Summary of Chapters 1& 3
Chapter 1 deals with texture, defining it as a quality on the surface of a work of art that affects the senses of touch and vision. There are three types of texture in art: physical texture that refers to the actual texture of surface and materials, visual texture, which is illusionary and invented texture, which is also based on illusion by using seemingly irrelevant shapes to create a recognizable ensemble.
When creating texture an artist should take into account the texture of the material itself as well as that of the surface in which he/she applies it. The creation of visual texture on the other hand is achieved through the repetition of lines, dots and shapes, the variations of which also give the illusion of space. Some works of art employ this to an extreme, reaching a completely deceptive spatial result, called trompe l’oeil. At the same time, the combination of physical and visual texture can result in more realistic, convincing and effective compositions.
Value and contrast are also important elements of art in terms of texture, as they determine the relative lightness or darkness of a work (in the case of value) and determine the importance given to specific shapes and lines (in the case of contrast).
Pattern discussed in chapter 3, refers to the repetition of a visual element on the surface. Grid on the other hand, is a series of intersecting lines. Both are used in order to demonstrate unity in a composition. Compositional grids, employing horizontal and vertical lines, are the ones used most often, as they have the ability to give a sense of unity and cohesion even when seemingly random shapes are presented on the surface.
