<p>You are right on track: this technique and the derived (generic) style your images have in common are called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cel_shading" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>cel shading</strong></a>, named after the transparent celluloid sheets that are used in classical comic and animation production:</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/rtvF1.png" width="350" alt="celluloid sheet with Donald and Mickey"/><br><sup><a href="https://animationbasketcase.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/celluloid-animation/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a></sup></p>
<p>These sheets are used to separate animation from the inanimate background and static props. On them, the outlines are usually drawn on one side, and the objects coloured in on the back, giving crisp outlines.<br />
These outlines are rendered in 3D using edge detection, to simulate a flat character. To the same effect, real-time lighting effects are often a lot less gradual (i.e. it is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_quantization" rel="nofollow noreferrer">quantized</a>). This can be seen clearly on the pants of the Naruto Skin shader, whereas Telltale opted for a more subtle lighting, balancing TWD's art style between the comic style of their source material and the realism the emotionally heavy storyline demands.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-03T12:59:02.533Z
Thank you. So... it's a rendering technique rather than an "art" style? right?
Shahriar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-03T14:56:21.177Z
Well, yes, but since it produces a very characteristic appearance, the term is also used for the general style the technique produces. Your examples all have different artistic styles, but what links them is cell shading (it can be either 'cell' or 'cel' shading :).
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-03T12:13:53.650Z
2021-12-05T15:24:57.010Z
2021-12-05T15:24:57.010Z
Joachim
<p>Is there a specific name for this style of 3d art where objects have a black outline/border?<br />
Some of them are colorful (like Lucha Fury) while some of them have a simple color and shading (like the Naruto skin in Fortnite).</p>
<p>I see some call it &quot;Telltale games style&quot; and others refer to it as &quot;Cel shading&quot; which is a rendering technique... So, am I mixing things up? Is it a single art style, multiple art styles, or none of them? I'd really like to follow this style for my 3d journey, but I'm not sure what is the correct keyword(s) to search for examples and tutorials.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LNDlw.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LNDlw.jpg" alt="Wolf Among Us - Telltale Games" /></a></th>
<th><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DjKLg.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DjKLg.png" alt="Fortnite" /></a></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Wolf Among Us - Telltale Games</td>
<td>Fortnite - Naruto Skin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Q27Sd.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Q27Sd.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wFMBe.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wFMBe.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lucha Fury</td>
<td>GTA Chinatown</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<terminology><technique-identification><style-identification>
What is the name of this 3D rendering style/technique with solid colors and black outlines?
Shahriar
# What is the name of this 3D rendering style/technique with solid colors and black outlines?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-03)

Is there a specific name for this style of 3d art where objects have a black outline/border?  
Some of them are colorful (like Lucha Fury) while some of them have a simple color and shading (like the Naruto skin in Fortnite).

I see some call it "Telltale games style" and others refer to it as "Cel shading" which is a rendering technique... So, am I mixing things up? Is it a single art style, multiple art styles, or none of them? I'd really like to follow this style for my 3d journey, but I'm not sure what is the correct keyword(s) to search for examples and tutorials.

| [Wolf Among Us - Telltale Games](https://i.sstatic.net/LNDlw.jpg) | [Fortnite](https://i.sstatic.net/DjKLg.png) |
| --- | --- |
| Wolf Among Us - Telltale Games | Fortnite - Naruto Skin |
| [enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Q27Sd.jpg) | [enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/wFMBe.jpg) |
| Lucha Fury | GTA Chinatown |

**Tags:** terminology, technique-identification, style-identification


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-12-03. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

You are right on track: this technique and the derived (generic) style your images have in common are called [**cel shading**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cel_shading), named after the transparent celluloid sheets that are used in classical comic and animation production:

![celluloid sheet with Donald and Mickey](https://i.sstatic.net/rtvF1.png)  
[source](https://animationbasketcase.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/celluloid-animation/)

These sheets are used to separate animation from the inanimate background and static props. On them, the outlines are usually drawn on one side, and the objects coloured in on the back, giving crisp outlines.  
These outlines are rendered in 3D using edge detection, to simulate a flat character. To the same effect, real-time lighting effects are often a lot less gradual (i.e. it is [quantized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_quantization)). This can be seen clearly on the pants of the Naruto Skin shader, whereas Telltale opted for a more subtle lighting, balancing TWD's art style between the comic style of their source material and the realism the emotionally heavy storyline demands.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you. So... it's a rendering technique rather than an "art" style? right?  
> **username_1**: Well, yes, but since it produces a very characteristic appearance, the term is also used for the general style the technique produces. Your examples all have different artistic styles, but what links them is cell shading (it can be either 'cell' or 'cel' shading :).  

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