Deliberate shape language. Exaggerated proportions. Color harmony. NPR rendering.
When to Use
- Non-photorealistic games
- Hand-painted texture workflows
- Animated/stylized characters
- Fantasy environments with art direction
- Toon/cel-shaded rendering
Core Principles
- Shape language — Circles=friendly, squares=stable, triangles=danger
- Exaggeration — Push proportions beyond realistic
- Color harmony — Limited palette; intentional accent colors
- Silhouette clarity — Strong readable shapes
- Detail in texture — Not micro-geometry
Shape Language
| Shape | Association | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Circle/Oval | Friendly, approachable | Heroes, cute creatures |
| Square/Rectangle | Stable, reliable | Architecture, guards |
| Triangle | Dynamic, dangerous | Villains, spikes, roofs |
Combine shapes consistently per character/faction.
Proportion Exaggeration
| Feature | Stylized Approach |
|---|---|
| Head | 25–40% of height (chibi to semi-realistic) |
| Hands | Larger for expressiveness |
| Eyes | Enlarged for emotion |
| Limbs | Tapered; simplified joints |
| Weapons | Oversized for readability |
Color Harmony
Triadic: Three equidistant hues — vibrant, balanced Complementary: Opposite hues — high contrast accents Analogous: Adjacent hues — harmonious environments
Rules:
- Limit palette to 3–5 core colors + neutrals
- Reserve saturated accents for interactive elements
- Desaturate backgrounds; saturate foreground subjects
Material Approach
- Hand-painted albedo priority over PBR accuracy
- Flat or stepped roughness (not continuous PBR)
- Rim lighting built into texture (not just shader)
- Subsurface on skin: exaggerated warm tones
- No photoreal micro-detail
NPR Rendering
Coordinate with rendering skill:
- Toon BSDF or Shader to RGB setups
- Stepped lighting (2–3 bands)
- Outline pass: inverted hull or Freestyle
- Bloom on emissive accents
- Flat ambient forbidden — maintain form readability
Hand-Painted Texture Workflow
1. Flat base color blocks
2. Define light/shadow shapes (not gradients from bake)
3. Edge highlights (warm) and shadows (cool)
4. Detail pass: minimal; suggestive not literal
5. Ambient occlusion painted, not baked
Character Stylization
- Simplified anatomy; avoid uncanny valley
- Hair as solid shapes or card clusters
- Clothing folds: painted, not simulated
- Facial features: large eyes, small nose (style dependent)
Environment Stylization
- Exaggerated verticality in forests/mountains
- Architecture: oversized elements (doors, windows)
- Vegetation: puff/cloud shapes (not botanical accuracy)
- Water: stylized foam patterns
MCP Integration
- Block exaggerated proportions via MCP
- Assign stylized materials via MCP
- Configure NPR render settings via MCP
- Validate silhouette with flat shading via MCP
- Limit geometry detail per stylized budgets
Constraints
MUST DO
- Define shape language per asset/faction
- Maintain color palette consistency
- Exaggerate intentionally, not accidentally
- Paint detail in textures
- Test NPR render early
MUST NOT DO
- Mix photoreal PBR with stylized shapes without intent
- Micro-detail geometry (use texture)
- Realistic proportions unless semi-stylized target
- Full PBR roughness accuracy
- Skip outline/rim if NPR project requires
Reference Guide
| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| NPR shader setup | references/npr-shaders.md |
Rendering setup |
| Color palettes | references/palette-examples.md |
Art direction |
Related Style Packs
cartoon-style,anime-style,comic-book-style,manga-style,hand-painted-style,painterly-stylechibi-style,pixel-art-style,hd-2d-style,stop-motion-craft-style