We See With Our Eyes, But Also With Our Skin
Texture creates something extraordinary in art —
it makes us “feel” with our eyes. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as
visual tactility: the illusion of touch triggered just by looking.
When a palette knife creates thick, dimensional layers of paint (known as
impasto), our brain starts to imagine what that surface would feel like — rough, smooth, jagged, creamy. This activates the
somatosensory cortex, the same region of the brain used when we physically touch something.
So, without laying a finger on the canvas, your mind already engages with it physically. It’s why textured art often feels more
immersive or even intimate than flat, smooth paintings.