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Element of Art: TEXTURE

Notes and Examples of How to Illustrate Texture

Element of Art:TEXTURENotes and Examples of How to Illustrate Texture
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Texture

Texture is the way something feels to the touch, or looks to the eye.


Words like rough, silky, shiny and dull help writers describe the texture of an object.

An artist shows texture to accomplish the same goal.


There are two types of texture: tactile and visual.


Tactile Texture

Tactile texture, or Actual texture is the way a surface would feel if you could touch it.
You may find actual texture in a sculpture or collage.


Visual Texture

Visual texture is the way a surface appears through the sense of vision. It is the way something looks like it would feel.


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Historical Example 1

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Monkey, 1938. Oil on Masonite, 16 X 12”. Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY.


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Historical Example 2

Georgia O’Keefe, The Shell, 1934. Charcoal on laid paper, 18 5/8 inches X 24 ½ inches. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.


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Historical Example 3

Meret Oppenheim, Object (Luncheon in Fur), 1936. Fur-covered cup, saucer and spoon, approx. 9 3/8 inches X 3 inches. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.


Student Examples

Some Good and Not so Good Examples

Make sure viewers can easily recognize what your texture is. Can you identify these textures?