Today I’d like to take a quick sidebar and talk about the power of texture. Even if a painting isn’t meant to be touched, being able to invoke the viewers sense of touch can garner a strong impact.

To me the idea of incorporating texture into a piece is purely experimental; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Adding a 3-Dimensional element to a flat canvas, for example, creates a whole new way to view a piece. Adding the illusion of texture or implying texture is a common practice to invoke different emotions. For instance, the quality of your brush strokes, be they grotesque or dainty, are more than what they encompass. The stroke itself helps communicate your message.

Personally, the way I’ve been experimenting with different textures is through mixed media. Different types of paint don’t always like to be on the canvas together and that interaction is visible and able to communicate with the rest of the piece. Trying to program myself with this mentality has helped me tremendously when it comes to breaking a concept into a more interesting piece.