toonshading

Cel-shading, also known as toon shading, is a rendering style for 3D computer graphics that deliberately imitates the aesthetic of traditional animation. It is characterized by flat areas of color, sharp, dark outlines around objects and characters, and minimal or no use of smooth shading or blending. This technique aims to give digital models a hand-drawn, comic-book-like appearance rather than the realistic look typically associated with modern 3D rendering.

The core principle of cel-shading involves quantizing the lighting values. Instead of a continuous gradient of light and shadow, cel-shading typically uses a limited number of distinct color bands to represent different light intensities. This creates a stark, flat look reminiscent of ink-and-paint techniques used in traditional animation cels. The prominent outlines are often achieved by rendering a slightly thicker, darker version of the object behind the original, or by using edge detection algorithms.

Cel-shading gained significant popularity in video games during the early to mid-2000s, with titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Auto Modellista being notable examples. Its distinctive visual style offers a unique artistic direction, making projects stand out and often reducing the computational cost of rendering compared to photorealistic techniques. While less ubiquitous now than at its peak, cel-shading remains a viable and popular artistic choice for games, animation, and other digital media seeking a stylized, non-photorealistic aesthetic.