#39: Drawing Texture

This exercise is another from the  Make Art Mistakes A Creativity Sketchbook. This exercise is to make you think about how you might show texture in a drawing.

Gather Materials:

  • an unlined piece of paper
  • any drawing tool that you wish to use – I just used a pencil

Today’s Exercise

How might you show texture in a drawing?

  • Fold a piece of unlined paper in three
  • In the top corner of each section write the texture you will be depicting in the section
    1. smooth,
    2. bumpy,
    3. fuzzy
  • Play with how you hold your pencil or brush to achieve the desired textured effect.
  • Now in each section depict the texture
    1. What does smooth look like?
    2. What does bumpy look like?
    3. How can you show fuzzy?

Reflections on the Exercise

  1. Smooth
    • Smooth lines need smooth body movements
    • Hold the pencil lightly and begin the line before you touch down on the page and continue the line fluidly to an end point off the end of the page.
    • Smooth lines are best achieved when you don’t look at where your pencil is, but you focus your attention on where you are going.
  2. Bumpy
    • Bumpy makes me think about the streets this time of year after a harsh Winter. Dirt, salt and potholes cause bumps – what a relief when the smooth surface returns.
  3. Fuzzy
    • turning the pencil on its side creates a shaded fuzzy texture
Smooth, Bumpy, Fuzzy - examples of drawing texture

Get the Book: Make Art Mistakes

This exercised comes from the book Make Art Mistakes A Creativity Sketchbook. If you’re wanting to start mark-making I recommend that you pickup this book. You don’t need another sketchbook, you can do the exercises right in the book.

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