Unit 4 Intro & Activity: Texture

This week in Art, our 6th–8th grade students are beginning Unit 4: Texture, one of the foundational Elements of Art. 

Texture helps artists communicate mood, realism, and detail by showing how a surface feels, or how it looks like it feels.

We are studying both kinds of texture:

1. Actual Texture: A real, physical texture we can touch with our hands.
2. Implied Texture: A texture the artist draws, making something look fuzzy, sharp, rough, bumpy, or smooth, even though the paper itself is flat.

This Week’s In-Class Assignment: Texture Hunt

Actual Texture Rubbings

Students will explore the school to find natural and man-made textures. Using the attached pdf and crayons, they will create texture rubbings of surfaces such as wood grain, brick, fabric, tile, metal, and baskets.

This exercise strengthens observation skills, which is essential in classical art training.

Implied Texture Drawing Study

Back in the classroom, students will practice implied texture by drawing surface qualities they cannot physically feel. Using line, value, contrast, and repeated patterns, students will render textures such as fur, stone, wood grain, grass, woven fabric, and scratches.

Each drawing will be labeled and demonstrate the difference between Actual and Implied Texture.

Skills and Objectives

By the end of the week, students will:

• Identify and describe Actual Texture and Implied Texture

• Demonstrate observational skills through real-world texture rubbings

• Practice classical drawing skills using line, value, and pattern

• Understand how artists study and imitate the created world through texture

• Build a visual library of texture techniques for future projects

Why We Study Texture

Texture helps artwork become more believable and expressive. Studying texture teaches students to pay attention to detail, observe closely, and notice the structure and beauty within the world around them.