Chapter 5

Textures

The true worth of a man is not to be found in man himself, but in the colours and textures that come alive in others.

—Albert Schweitzer

People would be a rather dull bunch without texture to their lives. Removing those interesting little foibles and eccentricities would remove a little of the sheen in our daily wanderings, be they odd but beguiling little habits or unexpected talents. Imagine the high-school janitor who happens to be an excellent ballroom dancer, the famous comedian who must wear only new white socks every day, the highly successful game engineer who's afraid to write letters by hand—all can make us smile and add just a little bit of wonder through the day. And so it is when creating artificial worlds. The visual perfection that computers can generate might be pretty, but it just doesn't feel right if you want to create a sense of authenticity to your scen....