Texture — Art, 4–6 years
We can make art look smooth, rough, soft or bumpy, even on a flat page. Art, 4–6 years.
What texture does
Texture is how a surface feels, or how it seems to feel when we look at it. A real stone may feel rough, while drawn marks can make paper look rough. Artists choose textures to help us imagine and notice things.
Why use texture?
A picture can feel empty when everything is made with the same kind of mark. Artists noticed that real objects differ: bark is rough, glass is smooth and wool is soft. Texture solves this problem by giving surfaces different clues.
Make a bark texture
Place a sheet of paper on tree bark. Rub the side of a brown crayon gently across the paper, from left to right. The raised ridges catch the colour, so the bark’s cracks appear. Add a few dark lines to make the rough surface clearer.
A common mix-up
It is easy to think that drawing many tiny marks always makes a surface textured. Sometimes it only makes a busy patch. Look closely at the object first: long lines may suit wood, dots may suit sand, and soft shading may suit fur.
Texture around us
Texture helps us choose objects without looking, such as a smooth cup or a rough wall. Designers also use it in clothes, carpets and book covers to suggest comfort, strength or age. It works best when the texture matches the real material or the intended feeling.
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