piirtoon

Piirtoon is a term used in graphic arts to denote a style of line-focused illustration that relies on bold, clean outlines and flat areas of color, with little or no shading. The approach is commonly associated with cartoons, comic panels, and vector-based artwork. Piirtoon emphasizes readability and scalable form, making it suitable for both print and digital media.

In practice, piirtoon often involves a separate workflow for line work and color fills, using tools such as pen and ink or their digital equivalents. Artists may work in vector programs to preserve crisp edges or in raster programs with hard-edged brushes. Common characteristics include uniform line weight, deliberate contouring, and limited tonal variation.

The term is used mainly in Estonian-language art discourse and has since been adopted more broadly within digital-art communities as a general label for line-art–centric illustration. It overlaps with related concepts such as line art, cel shading, and flat design. Notable applications include character design, editorial cartoons, and web icons, where the emphasis on clear, legible shapes supports versatile usage across media and sizes.