How to Create Texture in Art: Essential Techniques

What is texture in art? Texture in art refers to the surface qualities of an artwork. It’s how an artwork feels or looks like it would feel if you could touch it. Can I create texture in my art? Absolutely! Anyone can learn to create texture in their art with the right techniques and a little practice.

Texture is a vital element that can elevate a piece from flat to fabulous. It adds depth, interest, and a sensory dimension that draws the viewer in. Whether you want your artwork to feel rough like sandpaper, smooth like silk, bumpy like a cobblestone street, or anything in between, there are numerous ways to achieve these effects. This guide will explore essential techniques for creating texture in your art, covering both visual texture and tactile texture.

Fathoming the Fundamentals of Texture

Texture, in essence, is about the surface qualities we perceive. We often think of touch when we hear the word “texture,” and indeed, many art forms engage our sense of touch directly. This is known as tactile texture. Think of a deeply carved sculpture or a thick, woven tapestry.

However, texture can also be an illusion. This is visual texture. Even on a flat surface like a painting or drawing, an artist can create the impression of roughness, smoothness, or any other tactile quality. This is achieved through skillful manipulation of materials, color, line, and form. The goal is to make the viewer imagine how that surface would feel.

Visual vs. Tactile Texture

It’s important to distinguish between these two.

• Tactile Texture: This is texture you can actually feel with your hands. It’s inherent in the materials used and how they are applied. Examples include:

  • Thick paint build-up (impasto)
  • Rough canvas or paper
  • Raised elements in a sculpture
  • Embossed prints
  • The weave of fabric in a collage

• Visual Texture: This is texture that is suggested or implied on a flat surface. It’s an illusion created by the artist. Examples include:

  • The way an artist draws or paints the bark of a tree.
  • Using fine lines to depict the softness of fur.
  • Applying colors and shading to make a surface look bumpy.
  • Creating patterns that suggest a rough surface.

Both types of texture are powerful tools in an artist’s arsenal. They can be used independently or in combination to enhance the overall impact of an artwork.

Essential Techniques for Creating Texture

Let’s dive into some core methods artists use to bring texture to life.

1. Material Application

The way you apply your art materials is fundamental to creating texture.

Brushstrokes

Your brushstrokes are a primary tool for building texture.

• Thick, Visible Strokes: Leaving your brushstrokes visible and building up layers of paint creates a tangible, physical texture. This is the essence of techniques like impasto.
• Thin, Glazed Strokes: Thin, transparent layers of paint can create a smooth, lustrous surface, or they can be used to subtly suggest depth and variation.
• Directional Strokes: The direction in which you apply your paint can mimic the grain of wood, the flow of hair, or the direction of fabric weave.
• Textured Brush Marks: Using stiff-bristled brushes or varying the pressure of your brush can create different marks – from sharp and scratchy to soft and feathery.

Palette Knife Techniques

Palette knives offer a more direct way to apply thick paint.

• Spreading and Smoothing: A knife can create very smooth, flat surfaces.
• Building Up Layers: You can load a knife with thick paint and “sculpt” it onto the surface, creating peaks and valleys. This is a hallmark of impasto.
• Scraping: Gently scraping away wet paint can reveal underlying layers or the canvas texture itself.

Other Tools

Don’t limit yourself to brushes and knives!

• Spatulas, Trowels, and Even Your Fingers: These can be used to move and manipulate paint in unique ways, creating varied textures.
• Sponges: Sponges can create stippled or dappled effects, adding subtle or pronounced texture depending on the sponge and application.
• Rollers: Rollers can create consistent textures, from smooth to patterned, depending on the roller’s surface.

2. Applying Paint Thickly: Impasto

Impasto is a technique where paint is applied thickly, so that brushstrokes or knife marks are visible. This creates a raised, textured surface on the canvas.

• How it Works: The paint stands out from the surface, catching light and casting shadows, which enhances the tactile illusion.
• Materials: Oil paints and acrylics are ideal for impasto due to their viscosity and ability to hold their shape.
• Effects: Impasto can convey energy, emotion, and a sense of physicality. It can make a flat surface feel alive and dynamic.
• Considerations: It requires more paint and can increase drying time, especially for oil paints.

3. Layering and Glazing

Building up layers of paint, whether thick or thin, is crucial for creating depth and subtle textures.

• Glazing: Applying thin, transparent or semi-transparent layers of paint over an existing layer. Each glaze subtly alters the color and can create a luminous, smooth finish, or, when layered with textured strokes underneath, can add a nuanced visual texture.
• Scumbling: This involves applying a broken layer of color over another color so that patches of the underlayer show through. It’s often done with a dry brush and creates a broken, textured effect, like a soft haze or a rough surface.
• Wet-on-Wet: Applying wet paint onto wet paint can create soft edges and blended textures, but it can also be used to push and manipulate paint to create subtle textural variations.

4. Scratching and Scraping: Sgraffito

Sgraffito is a technique that involves scratching through a layer of wet paint to reveal a different color or the surface underneath.

• How it Works: You apply one layer of paint, then a second contrasting layer on top. While the top layer is still wet, you use a tool (like the end of a brush, a palette knife, or a sharp object) to scratch through the wet paint, exposing the color or surface beneath.
• Materials: Works well with both oil and acrylic paints.
• Effects: Sgraffito can create sharp lines, intricate patterns, or a distressed, worn look. It’s excellent for suggesting details like hair, grass, or intricate patterns on fabric.
• Considerations: The success of sgraffito depends on the timing of the paint application. If the top layer is too dry, it will be difficult to scratch. If it’s too wet, the colors might blend too much.

5. Collage and Mixed Media

Incorporating different materials directly onto the artwork surface is a powerful way to introduce tactile texture.

Collage

Collage involves adhering various materials, such as paper, fabric, or found objects, onto a surface.

• Materials:
  • Paper: Newspapers, magazines, textured papers, tissue paper, maps.
  • Fabric: Lace, burlap, silk, cotton scraps.
  • Found Objects: Small twigs, sand, buttons, string, leaves.
• Adhesives: Use appropriate glues like PVA glue, gel medium, or spray adhesive.
• Effects: Collage can create highly dimensional and visually rich surfaces. The inherent textures of the materials contribute directly to the artwork’s feel.
• Considerations: Ensure the adhesive is strong enough to hold the materials. Consider the weight of the materials and the support they are adhered to.

Mixed Media

Mixed media art combines various art materials and techniques within a single artwork. This is where you can really play with combining different textures.

• Examples:
  • Painting over a collage.
  • Drawing on top of textured paper.
  • Using ink washes with thick acrylic paint.
  • Incorporating charcoal with oil pastels.
  • Embedding small objects into modeling paste.
• Freedom and Experimentation: Mixed media encourages experimentation and allows artists to blend the qualities of different materials to create unique textural effects.

6. Utilizing Different Surfaces

The base surface you work on significantly influences the texture.

• Canvas:
  • Primed Canvas: Provides a good balance of tooth.
  • Rough Canvas: Offers a more pronounced texture, ideal for impasto.
  • Linen: Often has a finer, more subtle weave than cotton canvas.
• Paper:
  • Smooth Bristol Board: Ideal for fine detail and crisp lines.
  • Textured Watercolor Paper: Provides a tooth that holds dry media well and can create subtle visual texture.
  • Cardstock: Can be used for various applications, sometimes with its own inherent texture.
• Wood Panels: Can be sanded smooth or left with their natural grain, providing a different base texture.
• Other Surfaces: Fabric, metal, and even found objects can serve as unique textural bases.

7. Incorporating Textural Mediums and Additives

Art supply manufacturers offer a range of mediums and additives designed to create texture.

• Modeling Paste/Gesso: Thick, white pastes that can be applied with a brush or palette knife to create raised surfaces. They can be used alone or mixed with paint.
• Sand, Grit, and Other Aggregates: These can be mixed into paints or mediums to create a gritty, sandy, or pebbly texture.
• Gel Mediums: Available in various finishes (matte, gloss, heavy gel), these can alter the transparency, sheen, and body of acrylic paints, influencing texture. Heavy gels can be used to build up thick, transparent or opaque textures.
• Texture Pastes: Many brands offer specialized texture pastes with varying effects, like concrete, stucco, or cracked earth.

8. Drawing and Mark-Making Techniques

Even in drawing, texture is paramount.

• Hatching and Cross-Hatching: Parallel lines (hatching) and intersecting lines (cross-hatching) can build up tone and create the visual illusion of rough or smooth surfaces. The closer and denser the lines, the darker and potentially rougher the surface appears.
• Stippling: Using dots to create tone and texture. Dense stippling can suggest a rough or granular surface.
• Sfumato: Soft, hazy transitions between tones and colors, creating a smooth, atmospheric texture.
• Dry Brush: Using a brush with very little paint and medium to create a broken, scratchy line that allows the surface texture (like canvas or paper) to show through. This is excellent for suggesting weathered wood or rough fabric.

9. Color and Value Interaction

Color and value play a subtle but important role in creating visual texture.

• Contrast: High contrast between light and dark can make a surface appear more rugged or broken.
• Subtle Variations: Gradual shifts in color and value can create the illusion of smooth, flowing surfaces.
• Color Choices: Certain colors can evoke textural associations. For example, earthy browns and grays might suggest rough stone, while vibrant blues and greens could suggest water or silk.

Bringing It All Together: Creating Depth and Interest

The goal is often to combine these techniques to create a rich and engaging artwork.

Building a Textured Surface

1. Start with Your Surface: Choose a canvas or paper with a suitable tooth.
2. Apply Base Layers: Use thicker paints or mediums to establish initial texture. Consider palette knife work or even applying material like sand with a gel medium.
3. Incorporate Collage Elements: If using collage, adhere your chosen materials.
4. Build Up Layers: Apply paint using a variety of brushstrokes. Try impasto in some areas, smooth blending in others.
5. Use Sgraffito: Scratch into wet paint to reveal underlying colors and create lines or patterns.
6. Scumble: Apply broken layers of color to soften edges or create a misty, aged look.
7. Add Details: Use finer brushes or drawing tools to add specific textural details.
8. Consider Varnish: A varnish can unify the surface, protect the artwork, and alter the final sheen, which can also affect how the textures are perceived.

Table: Texture Techniques at a Glance

Technique	Description	Primary Effect	Materials Involved
Impasto	Applying paint thickly so brushstrokes are visible.	Raised, palpable texture, emphasizes form.	Oil paints, acrylics, palette knives, stiff brushes.
Scumbling	Applying a broken layer of color over another so patches of underlayer show.	Broken, soft, or rough visual texture.	Dry brush, acrylics, oils.
Sgraffito	Scratching through wet paint to reveal underlying layers or surface.	Sharp lines, patterns, distressed appearance.	Wet paint (oil/acrylic), scratching tools.
Collage	Adhering various materials onto a surface.	Direct, tactile surface variation.	Paper, fabric, found objects, adhesives.
Mixed Media	Combining different art materials and techniques.	Unique combinations of visual and tactile effects.	Any combination of art materials.
Brushstrokes	The marks left by the brush.	Varies from smooth to rough, directional.	Brushes, paint.
Dry Brush	Using a brush with minimal paint to create broken marks.	Scratchy, feathered, shows surface tooth.	Dry brush, paint.
Glazing	Applying thin, transparent layers of paint.	Smoothness, depth, luminous effects.	Transparent paints, mediums.

Texture in Different Art Forms

The creation of texture is not limited to painting.

• Sculpture: Texture is inherent in sculpture. Artists manipulate materials like stone, wood, metal, clay, and plaster to create rough, smooth, polished, or carved surfaces. The tooling marks themselves become part of the texture.
• Printmaking: Techniques like etching (where lines are bitten into metal), aquatint (which creates tonal areas resembling wash), and woodcut (where the carved surface creates relief) all produce distinct textures.
• Ceramics: Glazes, carving, impressing patterns into clay before firing, and the clay body itself all contribute to the tactile and visual texture of ceramic pieces.
• Textile Arts: Weaving, knitting, embroidery, and dyeing all inherently create rich textures. The fibers used, the stitch patterns, and the overall construction contribute to the tactile experience.

Tips for Experimentation and Practice

The best way to master texture is to experiment.

• Keep a Sketchbook: Dedicate pages to exploring different textural effects. Try applying paint with various tools, practice sgraffito, experiment with collage scraps.
• Study Other Artists: Look closely at how artists you admire create texture. Analyze their brushwork, their use of materials, and their mark-making.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Fail: Some experiments won’t yield the desired results, and that’s okay. Each attempt teaches you something new.
• Consider Your Subject: What textures does your subject matter suggest? Are you depicting a stormy sea, a soft cloud, a weathered fence, or a polished apple? Let the subject guide your textural choices.
• Combine Techniques: Try layering impasto with sgraffito, or collage with dry brush marks. The most exciting textures often come from unexpected combinations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between visual texture and tactile texture?
Visual texture is an illusion of texture on a flat surface, created through art techniques. Tactile texture is the actual physical texture of an artwork that can be felt.

Q2: Can I use everyday materials to create texture?
Absolutely! Collage and mixed media techniques allow you to incorporate a wide range of everyday materials like sand, fabric scraps, coffee grounds, or even crumpled paper to add texture.

Q3: Is impasto only for oil painting?
No, while impasto is very effective with oil paints, acrylic paints are also excellent for this technique due to their ability to hold thick applications and dry relatively quickly.

Q4: How do I prevent my textured paint from cracking?
When using thick applications like impasto, ensure you are using a flexible paint medium like acrylics or oils with a good quality medium. For very thick applications, allowing layers to dry thoroughly before applying new ones can help. Some specialized texture mediums are formulated to prevent cracking.

Q5: What tools can I use for sgraffito?
You can use almost any sharp or pointed tool: the end of a paintbrush handle, a palette knife, a craft knife, a stylus, a needle, or even a toothpick. The key is that it can scratch through wet paint without damaging your underlying surface too much.

Creating texture is a journey of exploration. By mastering these essential techniques and embracing experimentation, you can add a new dimension of richness and engagement to your artwork, making it more captivating for yourself and your viewers alike.