Introduction to Texture

I think there is a certain charm to the hand drawn image that I like. My problem with CGI is that it’s so rich in texture that my eyes actually get tired. Everything is in focus down to the littlest leaf. -Matt Groening

Texture may seem like an easy concept, and on the surface it really is. If you are planning on becoming an illustrator of any sort, creating texture in digital media will be a vital skill. Especially if you’re going into game design. For fine artists, texture is still important since depicting textures realistically is a skill that some artists never develop.

You’ll know that you’ve found an artist who has mastered texture because you will be able to imagine touching something  immediately and the sensation of what it’s like to touch a thing will come immediately to mind.

Meret Oppenheim’s “Object” Paris, 1936. Fur-covered cup, saucer, and spoon, via Sophia.org

There are two kinds of texture that we’re interested in for this week: real texture and implied texture. Real texture is created in 2D art when paint, scratches, textured mediums, paper, or other items come up off of the surface and create a real, physically touchable textured surface. Some artists like to work in the strange space where 2D design becomes 3D design. We touched on this concept a little when we talked about the idea of “surface.”

Implied texture emerges in digital both digital and plastic arts (i.e. paintings) when the artist doesn’t change the surface of the image at all, but instead uses tricks of 3D perspective to create the suggestion of texture. You can see examples of each of these as you progress through the lesson this week.

 Texture

“I think we love bacon because it has all the qualities of an amazing sensory experience. When we cook it, the sizzling sound is so appetizing, the aroma is maddening, the crunch of the texture is so gratifying and the taste delivers every time.”

–Alexandra Guarnaschelli

Ok, which one of you  didn’t  for a moment imagine the texture of biting into a crispy piece of bacon? Texture is a very powerful sensation because it harnesses the body’s largest organ, the skin. Texture is as powerful in the visual arts as it is in the narrative arts. Anyone who has played video games over the last 10 years can tell you that the  evolution of texture has increased the sense of immersion into a game.

Implied texture can evoke strong memories, and visible, real texture can make you want to reach out and touch a work of art. Real texture can make you highly aware that you’re  looking at art rather than having an everyday experience just looking at shampoo bottles on the grocery store shelf. Some artists use texture to evoke a sense of danger and menace while others use it to make us feel warm and comfortable.

Take a look at some of the examples on the right and pay attention to the way that each texture makes you feel as a viewer.

Monica Rezman, “Hair Piece 14”  (This is a drawing by the way, not a photograph.)

Detail of a self portrait by Van Gogh. Van Gogh’s technique is often referred to “impasto”.

KQED: Texture

Short video on texture in art.

Adonna Khare

This artist is pretty amazing. She depicts animals quite often and what she does with fur is powerful.