Assignment #1
Pattern & Texture
Visual texture is the illusion of a surface on a two-dimensional image. It is what tactile texture looks like. Texture is one of the more subtle design elements. It can make an image richer and more interesting, but is not likely to save a poor composition all by itself. A motif is any recurring theme or repeated shape in design. It could be an object, shape, or color. Most textures are natural, repeating a motif randomly. With a texture you may be aware of the repeating motif but you are more aware of the surface. A recognizable motif regularly repeated produces a pattern. The more regular the repetition, the stronger the pattern will be. Compare this field of flowers with a checkerboard. Both have a repeating motif.
Texture and pattern are related. When you look closely at a tree you can see the pattern of leaves that make its surface. When you back away you lose awareness of the leaves and notice the texture the leaves make on the tree. Farther away still and you can see the pattern of the trees making up the forest and finally the texture of the forest. In this way pattern changes to texture as you loose sight of the individual motifs. This is easy to do with natural patterns, but you have to get quite far away from a checker board grid to see it as texture. Patterns are generally more noticeable than textures. This makes them an important tool for creating visual impact.
DRAWING #1
Find photos of three different textures. Cut the photos into random shapes and glue them onto your paper. Fill the remaining area of your paper in with drawings of the textures. You may work in color if you wish.
