TEXTURE

Do all surfaces have texture?

Texture is how the surface of painting, sculpture or architecture feels like in looking at it or in touching it. An illusion is set by 2-dimensional artworks that would make you believe that the surface in front of you is rough or smooth. The illusion is made because of several techniques like addition of granules to paint, or by applying thick acrylic and pasting materials (as in collage), to surfaces of compositions.

Texture adds richness to a work of art and make it more interesting.

Two kinds of texture

1. Tactile ---- touch ---- 3D texture

Painters use texture to make their works more lively. Vincent Van Gogh is know for his use of impasto, which is a technique in art that involves to thick application of paint so that the figure will stand out from the canvas.

Visual ---- illusion ---- 2D texture

A photograph is an example of visual texture. The images captured in a photograph seem rough but the surface of the photogrph remain smooth and flat.


illustrations taken from Sanford (2005)

Examples of texture:
	Smooth: No textural "barriers" or "distractions"
				La Pieta (1555-64) - Michelangelo di Buonarroti The carved marble images are finished with such high quality that the observer can imagine how smooth they would be to the touch.
	Rough: Can be created by the heavy application of paint.
				The Cathedral of Rouen (1892, dated 1894) - Claude Monet The paint is laid on this image of 1892 in such a quick manner as to suggest roughness of the surface.
	Velvety
				Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap (1486) - Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) The thick richness of oils lends the expensive clothes of this young nobleman a velvety effect.
	Silky
				The Birth of Venus (1485) - Sandro Botticelli The smooth application of oil paint to this Italian Renaissance masterpiece evokes the impression of silken skin on the beautiful gods and goddesses.
	Downy
				Young Hare (1502)- Albrecht Durer Durer was so exacting in his replication of nature, that the observer can almost feel the rabbit's soft fur.
	Bumpy
				Broadway Boogie Woogie (1943)- Piet Mondrian The superimposed squares of primary colors conjure up bumps across the flat canvas. This rhythm of color almost turns up the music.