Texture Painting Techniques

Texture gives definition to paintings. While it's a very difficult element to define, still it forms one of the most important attributes of painting. In one sentence adding texture, gives character to a painting. Texture can be understood in a broader sense and not the mere roughness or smoothness of art work, reducing the piece to mundane. Texture implies to the subtle gradations or gradients of surface differences, created by the artist to enliven his work of art. It's created by differential use of brush strokes along with various tools and colors creating certain textures to the painting. For this you need to understand the texture painting techniques and then bring the desired effect in your creation.

Techniques of Texture Painting

Using texture in painting can be done by expanding your creative skills and applying them in your painting. You need to study paintings of famous painters and observe how they used the strokes of brush to bring out the texture in his artistic work.

Brushstrokes
The painting texture can be smooth or rough, depending upon the brushstrokes. For smooth and even textures, you can use swift brushstrokes with soft bristles. For a rough texture, brush stokes are hard, broad and impulsive. The "expressionistic" fashion of painting involves use of rough strokes and create dynamic visual effect. Dry brush and wet brush techniques are also used for different textures. Brushing with heavy colors creates a heavy texture, while mild textures can be done by gliding the brush smoothly. Shading is one of the most important aspect of building texture in the painting.

Painting Surface
Before creating textures, you also need to expand your knowledge about the painting surface. A rough canvas or recycled paper gives different effect than smooth papers. Similarly glass painting, wooden painting, faux paintings, wall mural, rag paintings and frescoes are other bases where different techniques are applied to bring different effects. Gessoed paper, carpets and newspaper also create provocative textures. You need to have a fair idea about depth and length of the textures. Textures are also created to give a multi-dimensional effect to the painting.

Painting Tools
Textures can also be created using different types of painting tools. Acrylic paints, oil paints, fabrics and water colors are different forms used to bring textures in paintings. Adding coats, adhesives and pigments also gives some form of texture to the painting. Scraping and spraying are few types of texture painting techniques. Other techniques involve splattering textures, sgraffito textures, stamped textures and back wash textures. Salt textures, silica foam, alcohol textures and tissue paper texture fall under advanced categories of texture creation. There are many other tools that are also merged with the painting to create different effects. Tea leaves, salt, pasta, egg shell, collage, cling film, sand, sugar, rice, etc. are also used.

Texture - a Visual Illusion

If you are passionate about painting, you must observe the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. His works are excellent examples of this technique and bold delineation of textures. Oil paint applied in thick visceral coats in canvas form exquisite textures. Each shade and each stroke add texture to the painting. These techniques are extremely subtle, if used inharmoniously, it can become a negative factor for painter and his painting, a technically imperfect piece of art. It should add a meaning and depth to the artwork.

If you are a beginner, then experimenting with different texture painting techniques is the only way to achieve perfection. Creating textures is all about creating a visual illusion, that adds life to your work of art.