Which term describes the surface quality perceived by touch?

• A. Value
• B. Texture
• C. Line
• D. Form

Answer: (B)

Texture is the surface quality described by how something feels when touched, ranging from smooth to rough to bumpy. It includes both real texture (the actual tactile feel of a surface) and implied texture (the artist’s technique that suggests a surface feel even if you can’t touch it). This distinguishes it from value, which is about how light or dark a surface appears; line, which is a mark that defines edges; and form, which concerns the volume and mass of a three-dimensional object. So texture best captures the sense of surface quality perceived through touch.