Representational figures are always stylized. Abstract figures, which were used by hunters and gatherers in the oldest known southwestern rock art, bear no resemblance to the real world. Pecking into the rock to create petroglyphs was accomplished with a hammerstone or chisel, sometimes creating a preliminary outline of the figure. Different pecking techniques created different styles. Incising or scratching with a sharp tool was also done.
Incised designs are more expressive and detailed than pecked designs.
Pictographs are usually found on light-colored, protected surfaces. Stylized animals and humans and geometric objects are common subjects. Pictograph pigments were made from soot or powdered local minerals. A binder was used to stabilize the paint and allow it to stick to the rock. The colors generally used were red, white, black, and orange, and less often green, blue, and turquoise.