Which element and method are useful to show fish scales?

Correct answer: Repeated small shapes and texture

Texture is the visual or physical quality that tells us how a surface may feel, such as rough, smooth, soft, or scaly. Fish scales form a repeated pattern of small, overlapping shapes. Drawing those shapes again and again, often with slight changes in tone or line, helps the viewer recognize both the pattern and the scaly surface. Repetition creates order, while texture gives the surface a distinctive appearance.

Option D is correct because repeated small shapes and texture directly represent fish scales. A neutral colour alone cannot show the scale pattern, and empty space does not describe a surface. Folding paper changes the material but does not draw the scales on the fish. The useful connection is that repeated marks build a pattern, and the pattern communicates the texture of the fish’s body.