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Composition & Visual Design

Texture

The tactile surface quality of a subject as revealed by light, giving a sense of how something would feel.

In depth

Texture is created entirely by raking light: a surface lit frontally shows colour but almost no texture, while the same surface lit at a grazing angle shows every irregularity as a tiny highlight and shadow. This is why texture work is really a lighting decision, and why low sun transforms landscapes and weathered walls.

Examples in practice

Late afternoon sun raking across a stone wall reveals every chisel mark that midday light had rendered flat.