Texture in Art

Made by: Nada Popovska

 What is texture?
In the visual arts, texture is the perceived
surface quality of a work of art. It may be
perceived physically, through the sense of touch,
or visually, or both. Our experience of texture in
visual art relies on our experience with the
physical world. Use of texture, along with other
elements of design, can help to tell stories and
evoke emotions.
 Why is texture important?
● Texture in painting is an important part of what
gives it life.
● Texture in art forms part of the seven elements of art,
which is considered almost like the “building blocks”
of an artwork. The seven elements of art include
color, line, shape, form, value, space, and texture.
These give the artwork its character and are coupled
with the principle of art.
● The principles of art include balance, emphasis,
harmony, variety, unity, contrast, rhythm, movement,
pattern, repetition, proportion, and scale. These are
almost like rules or guidelines that allow us to apply
the elements correctly to create a composition that
works or acts almost like a set of criteria it allows us
to analyze an artwork efficiently. 
 Describing Texture in Art
● We have many words to describe texture. The words alone,
without any image or object, can evoke our experience of
texture through our imagination and memories. We already
know the more common words like smooth and rough, below
are a few others that fall into similar categories. 

Smooth Rough Cut

Hard, coarse, raised, Scratched, sheared,

Soft, glossy, shiny, prickly, bristly, wiry, stony, incised, etched,
lustrous, reflective, frosted, glazed. engraved, chiseled,
matte, silken, sleek, chipped, carved.
satiny, downy, leathery,
furry, velvety, feathery,
woolly, wrinkled.
Types of texture

01 Physical

02 Implied
Examples of different texture types

Physical Implied
 01
Physical
Actual/Tactile texture
 Physical Texture
• Physical textures (also known as actual texture or tactile texture) are
the patterns of dimensional variations in a physical surface. Physical
texture can be felt by touching the surface of the object or material.
• Physical texture may also be perceived visually without physical
contact.
• Light and shadow are important factors in the visual experience of
physical texture. The physical profile of the texture casts shadows that
help us perceive texture.
• The visual experience of physical texture is also informed by previous
experience with the physical world.
 Example of Physical texture
A famous example of how
physical texture can
create a sensation and
illusion of something is 
Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog
 (1994 – 2001), including
several of his other large
sculptures, which appear
like inflated balloons.
These sculptures are
made from stainless steel,
inviting us to want to
touch it and feel for
ourselves whether it is in
Jeff Koon's Balloon Dog fact a real larger-than-life-
sized balloon.
 2
Implied
Visual Texture
 Implied Texture
• Visual texture is the illusion/representation of physical texture. It is
created by the manipulation of light and shadow to mimic the visual
experience of physical texture.
• Visual texture can be achieved in a multitude of ways allowing significant
freedom of expression. If it is a painting, the common way will be with
paintbrushes or painting tools like a palette knife, a sponge, or any other
form of applying paint.
• The type of paint utilized is also important; for example, there are oils,
acrylics, tempera, or watercolors. Each type of paint will provide a
different effect, or texture, on the canvas, the latter of which is another
important aspect to consider as canvases, or any other painting surface,
will have different textures dependent on what they are made of.
 Example of Visual/Implied texture
• The visual texture was
masterfully employed by artists
from the Dutch Still Life genre of
paintings during the 16th, 17th, and
18th centuries. Examples include
the Dutch Golden Age painter Still Life (c. 1625) by Pieter Claesz;
Pieter Claesz, who was a pioneer
in what was known as “breakfast
pieces”. 
• His painting Still Life (c. 1625)
provides the perfect illusion of a
table setting and all its
accouterments.
• There is hyperrealism about this
painting and its objects,
especially the lustrous qualities of
the glasses and silver, which
appear smooth, and the rougher
qualities of the other food items
like the bread and pie. 
Different painting techniques
● Additionally, there are
different painting
techniques that will inform
the texture of the visual
composition. Some of
these, but not all, include
impasto, which is a thick
layering of paint on the
surface; dry brushing, as
the name implies, a mostly
dry paintbrush is utilized
with paint on it; sfumato,
which is a technique made
famous by Renaissance
artist Leonardo da Vinci;
and pouring, which is a
textured abstract art form
characteristic of Abstract
Expressionism.
 Summary of Texture in Art
Texture artwork
Types of texture Characteristics
example

Physical texture (“Actual
"or “Tactile”)
Texture with tactile qualities,
that we can feel, usually this is
more three-dimensional like
raised paint on a flat canvas or
a sculpted artwork.
Balloon Dog (1994 – 2001) by
Jeff Koon's
The Starry Night (1889) by
Vincent van Gogh

Visual texture (“Implied” or Texture that we can see, but
“Illusionistic”) not physically feel. It is
commonly on a two-
dimensional surface and gives
the idea of texture or the
illusion of texture.
Mona Lisa (c. 1503 – 1506) by
Leonardo da Vinci
Still Life (c. 1625) by Pieter
Claesz
Thank You for your
attention!