artist, that it is used in a decorative, rather
than realistic way
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Glossy v. Matte
 Glossy refers to a smooth & shiny
surface, like a newly waxed floor.
Reflects bright light.
 Matte means dull- smooth but not
shiny, like the surface of a
chalkboard. Reflects soft, dull light.
Smooth v. Rough
 smooth-reflects light evenly; ex: plastic,
chrome, table top
 rough-reflects light unevenly; ex: fur,
grass, sand paper
Methods Used by Artists to
Add Texture to Their Work:
 Decalcomania-a technique of creating random
texture patterns by applying thick paint to two
surfaces, pressing them together, and then
pulling apart
 Frottage: a method of creating texture by
rubbing a crayon over a piece of paper on a
rough surface to capture the texture or scraping
across a freshly painted canvas that has been
placed over a similar surface
 Grattage: the technique of scratching into wet
paint with a variety of tools to create texture
Collage
 artistic composition of materials, such as
fabric or paper, pasted over a surface
 initiated by Picasso in 1912 when he
pasted a section of commercially printed
oilcloth to his cubist painting, Still Life with
Chair Caning