cartoony

Cartoony is an adjective used to describe art, design, or media that resembles or draws inspiration from cartoons. It refers to non-photorealistic imagery that prioritizes humor, readability, and expressiveness through exaggerated features, simplified forms, and bold presentation. The term is widely applied across animation, comics, illustration, and video games to signal a visually playful or accessible style.

Common characteristics of cartoony imagery include exaggerated facial expressions and body language, rubbery or highly flexible limbs, and the use of squash-and-stretch to convey motion and personality. Shapes tend to be rounded and gestural rather than anatomically precise, with bold outlines and bright, saturated colors. Shading is often flat or minimally modeled, contributing to a clean, easily legible look that reads well at small sizes or in dynamic action.

Cartoony styles appear in a variety of media and purposes. In animation and comics, they can enhance humor, appeal to children, or create instantly recognizable characters. In illustration and branding, cartoony aesthetics may convey friendliness, approachability, and whimsy. The term is sometimes distinguished from stylized or semi-realistic approaches, which may retain more complex forms or tones; cartoony tends to emphasize exaggeration and immediacy over realism.

Historically, cartoony design is associated with early American animation and subsequent genres that favor playful, expressive imagery. While some critics view it as simplistic, many artists and studios adopt cartoony conventions for clarity, charm, and expressive storytelling. The style remains a flexible, subjective descriptor rather than a fixed set of rules.