Art: Line and Texture: Part 1

Ah, texture. It comes in all sorts of forms. Lines come in all sorts of curves and angles. And what a thought... that all the lines and textures we have to experience in our world were created during the days of creation. Have you ever considered that before? Let's investigate...

Leading Idea:

Line and texture were created during the days of creation.

Biblical Principle:

Colossians 1:16

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" KJV

Research: 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

texture, n. [L. textura, textus, from texo, to weave.]

3. The disposition or connection of threads, filaments or other slender bodies interwoven; as the texture of cloth or of a spider's web.

4. The disposition of the several parts of any body in connection with each other; or the manner in which the constituent parts are united; as the texture of earthy substances or fossils; the texture of a plant; the texture of paper, of a hat or skin; a loose texture; or a close compact texture.

Genesis 1:10 "And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good." KJV

Genesis 1:12 "And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." KJV

Genesis 1:21 "And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good." KJV 

Genesis 1:25 "And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." KJV

Genesis 1:26  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." KJV 

Reason:

Genesis 1:10 tells us about texture when it comes to water and earth. What textures are there in relation to these elements? Water is wet. The earth can be dry... powdery, hard, dusty, etc. When the earth is wet it can be soft and muddy. The mud can be thick or thin. 

Genesis 1:12 allows us to see the use of line when describing the grass, herbs, and trees. It allows us to visualize the leafy texture of foliage (as explained in the definition of texture).

Genesis 1:21 paints the idea of lines found in the designs (patterns) on sea creatures. The shiny appearance of wet creatures in the seas. The scales of fish. The course texture of coral or sea stars. The lines of fur we see on an otter. And with the fowl we can envision the patterns on their feathers... made up of the use of line. The softness of their feathers.... especially the down like that of a soft baby chick.

Genesis 1:25 shows us the use of line and texture when we think about what cattle look and feel like. Some creatures are soft while others are course. Some have a hard, rough skin while others have smooth skin. Some have prickly whiskers. And "every thing that creepeth upon the earth" denotes a slimy texture (thinking of slugs and worms here). And what about the texture of sticky... like a spider web? (Webster's definition mentioned a spider web.)

Genesis 1:26 tells us of the most wonderful use of line and texture!

What other examples can you and your children come up with in relation to the verses?

Don't you just get so excited when you learn about these things? I do! I love thinking it through and reasoning! How marvelous is our Heavenly Father? The Lord of Heaven and Earth! Even something like line and texture.. things most of us never ponder... point back to our Creator. And what an imagination He has! To think of so many textures and uses of line... and the way they reach us visually and kinesthetically... just puts me in greater awe of our Lord.

Relate:

Now, I got this art project idea from That Artist Woman. She does a lovely job describing the steps for doing this project so please visit her blog to learn how.

I loved the idea of using this art project as a way to relate the Geography lesson on Mountains. As the kids created their artwork, they were able to reflect on that lesson as well as focus on texture and line. Such as with the use of tissue paper (as the example given in the definition of texture) to build up their mountain's rocky surface; and the use of line to create the form and angle of their mountain.

 

My Interpretation

(Yes, it testifies to my beginner efforts. But that's not the point. Right?) :)

Supplies:

watercolor paper
white tissue paper
gesso
old credit or gift card (I actually had to cut up a plastic folder because gift cards weren't easy to come by)
watercolor or tempera paint
paintbrush

Now, if you aren't familiar with some of the different art mediums out there, please don't feel intimidated to try them. Using Gesso for this project (that's a hard 'g' sound in the word gesso) was a first for me. I found it to be a lot of fun! It dries in a reasonable amount of time (you might need to work quicker as you get toward the last bit that needs covering by the tissue paper). It really feels like plaster and helps to build up texture. Using tissue paper for texture was also a first for me. I found it to be a fun experience, too.

Some of What the Kids Did!

11 year old

9 year old

7 year old

6 year old

3 year old

I was hoping the texture of the tissue paper would show up better than it did, but you'll get the idea of how they really look from the post on That Artist Woman blog.

Remember to Record! A fun way to do this is to create a photo book of the art your kids have created throughout a semester or the school year! Create a Photo Book. Starting at Just $9.99. Try it!

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