Texture

Types of Texture

There are four types of texture in art. These types are best understood as a set of pairs.

Actual vs. Implied – Actual texture is touchable. It’s real. Think about a drawing that makes use of collage. The collaged element would stand in relief against the supporting paper, giving the artwork a texture you can both see and feel. Implied texture is the illusion of a textured surface created through changes in value using mark-making.

Invented vs. Simulated – Invented and simulated texture are really two sub-types of the implied texture mention above. Both create an illusion of texture so the difference is slight. Simulated texture attempts to copy the nuance of a surface as exactly as possible. Invented texture is typically a simplification of sorts, still communicating the essence of a texture or pattern.