Analyzing the Elements of Art | Seven Ways to Think About Texture

Analyzing the Elements of Art: Six Ways to Think About Texture

Welcome to the fifth piece in our Seven Elements of Art series, in which Kristin Farr of KQED Art School helps students make connections between formal art instruction and our daily visual culture.

Here are the other lessons in the series: shape, form, line, color, space and value.

Seeing is Feeling: Texture in Art

Texture: you know it when you feel it on a physical surface, but do you know how to describe the textures of an artwork, architecture or even a song?

Just like three-dimensional forms, texture can be real or implied.

Real, tangible texture can be created through endless tactile possibilities: cutting, building, tearing or layering of materials, for example. Implied texture is created using other elements of art, including form, line, shape and color.

Revisit our previous posts about the elements to get a sense of how they can be combined to create visual imagery with texture that makes an impact.