Tracking Down Texture Activity

This project engages the learner in each of us as we explore objects with interesting textures. Consider enjoying a walk with a friend while gathering organic objects such as leaves or flowers for this project. To reveal the object’s texture, you will create a rubbing with a crayon, marker, or pencil. Over time, this collection of textures can be assembled into a composition or can be cut or torn apart to create a collage.

Designed to encourage creative exploration and experimentation, this activity makes use of materials that can be found at home, around the neighborhood, or at a grocery store. Follow along using the video above or instructions below. You can also download the lesson plan.

 

Materials

  • Paper (sketchbook paper, copy paper, tissue paper, or tracing paper)

  • Crayons, pencils, colored pencils (for rubbings)

  • Pens or markers (for texture)

  • Glue stick tape or white glue, optional

  • Scissors, optional

  • Patterned or color paper (newspaper, construction paper, wrapping paper),

    optional

 

Activity Instructions

  1. Take a walk outside to gather objects that appear to have interesting textures. Examples include leaves, bark, or flowers. Or you can look around your house for interesting textures – perhaps you have loose coins, a tile surface,
    or a textured wall that might be interesting to capture.

  2. Using a crayon on its side, or the edge of a pencil lead, rub the top of a piece of paper that has been placed over the object whose texture you’d like to capture. This is a great way to work as a team as one person holds the paper and another rubs the texture. Note that crayons or pencils will work best for capturing texture.

  3. Choose another object to rub. Move your paper to a place where you want the texture to show up and, once again, rub the paper with your crayon or pencil. Feel free to overlap textures and use multiple colors to layer your efforts.

  4. Let this project develop over time, as you continue to layer textures gathered on your walks or from around the house.

  5. If you’d like, tear or cut your textures apart and rearrange the pieces on another sheet of paper, which can be a piece of color paper, a paper bag, a patterned wrapping paper, or newspaper. Once you’re happy with your composition, glue everything down.

  6. Present a friend with your textural collage and see if they can guess the objects you selected to create the textures.