TEXTURE

• Texture is an element of design that defines the surfaces of shapes

and forms. Texture that you feel with your fingers is called tactile
while texture that the artist recreates on a flat surface is called
visual texture. Tactile texture is three-dimensional because it has
height, width and depth. Visual texture is two-dimensional
because it lacks actual depth.

• Texture can be smooth like plastic or rough like sandpaper. It can

be marshmallow soft or rock hard. You can often imagine just how
each surface feels in a photograph. For example, in the
photograph below, you can see that the differences in texture
between the smooth mother horse’s coat and the curlier foal’s fur.
You know that the grass feels springy and the smooth-looking
mountain in the background is actually hard and rough.
 Beadwork is a traditional craft in Ethiopia. The texture of the
beading is just as important as its colors and patterns. Beading
C gives a smoother texture to rough, utilitarian materials, making
A them suitable for special purposes.

      
T
E
G
O
R
I
E
S

O
F

T
E
X
T
U
R
1.Adjectives used to Describe TextureAdjectives that
describe soft textures Examples of adjectives that can
be used to describe textures that are soft to the touch
are cottony, downy, fuzzy, feathery, fluffy, furry, hairy,
puffy, silky, soft, woollen and velvety.Adjectives that
describe hard textures

2. Examples of adjectives that can be used to describe

textures that are hard to the touch are bony, hard,
wooden, metallic, glassy, rigid, smooth, steely, stiff,
tough and unyielding.
Texture Keywords (descriptive)
•smooth, glossy,polished, hard, rough,
corrugated, wavy, grainy,
prickly, pebbly, Soft, fuzzy, slimy
•Glossy
•Matt
•Uneven
•Coarse
•Tactile
•reflective
•dull
Texture can be used to create
•Contrast
•Emphasise an area
•Create pattern
•Enhance and describe form
•In rendering texture is used as a
representation of a material
•Tactile feeling & emotion