Lighting & rendering · Beginner
Cel shading
A style that makes 3D look hand-drawn, with flat color bands and outlines
Also called toon shading
What is cel shading?
Cel shading is a rendering style that makes 3D models look hand-drawn, like a cartoon or comic. Instead of smooth gradients, light is split into a few flat bands of color, often with dark outlines around shapes. It is also called toon shading.
Think of it like this
It is like a paint-by-numbers picture: instead of blending, each area gets one flat color for light, one for shadow and maybe one for highlight.
Where it fits in a 3D project
- Create
- Surface
- Rig
- Animate
- Render
- Export
Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.
How cel shading works
- 01The shader measures how directly light hits each point.
- 02It snaps that value into a few steps, such as lit, shadow and highlight.
- 03Each step gets one flat color from a ramp or palette.
- 04Outlines are added, often by drawing a slightly larger, inside-out copy of the model in black.
Where cel shading is used
- Stylized and anime-inspired games
- Animated series and short films made in 3D
- Illustrations and comic panels from 3D scenes
- Product explainers with a friendly, graphic look
Terms related to cel shading
- Texturing & materialsShaderThe small program that decides the final color of every point on a surface
- Lighting & renderingPhong shadingA classic per-pixel lighting method for smooth surfaces and soft highlights
- ModelingSurface normalThe invisible arrow that says which way a surface faces
- Texturing & materialsMaterialThe settings that decide what a 3D surface is made of
- Software basicsSmooth shadingMaking faceted models look rounded by blending light across faces
- Lighting & renderingRenderingTurning a 3D scene into finished images or video frames
Cel shading FAQ
Why is it called cel shading?
It refers to cels, the clear sheets traditional animators painted characters on in flat colors. Cel shading imitates that flat, hand-painted look in 3D.
Is cel shading the same as toon shading?
Yes, the two names describe the same idea. Some artists use toon shading for the wider family of cartoon styles and cel shading for the flat-band look in particular.
How do I do cel shading in Blender?
In the real-time engine, feed a Diffuse BSDF into a Shader to RGB node, then into a Color Ramp set to Constant for hard bands. Add outlines with a Solidify modifier using flipped normals, or with Line Art.
Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms