Drawing with Confidence, Part 7: Techniques for Rendering Textures

Bring drawings to life through textural variation

Image by Annie Spratt

Drawing with Confidence is a free online art course. Develop your drawing skills through playful exercises and thoughtful experimentation. Overcome barriers to self-expression and embrace the joy of mark making.

Part 7 — Key concepts we’ll explore:

• How texture can bring drawings to life

• Using pencil work to create a range of different textures

• Creating a texture references sheet to use in future drawing projects

Techniques for Rendering Different Textures

While form and light create volume, texture brings surfaces to life. Mastering texture allows you to communicate objects’ tactile qualities—whether rough or smooth, hard or soft, shiny or matte.

Basic Texture Techniques

Hatching and Cross-Hatching

• Parallel lines (hatching) or overlapping lines (cross-hatching)

• Closer lines = darker value; wider spacing = lighter value

• Direction of lines can follow the contour of an object

• Ideal for creating gradual transitions and dimensional form

Stippling

• Building value with dots

• Denser dots = darker areas; fewer dots = lighter areas

• Creates a distinctive texture, effective for granular surfaces

• Requires patience but offers precise control

Scumbling

• Circular, irregular marks that overlap

• Creates soft, atmospheric effects

• Effective for clouds, foliage, and organic textures

• Varies in pressure and density for different values

Contour Drawing

• Lines that follow the surface contours of an object

• Communicates three-dimensional form through line direction

• Can be combined with other techniques for enhanced texture

Burnishing

• Creating smooth, solid areas by applying heavy pressure

• Effective for polished or reflective surfaces

• Can be contrasted with rougher techniques

Adapting Mark-Making to Surface Quality

Different surfaces require different approaches:

• Rough textures (bark, stone) use irregular, broken lines, stippling, or cross-hatching

• Smooth textures (polished metal, glass) use clean, controlled marks with minimal texture

• Soft textures (fabric, fur) use flowing, soft lines with gentle transitions

• Hard textures (metal, ceramic) use precise, definite marks with clear edges

Add to Your Toolkit: Mark-Making Sampler

Create a reference sheet of different textures using various techniques. Divide a page into 6-8 sections and practice:

1. Parallel hatching (light to dark)

2. Cross-hatching (light to dark)

3. Stippling (light to dark)

4. Scumbling (light to dark)

5. Contour lines following a curved surface

6. Burnished smooth surface

7. Combination techniques

Spend 15-20 minutes creating this reference sheet.

Confidence Boost

An artist’s journey isn’t a straight line but a landscape of varying textures. Encountering rough terrain or unfamiliar territory isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong. It’s the natural geography of creative growth. Sometimes, you ride the smooth wave of a flow state, and sometimes, you face rugged landslides of frustration. Your artistic identity is being formed not despite these uneven surfaces but because of them.

Image by Sheldon Liu

Exercise: Texture Collection

Create a library of at least 10 different textures observed from your environment. Time estimate: 60-90 minutes.

Materials

• Sketchbook or drawing paper

• Range of pencils (HB to 6B)

• Eraser

• Optional: pen, charcoal, or other drawing tools

Instructions

1. Divide your paper into at least 10 sections (approximately 2×2 inches each)

2. Look around your environment for surfaces with distinctive textures

3. For each texture, create a labeled sample showing:

   • The overall pattern

   • How the texture responds to light

   • The appropriate technique for rendering it

4. Include a diverse range of textures such as:

   • Wood grain

   • Woven fabric

   • Leather or vinyl

   • Rough stone

   • Smooth metal

   • Glass or plastic

   • Plant material (bark, leaves)

   • Food textures

   • Paper or cardboard

   • Any other interesting textures you observe

5. Below each sample, note the specific technique you used to create it

Process

• Developing observation skills for surface quality

• Building a reference library for future drawings

• Practicing different mark-making techniques

• Understanding how texture interacts with light

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Art in Focus

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)

Maria Sibylla Merian, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, 1705. Source

Maria Sibylla Merian, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, 1705. Source

Maria Sibylla Merian revolutionised scientific illustration through her extraordinary attention to texture and detail in her studies of insects and plants. Her masterpiece, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, showcases her remarkable ability to capture the delicate textures of butterfly wings, the glossy carapaces of beetles, and the varied surfaces of tropical plants with astonishing accuracy.

Merian developed her distinctive approach by combining scientific observation with artistic sensitivity. She used cross-hatching, stippling, and varied line weights to create rich, layered textures and distinguish between the elements of nature. Her work reminds us that texture isn’t merely decorative but fundamental to how we perceive and understand the natural world.

Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)

Berthe Morisot, Woman at Her Toilette, 1875–80. Source

Berthe Morisot, a founding member of the Impressionist movement, developed a revolutionary approach to texture through her distinctive brushwork and atmospheric techniques. In paintings like The Cradle and Woman at Her Toilette, Morisot demonstrates her ability to capture the subtle textural qualities of fabric, skin, water, and light through delicate, feathery brushstrokes that appear spontaneous and deliberate.

Her work shows how texture can convey not just physical surfaces but emotional qualities as well. Morisot frequently left portions of her work seemingly unfinished, allowing viewers to experience the subject and the material qualities of paint itself. Morisot’s textural approach reminds us that how we apply materials can communicate as much about our subject as what we choose to depict.

Connection to Your Practice

Maria Sibylla Merian and Berthe Morisot teach us that texture is not merely a surface quality but a fundamental element of visual communication. Their approaches demonstrate that textures can simultaneously convey scientific information, emotional resonance, and material qualities.

Exploration Activity

Select a natural object with varied textural qualities—perhaps a flower, a feather, or a piece of fruit. Create two drawings of this object: first, using Merian’s approach of precise, detailed observation with careful attention to surface qualities; then, using Morisot's more impressionistic technique with loose, expressive gestures. Notice how each approach reveals different aspects of your subject’s texture. Finally, create a third drawing that combines elements of both techniques, finding your balance between precision and expression.

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Drawing with Confidence

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References

Google Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Berthe Morisot. [online] Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/berthe-morisot/m01cct?hl=en.

Google Arts & Culture. (2017). Maria Sibylla Merian - Google Arts & Culture. [online] Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/maria-sibylla-merian/m08rgpj?categoryId=artist&hl=en.

The British Museum (n.d.). Maria Sibylla Merian: pioneering artist of flora and fauna. [online] The British Museum. Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/animals/maria-sibylla-merian-pioneering-artist-flora-and-fauna.

The Public Domain Review. (n.d.). Maria Sibylla Merian’s Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (1705). [online] Available at: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/merian-metamorphosis/.

Hawksley, L. (2024). Woman at Her Toilette | History, Description, & Facts | Britannica. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Woman-at-Her-Toilette.