Beyond the Surface: How Texture Transforms a Painting

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes us want to move closer to a painting.

Sometimes it’s color. Sometimes it’s an unexpected mark or a quiet passage that gives our eyes a place to rest. And sometimes, it’s the surface itself, the layers, ridges, granular texture  and subtle imperfections that make us curious enough to take another look.

That curiosity has been at the heart of my newest mixed-media series.

I’ve been experimenting with different ways of building texture into my paintings—layering acrylic mediums, creating areas of crackle and granular sand like texture, incorporating unexpected materials, and allowing some surfaces to remain rough while others become smooth and almost translucent.

And I’m discovering all over again just how much texture can change a painting.

Texture Creates More Than Dimension

For an artist, texture introduces another language into the work.

A raised surface catches paint differently. A crackled area allows color to settle into tiny crevices. A rough passage beside a smooth glaze immediately creates contrast. Even before we introduce another color or mark, the surface itself has begun contributing to the composition.

That’s what I find so exciting.

Rather than thinking of texture simply as something added on top of a painting, I’ve begun thinking of it as another element of design, just like color, value, shape and line.

It can create movement, establish a focal point and add depth without overwhelming the painting.

For the Collector, Texture Changes the Experience

One of the things I love about highly textured artwork is that it continues to reveal itself.

A painting can look one way from across a room and entirely different as you move closer. Natural light passing across the surface creates tiny highlights and shadows. As the light changes throughout the day, certain details may become more noticeable while others quietly recede.

That physical quality is something you simply can’t fully experience from a photograph.

It’s one of the reasons I always encourage collectors to look closely at original artwork when they have the opportunity. There are details in an original painting, like the brushwork, layers, edges and texture that create an intimacy between the artwork and the person viewing it.

Experimenting Without Knowing Exactly Where It Will Lead

Perhaps my favorite part of creating this new series has been the experimentation.

Not every texture behaves exactly as I expect it to. And I actually like that.

I may begin with an idea, but once I start layering materials and paint, the surface often suggests the next direction. A crack may become something I emphasize rather than hide. An unexpected edge may inspire another shape. A rough area may need the contrast of a soft veil of color beside it.

That back-and-forth conversation with the painting is one of the things that keeps the creative process exciting for me.

There is always another possibility waiting beneath—or above—the surface.

Whether you create art or collect it, the next time you look at a painting, move in a little closer.

Look beyond the color and composition.

Notice the surface. Notice where it is smooth and where it is rough, where the light catches a raised edge, and where layers seem to disappear beneath one another.

You may discover that some of the most interesting parts of a painting are the ones you almost have to reach out and touch.