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Creating
Rich and Beautiful Texture Art
by
Eni Oken
One of the most important techniques used
to create texture art that is rich and full of depth is called "layering".
Widely used in the traditional art world,
"layering" is still not very well known in the gaming
industry, even though good texture art is vital for the success of any
game project.
Commonly used in traditional illustration as foreground, middleground
and background, layering is a well known technique where
overlapping elements result in complex-looking imagery, even if the
individual components are relatively simple. See
figure 01
The quantity of overlapping elements can
vary greatly, but generally speaking, good texture art should have at
least one of the following layering components:
Layer 1:
Background
Almost all texture work has some sort
of background, such as brick, stucco, marble, skin, etc. When using an
irregular pattern, it is preferable to use something that is not too
strong or vibrant, for it may detract from the main features of the
texture.
See figure 02
Background elements should be seamless in
nature, that is, they should repeat in all four directions without
showing strong seams or shadows.
Layer 2: Main
features and details
The main feature is the central focus of attention in the
texture art. When creating art for environments and backgrounds, main
features will usually be: doors, windows, frames, columns, corners,
panels, etc.
See figure 03
To create a rich piece of texture art
you should also add details, which can usually be elements that
are reduced in size to complement the main feature. Details will usually
be corners, fixtures, buttons, door knobs, wrinkles, etc.
It is important that most features and details have a dimensional
quality to them, sometimes with a shadow to make them stand out from the
background (but not too much, or else it will look fake when in
perspective).
Layer 3: Border
and transitional edges.
In the real world, every time one type of material encounters
a sharp corner or a different material there will always exist some type
of edge or border. Transitional edges can be as subtle as a fine line of
dust and grime, or as complex as a decorative border. Borders and
transitional edges are fundamental to make the work look finished.
See figure 04
Borders should be used in two situations:
when transitioning from one type of material to another (See
figure 05), and around the perimeter of the artwork (See
figure 06).
Important: Do not disregard the importance of borders and transitional
edges. They are probably the most important of all texture layering
elements. If you prefer a simpler look to your texture art or don't have
the time, then at least choose to use a few borders, even if they are as
simple as an airbrushed line around the edges.
Layer 4: Dirt
and grime
All good texture art needs a certain degree of wear and tear,
dirt and grime, to break the computer generated look of the image.
Dirt can be applied in different
locations: you may airbrush the image lightly and irregularly around
corners and edges enhancing corners and edges or you may apply it over
the entire texture art.
Figure 06
shows how the wall surface has a distressed and dirty look to it.
Conclusion
Figures 7 and
8 show two other examples of texture art that were created using
overlapping elements. Remember, they can be as many elements as you
like, as long as they keep their legibility intact (that is, as long as
you can still read partial shapes and colors). When the design becomes
too cluttered, then it's time to stop adding layers.
All the images here
were created using Texture Kit Classic Ornament CD, which is a unique
texture library. The CD contains everything you need to create great
texture art: you learn and improve your texture painting skills while
using the collection. It offers 60 elements that can be overlapped using
the layering technique, resulting in virtually hundreds of different
customized pieces of texture art.
For more information
or to order the Texture Kit Classic Ornament CD online, go to:
Texture Kit Classic
Ornament's home page:
www.oken3d.com/texkit
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