top of page
No tags yet.

SEARCH BY TAGS: 

RECENT POSTS: 

FOLLOW ME:

  • Facebook Clean Grey
  • Twitter Clean Grey
  • Instagram Clean Grey

Principles of Art & Design Unity and Harmony in Texture

There are three main points concerning drawing textures:

  • Each texture drawing requires a unique mark,

  • Value creates texture,

  • Form dominates texture,

Introduction to Texture: Texture means how something feels.

Texture is the way something feels to the touch or looks as if it may feel if it were touched. For many, the word texture implies roughness but texture should refer to any tactile quality; smooth, rough, shiny, fuzzy, bumpy, soft, etc.

Texture is subordinate to all the other elements of art. In some ways texture needs the other elements of art (shape, form, value, color, line) more than they need texture.It is because shape and form (3-Dimensional) do more to help us recognize a subject than does texture.

Shape and form must take first priority.

Only then can texture be used with satisfactory results. Think of texture as icing on a cake and think of the cake as form. Icing makes a cake look great but even without the icing it is still a cake. Without the cake, however, the icing is just a pile of goop.

All of these rough surfaces are created by placing many light and dark marks close together. It is the character of the marks, however, that accounts for the many different textures. By using a variety of light/dark, narrow/broad, hard/soft marks, any texture is drawable. A measure of patience is required as well.

Types of Texture:

There are four types of texture in art. These types are best understood as a set of pairs.

Actual vs. Implied :

Actual texture is touchable. It’s real. Think about a drawing that makes use of collage. The collaged element would stand in relief against the supporting paper, giving the artwork a texture you can both see and feel. Implied texture is the illusion of a textured surface created through changes in value using mark-making.

Invented vs. Simulated: Invented and simulated texture are really two sub-types of the implied texture mention above. Both create an illusion of texture so the difference is slight. Simulated texture attempts to copy the nuance of a surface as exactly as possible. Invented texture is typically a simplification of sorts, still communicating the essence of a texture or pattern.

Drawing texture boils down to mark-making and edge quality (hardness and softness of a contour). If you make the same type of marks with your drawing tools you will get the same texture over and over. Each unique texture requires a unique mark.

Compare the surface texture of the five spheres below;

Spheres 1,2 and 4 appear smooth because there are few gaps of raw paper showing through the pencil strokes. These three spheres are different types of smooth textures due to edge quality. Spheres 1 and 2 feel hard because their edges are sharp. Sphere 4 feels soft because it’s edge is irregular and made with loose marks. While both spheres 1 and 2 feel hard, one seems to have a matte surface and the other a shiny/reflective surface. It is the sharp shapes and highlights within the shape of sphere 2 that create that impression of a reflective surface.

Spheres 3 and 5 are obviously more roughly textured than 1,2 and 3. Though neither are smooth, 3 feels soft next to 5, again, because of the looser edge quality. Sphere 3 is made of lines while sphere 5 is rendered with little dark shapes. Both of the rough spheres demonstrate how a mingling of light and dark create the impression of texture. Note that, except for the reflective ball, the spheres all demonstrate a clearly defined light source, creating an even change from light to dark. Value and form must always dominate texture.

ROCKS, STONES, SHELLS AND WOOD

Tags:# human figure, #woman, #bones, #skulls #organic

Henry Moore, (1898, 1986), semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures figures.

"Bones are the inside structure that nature uses for both lightness and strength…so in bones you can find the principles which can be very important in sculpture."

Henry Moore

Henry Moore, Tate Modern, 2014

Henry Moore created this sculpture Recumbent Figure in 1938. The sculpture is of a woman lying down. You may be able to make out knees, breasts and a head, but the forms have been simplified and the figure looks abstract.

Like many of us, Henry Moore would pick up interesting stones, shells and sticks when he went for walks in the countryside. He took these back to his studio and used their shapes and textures to inspire the shapes and textures of his sculptures.

Helmet Head and Shoulders, H.Moore,1952, cast date unknown

He said:

I have found the principles of form and rhythm from the study of natural objects…pebbles and rocks show nature’s way of working stone

The organic shapes of the sculptures in the slideshow below, look as if they have been inspired by found natural objects. Can you see one that reminds you of: Smooth pebbles you might find on a beach? A twisted stick or tree root? A broken seashell? A rough chunk of rock?

In all art and design, the appearance of texture is an important visual element. In design, texture also play a part in a product’s function.

Actual (Tactile) Texture:

Actual texture, or physical texture, means the actual physical surface of an artwork or design. It describes the tactile feeling you would get if you were able to run your hand over an artwork. This feeling can vary depending on the materials the artist used to create the piece of work. It could be smooth, bumpy, coarse, rough or many other textures.Actual texture is the result of the materials used and the artist or designer's technique.

Casa Milà ('La Pedrera') rooftop, Antoni Gaudi, 1906-1912, Stephan Karg / Alamy Stock Photo. The roof terrace of Casa Mila (Antonio Gaudi 1906-12) feature sculptural chimneys in a variety of textures.

Organic forms made of limestone create smooth, flowing shapes. In contrast, broken glass, tiles and marble are used to create a rough texture. These create the appearance of armoured helmets.

Sculpting a Gorilla Head in Model Magic Clay

Think Like a Sculptor to Improve Drawing

A good drawing skills requires learning to see to the shapes that make up an object. In order to draw realistically, we must also learn to draw basic forms from these shapes. All objects can be broken down into these basic forms.

When we are able to put these basic forms together to create the illusion of an object, our drawing improves. In fact, better drawing skills come from understanding the structure of the objects that we are drawing.

Sculptors must understand the objects that they are emulating in order to create a representational sculpture. They must understand the forms, create the forms and then mould the forms further. Drawing is similar to sculpture in many ways, but two similarities stick out to me…

1. Sculptors that use modelling techniques start loosely – Modelling is a sculpture technique in which soft, pliable material is moulded into shape. Clay hand-building is an example of modelling. Sculptors that use this technique start with very loose forms and slowly form them into the finished sculpture. Successful drawing often mimics this technique. We may start with loose lines designed to “find” the shape. Once the shape is defined, it is modelled using value until the final illusion of form is achieved.

2. Sculptors put simple forms together to create the finished, more complex sculpture – The second similarity between drawing and sculpture can found in how these two types of artists approach the creation of the artwork.

Sculptors observe and find the forms of the object that they are sculpting and then create forms to mimic what they observe. We find the shapes and then draw the shapes that we see. When we are successful in putting the shapes together, we are successful with our drawings.

Think like a sculptor when drawing, and your drawing skills will improve.

Sculpting Tools for Beginners

Sculpting can be a rewarding and therapeutic form of art making. Working with hands directly with medium is a unique experience. Unfortunately, many sculpting materials are expensive or not conducive for use by beginners. In this post, We use model magic Crayola air dries material, inexpensive, and most importantly appropriate for beginners.

Before we look at sculpting materials, let’s briefly discuss sculpting processes.

There are basically two “ways ” of sculpting processes fall under. These two “ways” are additive processes and subtractive processes.

Additive sculpting processes involve adding materials to “build up” the sculpture, where subtractive processes rely on the removal of the material to “reveal” the sculpture. Additive techniques include modelling and assemblage. Materials typically used for additive processes include clay, wax, and plasticine.

An example of a subtractive processes is carving. Typical materials used for subtractive processes include wood, plaster, and marble.

Materials for Additive Sculpture Processes

Model Magic – Model Magic is made by Crayola. It is a non-toxic and inexpensive sculpting material that air dries. It can be painted with water-based paints when it is dry. It’s fairly sticky stuff and will adhere to an armature pretty well. Art snobs may turn their nose up at Model Magic, but it’s an interesting sculpting medium that’s perfect for beginners that want to have an experience with modelling without the mess or the expense.

Unity and Harmon in


bottom of page