6-05 - Advanced Photoshop & Graphic Design

Quicklinks to all course lessons: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Lesson 6 Sections: 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-7 6-8 6-JFF 6-IDEA

A06-05: Elements of Art and Design: Texture

Objectives:

Understand that texture is one of the elements of art that gives graphics a tactile character. Texture is one of the visual inputs that our brains are wired for, and process immediately, organizing them into basic forms.
Learn one way you can apply texture in Photoshop

Learn:

"...Texture is the quality of a surface, often corresponding to its tactile character, or what may be sensed by touch. Texture may be used, for example, in portraying fabrics. It can be explicitly rendered, or implied with other artistic elements such as lines, shading, and variation of color. It also includes the blending with the colors." Wikipedia - Elements of Art

James Christensen "Portrait of Caterina Van Leyden with small angels, 2003

This image links to my Pinterest board on textures and backgrounds

Even though this is on a flat two dimensional surface, you can almost feel the texture in this photo.

In this figure study by watercolorist Steve Hanks, the artist wanted us to feel the texture of the quilts.

Although this is a portrait, the artist celebrates texture in the elegant dress and headpiece.

The artist, Dessin Myriam, has used this medium to define the texture of hair. You could almost reach out and feel it.

Bottom-up visual processing occurs early in the vision process without conscious attention or effort, propelled by the brain's persistent need to find meaningful patterns in the visual environment. When we happen to glance at a picture or a scene, we detect motion, edges of shapes, color, contours, and contrasts through bottom-up processes without conscious awareness. As our brain processes these primitive features, it discriminates foreground from background, groups elements together, and organizes textures into basic forms . This occurs rapidly, helping us to recognize and identify objects.

Connie Malamed: Visual Language for Designers

In the images below, can you almost feel them? That's what texture is all about. Texture is one of the primitives Connie Malamed talks about in her book: