The Elements of Design:

TextureFloral Design

Mrs. Henderson

What is a Texture?• Texture is the element of art that

refers to how things feel, or look as if they might feel if you touched them.– Simulated Texture

• imitate real textures– Such as plastic tabletops that look like

wood

– Invented Texture• 2-dimensional patterns created by the

repetition of lines and shapes– Not real surface qualities, but the

patterns of light and dark suggest real texture (shadowing effects)

Rough vs. Smooth

• Rough – Reflects light

unevenly– Shows irregular

patterns of light and shadow

• Smooth– Reflects light evenly– Eyes glide across the

surface, uninterrupted by shadows

Matte vs. Shiny• Matte– Surface that reflects a

soft, dull light– Absorbs some light

and reflects the rest• Shiny

– Reflects so much bright light it seems to glow

– May also have highlights

Van Gogh “Sunflowers”

• This painting shows the differences between suggested texture and actual texture.

• Van Gogh had thick paint on his canvases, his brushstrokes created a rough surface.

• The surface ridges of the thick paint actually make the paint look brighter – they catch more light and reflect brighter colors to the viewer.

Activity• Make a balloon flower by

inserting a wire into a balloon and stretching it into a petal shape. Be sure to follow the color scheme rules with your balloon selection. Tape the stem and form a flower.

• Next, make ribbon petals out of loops then wire and tape together to form a flower.

• Compare your ribbon flower to your balloon flower. Compare the rough and matte texture of the ribbon flower to the smooth and shiny texture of the balloon flower. Discuss with a partner.