When you stand before a powerful illustration or a painting that leaves you speechless, it's rarely just because of how well it's drawn. In most cases, the impact comes from how the artist has handled the figuration, pictorial matter and composition to direct your gaze, set the tone, and give meaning to the scene.
Understanding how it works figuration through pictorial matter And how it relates to abstraction, iconicity, and the principles of composition is key if you want to improve in illustration and graphic design; if you're going to start painting, Discover different ways to bring your creations to life.
What is figuration through pictorial matter?
Within the techniques of art, figuration through pictorial matter refers to how you use the very material of the painting or the graphic medium (brushstrokes, textures, stains, edges, layers, gesture, etc.) to construct or suggest recognizable forms. It's not just "painting an object," but deciding how much figurative information you give and how much you leave to abstraction and the viewer's interpretation.
In practice, this means that you can mix different things in the same piece. highly descriptive and realistic areas with almost abstract areas where the pictorial matter reigns supreme: patches of color, gestural lines, simplified planes, or surfaces treated expressively. This tension between what is clearly recognizable and what is suggested generates great visual richness and opens the message to different interpretations.
It's important to keep in mind that the final meaning isn't solely controlled by the artist: it's the viewer who ultimately determines it. build the message based on their experiencesA highly figurative image can be conceptually ambiguous, and a highly abstract composition can communicate quite accurately if it is well planned.
Thus, when we talk about figuration through pictorial matter, we move on an axis where form can range from the faithful and hyperrealistic representation to almost total abstractionpassing through multiple intermediate degrees (stylization, geometrization, synthesis, etc.). The trick is choosing the exact point on that axis that best serves what you want to convey.
Figuration, abstraction, and message intention
To work with sound judgment, it is helpful to assume—even if only as a simplification—that Figurative language tends towards more concrete messages and Abstraction tends towards more open or ambiguous messagesIt's not a universal law, but it helps you decide what kind of shapes to use based on the level of clarity or suggestion you're looking for.
In a very accurate representation (for example, hyperrealistic photography or painting) supported by a clear text or linguistic contextThe message is forced towards maximum concreteness: what you see is, more or less, what's there. In contrast, when you reduce the degree of iconicity—by simplifying forms, playing with the pictorial material, or eliminating text—the meaning opens up and the viewer gains room for interpretation.
We can raise some typical combinations between figuration, abstraction, and written language that serve as a mental map when designing:
- Exact figuration + specific textDirect, highly controlled messages. Ideal for posters, infographics, and editorials where you want to avoid any ambiguity.
- Stylized figuration + concrete textThe text closes the meaning, but the image leaves a slight margin of interpretation thanks to the pictorial matter and the formal deformation.
- Stylized figuration + abstract text or no text: a begins to appear attractive ambiguity, where the forms refer to recognizable objects but do not fix them completely.
- Minimal or almost false figurationThe references to the real world are so weak or distorted that the viewer projects much of themselves onto the reading.
- No figurative + concrete textThe image is abstract, but the text anchors it. Useful in conceptual graphic design, posters, or branding with high symbolic content.
- No figuration without text: you enter the realm of the pure abstractionwhere the pictorial matter, color, and composition are everything.
The interesting thing is to understand that you are not obliged to stay in one place: you can combine areas very clear figurative elements with completely abstract areas, or play with literal text and text used almost as a graphic texture, depending on the project.
Iconicity: from hyperrealism to pure abstraction
To order these degrees of figuration and abstraction, the so-called scales of iconicityThese classifications categorize images according to their resemblance to the reality they represent. The higher the iconicity, the more evident the relationship with the referent; the lower the iconicity, the more abstract the sign.
Authors such as Abraham Moles and Justo Villafañe proposed highly detailed scales, with 11 or 12 levels, ranging from a naturalistic image to non-figurative representation. This is especially useful in graphic design, where precise decisions are essential. how much resemblance do you want to maintain with the represented object.
At one end we have the hyperrealismwhich even surpasses natural perception (exaggerated details, textures pushed to the limit). Then would come realistic representation, traditional painting faithful to the subject, and little by little you would lower the level of iconicity through stylization, geometrization and synthesis.
At the lowest levels, pictograms, motivated schemes (such as maps or diagrams) appear, and finally, the completely non-figurative representationwhere there is no longer a clear trace of the original object and what prevails are forms, rhythms, color and texture.
The series of Picasso's bull It's a classic way to understand it: it starts with a volumetric, muscular bull and, lithograph by lithograph, strips away details until it arrives at an ideogram made almost with a single line. Each step reduces the figurative material and increases the abstract element, but you still recognize "bull" for much of the process thanks to the manipulation of form.
Abstraction: degrees and role in illustration and design
Abstraction, in a broad sense, consists of separate the essential from the accessoryIn art and illustration, it translates to representing ideas, emotions, or concepts without a literal description of the visible world. In design, abstraction allows you to distill a complex object into a simple and powerful icon.
We can talk about different levels of abstraction depending on how far you move away from tangible matter and recognizable form. From a more formal abstraction, which still retains physical features of the object, to a radically conceptual abstraction, close to the metaphysical or philosophical.
In applied illustration and graphic design, you rarely work with “pure” abstraction, because your main goal is communicate clearlyHowever, introducing controlled doses of abstraction—through the pictorial material, formal synthesis, or the expressive use of color—helps you to give your images layers of meaning and a much richer atmosphere.
Visually, abstraction often relies on simplified geometric shapesExtreme reduction of detail, deliberate disruption of proportions, use of flat or highly symbolic color, and textures that become the main focus. All of this, when combined with figurative elements, can generate illustrations and design pieces with a very powerful identity.
Figuration in illustration: narrative, style and objective
Illustration is, by definition, a visual language oriented towards tell something specificA story, an idea, a concept, a piece of information. Unlike purely contemplative art, illustration has a marked communicative function, although this does not preclude playing with ambiguity and the poetic if the commission allows it.
Today, illustration is everywhere: books, newspapers, comics, advertising, packaging, video games, digital interfaces, social media… In most of these contexts, you work in a two-dimensional environment where you must decide how much realism you want, what type of pictorial material you will use (traditional, digital, mixed technique) and what degree of iconicity is most appropriate for the audience you are addressing.
A key feature of illustration is the visual narrativeYou don't always need words for the reader to understand what's happening. You can rely on composition, the use of color, the characters' body language, the relationship between positive and negative space, or the contrast between figurative and abstract areas to guide the reading.
Each illustrator eventually builds a own styleThis is nothing more than a personal way of deciding: what to simplify, what to exaggerate, what to leave out, what kind of pictorial material to choose, and what relationship to establish between figuration and abstraction. This style becomes your hallmark and is what makes your work recognizable amidst so much visual content.
The five major technical pillars of illustration
To be able to work freely with figuration and abstraction, you need a solid foundation in several technical areas. Beyond inspiration, illustration relies on a series of pillars that should be mastered If you want to have real control over your images and know basic materials to get started.
Drawing, color, composition, techniques and personal style They are intertwined, and all of them influence how you handle the pictorial material. They are briefly broken down below, focusing on how they relate to figuration.
Drawing and construction of the form
Drawing remains the basic tool: without a minimum level of drawing skill, it's very difficult to achieve a convincing figurationHowever expressive your brushstroke may be, drawing encompasses proportion, anatomy, perspective, volume, and the ability to synthesize.
Learning to observe and then translate what you see into simple shapes—blocks, cylinders, spheres, planes—is what allows you later to distort, stylize, or abstract meaningfullyAuthors like Cézanne already worked this way, interpreting objects through basic solids to build solid and believable figures.
Color and chromatic theory applied to figuration
Color is not just for “decorating” a figure: it is a powerful tool for generate volume, depth, emotional atmosphere and visual hierarchyOn a figurative level, it helps you separate planes, mark the focus and guide the viewer's gaze.
Understanding the color wheel, color harmonies, and color psychology allows you to decide when you need a Naturalistic color and when you can afford liberties more abstract. A green face or an orange sky can still be figurative if the structure is well constructed, but they add a conceptual and emotional layer that goes beyond mere representation.
Visual composition and pictorial space
Composition is the deliberate planning of how You distribute the elements within the pictorial spaceIt is not something left to chance: it directly influences how the viewer navigates the image, what they see first, what they ignore, and what they interpret as important.
Choose a format (vertical, horizontal, square, panoramic) This is already a first compositional decision. The rectangle is usually flexible and easy to balance, while a square or circular format can generate different tensions and force you to resolve the balance in another way.
Within the frame, the space is divided between positive space (the forms that “fill”) and negative space (the voids that surround them). Playing with this relationship is key to both clear figuration and interesting abstraction. A recognizable silhouette can become much more powerful if you cut it out against a clean, well-designed background.
Techniques, materials and pictorial matter
The concept of pictorial matter becomes very literal when you work with watercolor, oil, acrylic, ink, gouache or pencils, and even techniques such as smokingThe thickness of the brushstroke, the transparency of a glaze, the texture of the paper or canvas directly influence how we perceive the figure and how much detail we want to suggest.
In the digital world (Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, etc.) there is also painterly material: brushes that imitate oil or watercolor, scanned textures, grains, overlays… Deciding whether a figure will be resolved with clean edges and flat color or with torn edges, stains and splashes says a lot about the degree of figuration you want to handle.
Style and visual identity
Your style is the synthesis of all those decisions: how much you simplify, what type of line you use, what palette you repeat, what textures you like, How do you handle hands, faces, backgrounds, folds?etc. It is, in essence, your usual way of placing figuration and abstraction in each image.
Finding that style takes time, trial and error, analyzing influences, and a lot of drawing. But once it's established, it becomes the filter which you apply more or less unconsciously to any commission: you know in which areas you are more faithful to reality and in which you allow the pictorial matter to take control.
Basic elements of composition at the service of figuration
Source: Industry Podcast
For figuration to work within the pictorial space, you need to arrange your elements according to certain rules. These aren't rigid formulas, but rather... principles that are worth mastering before breaking them on purpose.
Among the fundamental elements are line, form, and value (chiaroscuro)Texture and space. These are combined with design principles such as balance, proportion, rhythm, movement, emphasis, harmony, unity, and variety.
For example, the line can act as a figurative outline or as abstract gestural stroke that directs the gaze. The forms can be geometric (colder and more orderly) or organic (closer to nature), and depending on that, your figuration will seem more rational or more emotional.
Value (the range from light to dark) is crucial for "modeling" the figure and making it appear three-dimensional on a flat surface. Careful management of contrast can generate very clear focal points, even if the details of the pictorial matter are quite free.
Design principles: balance, rhythm, emphasis, and unity
Design principles are the rules that govern how elements relate to one another within a composition. You can think of them as the “physical laws” of the visual universe where your figuration resides.
El equilibrium It has to do with the distribution of visual weight. Every object, patch, or block of color has weight. You can create a symmetrical (more static, stable) or asymmetrical (more dynamic) balance by playing with size, color, saturation, position, or texture.
El movement and the rhythm They relate to how the viewer's eye moves across the illustration. Repetitions of shapes, sequences of light and shadow, diagonals, curves, and overlaps help to generate reading flows. A good figure is not only recognizable, it is also positioned in such a way that invites you to explore the image.
El emphasis It allows you to clearly define one or more focal points. We can create them through contrast in value, color, size, isolation (a single element in a clear area), convergence of lines pointing to that point, or through the unusual (something that breaks an established pattern).
Finally, harmony, unity and variety They regulate how much you repeat and how much you change elements within the same image. Too much harmony without variety is boring; too much variety without unity creates chaos. Figurative elements can serve as a unifying element—for example, by repeating a type of face or silhouette—while variations in color, texture, or composition add vibrancy.
Useful rules: rule of thirds, diagonals, golden triangle, and simplification
In addition to the general principles, there are a number of compositional elements. practical resources widely used by artists, illustrators, photographers and designers to organize space effectively and pleasantly.
La rule of thirds This technique involves dividing the frame into a 3 x 3 grid and placing the important areas of the subject near the lines or at the points of intersection. This creates a balanced tension: the subject is neither completely centered nor lost at one edge.
Other resources, such as the rule of oddsThey suggest that groups of three, five, or seven elements are visually more interesting than pairs because they create asymmetry and, with it, movement. This can be applied to characters, repeated objects, or patches of color.
The call rule of space This refers to leaving space in the direction a character is moving or looking. This negative space suggests movement, thought, or anticipation. Here, the pictorial material can be minimal (an almost flat background) without the image losing its impact.
El golden triangle And other geometric constructions (like the golden spiral) serve to organize internal diagonals that guide the eye and place the figures in areas of high visual tension. They are not mandatory, but when you use them skillfully, your images gain depth and dynamism.
Por último, la simplification It's an essential technique: eliminating unnecessary details, cleaning up backgrounds, reducing visual noise, and reserving the maximum amount of information for key points. In the relationship between figuration and paint, this means deciding which parts of the painting will be highly detailed and which can be left suggested, almost abstract.
Iconicity and graphic design: when figuration communicates
In graphic design, iconicity is not a theoretical whim: it is the tool with which you define the degree of clarity and universality of your visual messages. A poster for a hospital, for example, cannot be cryptic: you need pictograms and highly iconic figures that anyone can understand at a glance.
Bathroom icons, traffic signs, and action symbols in interfaces (magnifying glass for search, house for "home", trash can for delete) are examples of extremely synthesized figuration that operates at intermediate levels of iconicity: they are not realistic, but they retain just enough to be immediate.
Abstraction comes into play when you are interested in building a own visual languageFor example, in branding: logos reduced to geometric shapes, systems of symbols, graphic resources that, when repeated, become iconic. But even there, if your goal is for it to be understood, you must be careful not to stray too far from the reference or concept you want to associate with that brand.
The graphic designer, unlike the visual artist, does not usually allow for total abstraction in commercial projects, because their mission is not so much to provoke open reflections as to convey a specific message to a specific audienceThat doesn't prevent me from getting involved in personal projects or taking abstract resources to higher levels of iconicity to integrate them as functional design.
In both illustration and graphic design, the representation of pictorial matter is a continuous game of decisionsHow much to show, how much to suggest, how much reality to retain and how much to let dissolve into color, texture, and gesture. When you understand how iconicity, abstraction, and the principles of composition are articulated, you begin to to truly control what your images say and how they say it, instead of leaving it to chance.