Toon rendering

Color regions are clearly separated, with legible outlines and shading boundaries.

Visual traits

• Stepped shading
• Clear color regions
• Outlines

Expected changes

• Shading boundaries are more likely to be clear
• Planes of form are more likely to be distinguishable

Definition

It reduces light and dark to a small number of steps and emphasizes outlines or plane boundaries. It differs from a particular animated work, character, narrative, or hand-drawn production process.

In more detail

It keeps three-dimensional form legible while reducing continuous realistic shading. Subject, composition, palette size, and background remain separately selectable.

Includes

• 3D rendering with stepped shading and emphasized outlines

Excludes

• Imitation of a particular animated work
• Photorealistic continuous shading

What this does not imply

• A particular work or character
• A hand-drawn production process
• A particular number of colors

Variability

Outline strength and number of shade steps can be adjusted separately.

Usage

• Use stepped shading and clear outlines
• Specify subject and narrative separately

Distinguish similar expressions

• Use photorealistic rendering when photograph-like shading is intended

Typical uses

• Show 3D people or objects with clear color regions

Possible failure modes

• Shading becomes photorealistically continuous
• Outlines disappear into the background