This one is all about TEXTURE - both visual & tactile.
Visual texture is usually created by using repeated patterns e.g.
Texture can be created by repeating something or a shape over & over.
Painting by Brendan Mogg (above)
This is an example of visual texture. Using the same shapes in tactile texture....
Really chunky carpet against smooth leather & shiny chrome - visual & tactile contrast.
(I imagine this would be awful to clean)
Below is an image that creates texture through repetition. Lovely.
These are pots in Peru - as you can see, a repeating pattern of shapes.
We know that this fabric is smooth - but the stripes make it appear textured by using a combination of contrasting blue & red in a repeating pattern.
The same happens in wall or floor treatments eg.
As you can see the most striking are those that use high contrast (black + white)
Black & white are useful in flooring because the black makes the white appear cleaner & the white makes the black appear darker. Perfect for high use areas - traditionally hallways, kitchens & bathrooms.
You could really only use these in small doses - too much distracts from the beauty of the individual pieces.
This would give me a headache really quickly. Visually it would work better with a plain colour mixed in to have somewhere for the eye to rest.
An entire floor like this wouldn't show the dirt - but who would see the dirt if you have a migraine.
These tile are in green & white, so not so stark. The floor adds interest to a galley kitchen that would ordinary without the tiled floor.
This is a gentler stripe because it is monochrome (based on one colour), this would be an easier pattern to live with.
Patterned floors have been used for centuries to add interest to otherwise plain interiors. They would also have been (still are) a status symbol.
They can be anything from patterned brick flooring to intricate parquet & mosaic.
This floor certainly makes a statement. I don't know how much time I could spend in this room.
The patterning makes it very formal.
This floor certainly makes a statement. I don't know how much time I could spend in this room.
Here a repeated stitch creates texture.
Some examples of surface & visual textures
So when using yarn to knit or crochet texture becomes an integral part of the design.
Often designers will use this element in contrasting ways - usually without even thinking about it.
The contrast here is the smooth fabric with the heavier pattern in the knitting
Here you can see the contrast between the smooth stocking stitch in the lower part & the textured section in the upper body or torso section.
DON"T FORGET wherever there is contrast - that point will draw your eye.
So having a heavily textured section around your bottom may or may not be where you want attention focused.
This is a heavy tactile texture - too much of this would be overkill.
This is one of my favourite designs - a tactile texure with visual texture using interesting yarn.
This is a tactile texture - you can feel it
Some more examples of textures used in fibre.
You can create visual texture using intersting yarn - flecks, mottled hand dyed etc.
self striping yarn creates visual & tactile texture - though if the tactile texture is too heavy you wouldn't be able to see the pattern
If you look at NORO designs the visual texture is often the dominant part.
Hope you enjoyed these.
Keep an eye out for the next instalment 😊