Have you ever dreamt of possessing the ability to create living, breathing works of art? The use of backgrounds and textures in graphic design is a trendy practice for creating lifelike artistic designs. Getting the grips with it will improve your design projects tremendously.
Let’s face it, gone are the days when plain texts appealed to the masses. Your audience will rarely if ever spend an extra minute with your content if it’s not appealing to them. Graphic design helps to evoke the feeling of fun, excitement and creativity — components that are integral in making your customers stick longer and keep coming back for more.
What is texture and why does it matter?
For starters, texture in its basic description refers to the surface quality or the general feel of an object. We use words such as rough, silky, smooth, fuzzy, and shiny and so on to describe textures. Think of it as how your skin feels against the soft fabric of your woolen jacket, or the warm sense of bubbly soapy foam covering your skins in a bath tub, or even the soft touch of your hair covering your shoulders — all these are feelings and sensations that solely result from the effects of different qualities of textures.
In graphic designs, textures are primarily visual elements that generate physical illusions. Graphic designers make use of textures and backgrounds to create stunning visual elements that convey certain emotions to the viewer. It the language that’s best spoken by graphic designers and it works well with everybody.
Why are backgrounds and textures important?
Backgrounds and
textures play a significant role in graphic designs in the sense that they
create an artistic glossy feel that can attract the attention of the viewers.
Remember, designers create content to influence their audience into taking an
action. You want your designs to achieve this goal within the shortest time
possible. Designs that evoke emotions are known to be the most effective in as
far as lead generation is concerned. You can never go wrong with incorporating
textures in a design.
On top of describing
the physical surface of an object, textures and backgrounds generate a certain
physical and mental feel that draws the attention of the viewer’s towards the
design. A picture is worth a thousand words, an enhanced picture is worth a
thousand more! Graphic designs tell a story without necessarily the need for
words. It is utterly the simplest language anyone can use to convey a message.
What’s more? The use of graphic designs penetrates all communication barriers
known to man.
Here are some of the ways through which
texture may be used in a work of art:
- Create visual interest or a focal point in a composition
- To create contrast within a design composition
- To help visually balance a design composition
In this article, we look at some of the ways
which you can use to enhance your design projects.
Sounds good?
Let’s dive right in!
How to enhance your design projects using backgrounds and textures
1 – Use Organic Texture To Render A Classic Look
Infuse your designs
with life using natural elements. Organic textures evoke a feel of nature and
bring the natural world on a digital platform. They help to refresh your
audience minds and may influence them to immerse themselves into your
creativity and follow their imagination.
The crisp looks of
fresh grass, tree bark, spring flowers or the gentle touch of a small feather
and about a million other background and textures beautifully compliments
designs and adds an atmospheric touch.
They bring vividness, warmth and beauty to the result.
2 – Enhance your Designs with Unique Artificial Textures
With the help of
modern 3D visualization software, it is possible to add a wide range of
artificial textures to your designs. The possibilities are limited only by your
imagination. Unlike natural textures, artificial textures comprise of many
imagery with surrealistic patterns. The elements may result from photography,
three dimensional design and manufacturing.
Graphics designed
with artificial textures can be used to convey certain emotions. That means you
can willfully use a specific set of texture to evoke certain emotions with a
preconceived call to action that’s aligned with your goals. Sound’s
supernatural, doesn’t it?
3 – Build Visual Interest with Tactile Texture
Tactile textures
possess physical qualities and come equipped with a wide range of uses
especially in print where the paper type, attract the viewers’ attention and
makes it a physical interest.
4 – Make a Bold Statement with Textured Typography
You can combine texture with typography to
create stunning design effects. Depending on the size, shape color and texture,
typography can create powerful statements without necessarily using complex
design compositions.
5 – Build Crispy Designs Using Paper Texture
The use of paper background texture has become
a common practice in modern design projects. This texture choice creates
visually compelling minimalist designs without emphasizing too much on the background
image. The use of paper over the years
has become a great addition to create a touch of crisp realism to any graphic
design project.
Conclusion
The use of backgrounds and textures is one of
the most powerful tools for creating stunning graphic art without necessarily
relying on the complexity of different elements. Visual textures, whether
photography or isolated images can spur emotions and bring life to any design.
Whether you are using textures as a focal point or simply an emphasizing component
to complement other elements of the design, texture will always have a leading
role in the creation of contemporary graphic art.
