How to Draw 6 - How to Create Textures in your Drawings

Think about everyday items that you see; a mirror, your cat’s fur, your baby’s hair, your carpet, all these textures can be related in a drawing. You need to image the objects and their textures in your mind, and then you can put in on paper. With textures you can add another level to your drawings. Textures will allow you to tell your viewer what the weather is like in your drawing or what the surface of an object is whether it is smooth or rough.

When creating a texture you are also dealing with patterns. The texture is the surface of an object that is relayed by shading techniques. Patterns are the many different values that are created by drawing lines and shading. A drawing can contain both these elements, think of a carpet that has square print, you will need to create both the pattern and the texture.
Let’s look at each type of texture and how they can differ from each other.

Smooth: A smooth service will have very little or even no texture at all. When you touch it it will be even and unevenness. The services can be polished and soft, dull and matte or wet and glossy.

Rough: When looking at a rough surface you can see how uneven it is and when touched it is very uneven, an irregular pattern and can be notched.

Matte: A dull objects that have no shin to there surface.
Shiny: A glossy surface that catches light and reflects it. These can also be polished objects.

Glistening: These surfaces have a lustrous reflection and give off a sparkle, they are often wet.

Furry, fuzzy, fluffy, or hairy: These can come in a variety of combinations like of a baby’s hair which is a “peace fuzz” feeling while an adults hair is more course and thick. Then you can thick of a man’s beard which is short and picky.

When you are ready to start your drawing you should look closely one more time and look for these subtle details to help you draw the object. Look for lines, these will give you a guide as to where your shadows should be and where your textures will crease, then you will need to decide what techniques to use to create these affects. Next look at the highlights to help you determine the values that you can incorporate and give your textures that extra lift. Now start your drawing and use the tips as a guide, you may find that you will use your own unique tricks once you get started.