Which term refers to the surface quality or feel of an object, whether real or simulated?

• A. Texture
• B. Shape
• C. Line
• D. Space

Answer: (A)

Texture is the term that describes the surface quality or feel of an object, whether it’s something you can touch or something suggested visually. Real texture is what you feel when you touch a surface—rough, smooth, bumpy, glossy. Visual or simulated texture is created in drawing or painting through shading, patterns, and brushwork to imply those surface qualities even on a flat image. This differs from shape, which is the form or outline of an object; line, which is a mark that defines edges; and space, which is the area around or within objects. So texture best captures the idea of surface quality or feel, real or simulated.