stilisering

Stilisering (stylization) is a process in visual arts, design, and media in which representational detail is reduced or altered to emphasize essential features, express mood, or align with a specific style or tradition. It contrasts with naturalism and realism by prioritizing recognizable traits, symbolic meaning, or aesthetic conventions over exact likeness.

Techniques commonly involved include simplification of forms, abstraction of shapes, exaggeration or distortion of proportions, deliberate simplification of color and texture, and the use of graphic contours or geometric patterns. Stylization can be global, affecting an entire work, or local, applied to particular elements such as faces, objects, or typography.

Historically, stylization has appeared across cultures. In Western art, it has roots in classical ornament and medieval manuscript illumination, resurfaced in Mannerism, and matured in modern movements such as Expressionism, Cubism, and Art Deco. Non-Western traditions have their own stylized idioms, for example Japanese ukiyo-e, African sculpture, or Indian miniatures, where line, silhouette, and symbolism take precedence over realistic shading. In contemporary design and animation, stylization is a foundational strategy for branding, character design, and visual communication, enabling quick recognition and genre identity through consistent visual signals.

In literature and cinema, stylization can extend to narrative voice, mise-en-scène, and editing choices that create a distinctive feel, often independent of literal realism. Critics discuss stylization in terms of its communicative goals, cultural resonance, and potential risks of stereotype or misinterpretation.