TEXTURE in design - interpretations.

Texture is seen and felt. Sometimes it is seen and not felt; or more correctly what is seen does not necessarily have to be felt; for example laminated glass panes with actual leaves in-between the laminates – the eye perceives the three dimensional characteristic of the leaves, but upon closer inspection and by running ones fingers along the glass surface the surface is found to be smooth! Whereas one would expect to feel the surface of a leaf. 

A seemingly monotonous surface e.g. one having a repeated pattern of sorts; could have an interesting texture when felt but may not necessarily be interesting to see. 

Colour, design and pattern play a great role in the way the eye perceives texture – the texture perceived could very well be an illusion!

The way light is reflected off a surface determines the texture. A very smooth surface (especially a hard surface like metal) will shine. A rough surface will give shadows to indicate the surface ‘texture’.

Patterns used in design perhaps all have some link to nature as one cannot invent without inspiration from something - the process of abstraction; there is always something to stimulate creativity. The unique way in which every person translates an object into a design or a pattern accounts for the large variety of designs even if the source is common and an every day thing one sees but does not pay attention to – for example cut an onion and look at the pattern if you cut it vertically or horizontally; look at a cucumber cut along its length or across and note the pattern made by the seeds. Then you may use the pattern and create your own designs! Amazing isn’t it?! 

Designs seen in an interior may not have to look exactly like their natural origin or source: for example a rug with black and white stripes in the centre may look familiar, one would say influenced by the stripes on the skin of the zebra, however upon closer inspection of the pattern on the zebra’s back one may discover that they are not at all the same! You should try some investigative observation and the illusion of textures in you mind, I am sure you will find it a very interesting experience!