Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Variation is an inherent aspect of organic form in nature. All these essentially similar shapes are
varied slightly relative to each other and transmit an overall organic message, despite their struc-
tural similarity.
Surface Activity
The quality of surface activity helps in differentiating forms from
each other, just as the identifiable contours of form itself does. Again, the dot is the
building block of this formal quality. Groupings of dots, of varying sizes, shapes, and
densities, create the perception of surface activity. There are two basic categories of
surface activity: texture and pattern. The term “texture” applies to surfaces having ir-
regular activity without apparent repetition. The sizes of the elements creating surface
activity might change; the distance between the components might change; the relative
number of components might change from one part of the surface to another. Because of
this inherent randomness, texture generally is perceived as organic or natural. Clusters
and overlaps of lines—dots in specific alignments—are also textural, but only if they
are relatively random, that is, they are not running parallel, or appearing with varying
intervals between, or in random, crisscrossing directions. “Pattern,” however, has a
geometric quality—it is a specific kind of texture in which the components are arranged
on a recognizable and repeated structure—for example, a grid of dots. The existence
of a planned structure within patterns means they are understood to be something that
is not organic: they are something synthetic, mechanical, mathematical, or mass pro-
duced. When considering texture, it's important to not overlook the selection and ma-
nipulation of paper stock—this, too, creates surface activity in a layout. A coated paper
might be glossy and reflective, or matte and relatively non-reflective. Coated stocks are
excellent for reproducing color and detail because ink sits up on their surfaces, rather
than being partly absorbed by the fibers of the paper. The relative slickness of coated
