Hey Humans,
today I’d like to focus on texture. Painting is one thing, but being able to convey a specific material.
Its smoothness/roughness/softness or cracks?
That’s a real challenge.I’ll be working in my main technique, which is ink, but this challenge is worth trying in any medium. So whether you draw with a pen/pencil, paint with paints, or whatever else, give it a go.
In this blog:
– What do I actually mean by textures?
– A brief overview of texture types
– Why are textures so important?
– Textures for you
– Summary
What do I actually mean by „textures”?
Texture in art is the way an artist shows what the surface of a given object or creature is like – not just its colour, but what it feels like to the touch. Texture illustrates what something is made of.
This is important because, even though we can’t touch something, only look at it, we still understand that:
– a cat’s fur would be soft and fluffy,
– a fish’s scales – cool and slippery,
– tree bark – rough and cracked,
– and a glass sphere – smooth and hard.
Texture, then, is the answer to the question: „What is this made of and what would it feel like to the touch?”
A brief overview of texture types
There are a huge number of textures, so let’s sort them out a bit before we take a closer look. Also use this list for yourself – you can review it, write it down, and draw inspiration from it.
1. Organic textures – the breath of life
This is probably the largest and most rewarding group. Organic textures concern everything that is alive or was once alive. Their common feature is that they are rarely perfectly even. They grow, crack, wrinkle, and are subject to time. It is precisely this irregularity that makes us understand them so well as viewers and artists – our brains immediately recognise something familiar in them.
– Skin
– Fur and hair (coat)
– Feathers
– Wood and bark
– Plants
– Hair
2. Inanimate textures – silent geology
Stones, minerals, sand, water. Here we are dealing with the forces of nature – pressure, temperature, time on a geological scale. These structures are often more geometric or completely random.
– Rocks and stones
– Minerals and crystals
– Sand and earth
– Cracked / dried earth
3. Man-made textures – civilisation in detail
Here we enter the world of processed matter – fabrics, metal, glass, ceramics. These structures are often characterised by regularity, repeating weaves or reflections. But they too bear signs of wear, which are crucial for an artist.
– Fabrics
– Metals and ores
– Rust
– Glass and ceramics
– Metal structures
– Paper and texture
4. Ephemeral textures – a moment frozen in a frame
Lastly, I’ve left something that is a structural paradox: things that exist only for a moment, yet have a distinct form.
– Water
– Clouds
– Smoke
– Fire
There are many more textures; above I’ve chosen just a few in specific categories for orientation. Textures give an image weight, history, emotion, and tangibility.
Why are textures so important?
They separate „copying” from „understanding”
Textures allow us not only to copy, but to create with real understanding. An artist who knows the structure understands why a given shape looks the way it does.
They enable conscious distortion and stylisation
You know the rule: „First learn the rules, then break them.” If you want to draw in a particular style, knowing textures allows you to mix them, combine them, create new ones, or change old ones. Stylisation is not a mistake – it’s a choice. When you know the structure, you know what to change and how it would be realistic, true, but yours.
They make working from imagination easier
The human brain remembers spatial relationships better than individual lines. When you learn texture, you can rotate space in your head, create all sorts of shapes, combinations, and sizes. This allows illustrators and concept artists to build entire worlds without any reference photos.
They build hierarchy and composition in an image
Texture is not just details – it’s also large shapes. Drawing structures teaches you to look at the whole image as an arrangement of large, small, and mid-sized masses. This way, you don’t get lost in details before you’ve mastered the overall layout of mass on the page.
Textures for you
In this PDF you will find a more detailed list of various textures to help you gather ideas and even take on the challenge.
Summary
Textures are one of the most important parts of creating works of art. Mastering them will allow you to create detailed, lively, and original pieces. Let this list serve you not only in learning textures but also in creating new ones. Combine, change, mix, and create whatever comes to mind.