Every physical object can be defined by its external texture and patterns, which are basically it's outward properties, that can be felt by physically touching the object. With touch you can describe the nature of the object. A velvety fabric for example, will give a sensation of an ultra smooth, soft surface when touched. On the other hand, the feel of a paving stone will feel rough and hard. Some objects may give out a dual texture, where on one hand it's smooth and soft, and on the other, it's rough and hard, one example of this is the texture of the skin.
While texture may seem predominantly associated with touch, this is actually just one aspect of describing and experiencing it. The term is also used in literature and arts. In arts the texture of an oil painting is seen as been thicker and richer in it's properties and nature, than that of watercolour based painting for example. You can also use the term, texture in the composition of music and in poem arrangement and composition.
A great trick used in photography to get the attention of the viewing public into the creativity of an art work, is to create patterns which will be used in describing their entire art work or part of it. For example the patterns used for an art work involving the painting of a tree would appear rough, uneven and jagged. This gives the illusion of a rough texture, when in actual fact the surface of the painting itself is smooth or slightly coarse to touch.
Painters use a combination of colours of different tones, intricate patterns and curves to create an impression of a particular texture in your minds eye. The illusion is also a skill that is deployed by professional photographers to make their photographs appear as realistic as possible. They achieve this using light and shadow effects based on their understanding of how these elements can enhance or soften the supposed texture of an image in order to accentuate it's appearance.
A pattern can represent shapes on the exterior of an object. These shapes may be cut out, ingrained or embossed. When touching these objects, the patterns may be distinguishable when your fingers run over them. You can also make out patterns just by looking at them, like in a painting. In a painting you may not necessarily be able to make out a pattern by simply touching it, but instead you can describe it by sight, as it all depends on the creativity of the artwork. A pattern on a tile for example can clearly be defined by sight, but not by touch. While you can define the pattern on a car tire by both touch and sight.
Patterns may be used in the production of a continuous stream of similar objects, for example a concrete block mold of a particular pattern can be used to make concrete blocks with a perfect pattern all the time. Patterns may also be used in writing a mathematical equation or computer program, where the pattern for solving an equation must be followed at all times to achieve the desired results. An example is, Brackets, Of, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction (BODMAS) formula, which represents the pattern that must be followed in solving a mathematical equation.
In painting, background is very important, as it sets the tone for the artwork. It helps to describe the scene of a story or location of an event. The background of a painting of a market scene could comprise of traders and buyers haggling over the price of items. The background incorporates the elements of texture and patterns to enhance the reality of a scene in a painting. Background can be seen, touched and heard. The background of a radio programme on kids for example, could feature the laughter of children playing in the background to add depth to the programme and enhance its overall outlook.
Texture, pattern and background can be used to complement each other as background can give the illusion of depth in a painting or photograph as well as add aspect to the painting or photograph. On the other hand, patterns can enhance the background of the object.