The smoothness or roughness of a surface is called texture. The type and amount of texture determine how much light reflects off it.
A hard and smooth surface like metal or glass reflects all the light. As a result, it creates sharp, crisp edges and contrasting highlights and shadows.
A soft surface like cloth, absorb the light, and create smooth transitions between light and dark values.
On a rough surface, the light hits only less area, which creates a softer range of highlights and shadows. Ridges on the surface catch all the light creating dark shadows.
Here are some tips to draw common textures.
Clouds appear in the smooth sky. First, lightly crosshatch with a pencil. Blend smooth with the cotton to create the sky. Erase out the sky with the white eraser to form clouds.
The water surface is reflective with ripples on it. Use a side-to-side rocking motion to draw this. Small parallel gaps between the lines act as the reflection in the water.
To draw foliage, work in layers. Scribble random lines to create the leaves. Draw the branches that are not hidden. Then add more layers. Use an eraser to lift off highlights.
Keep these tips in mind before you draw your next picture.









