Rendered in 3D

How a computer model is made to look like something, and the wording.

A renderer will happily make everything look like expensive plastic, which is why most 3D pictures look the same. Every style here is a decision about what to refuse: no gradient, no texture, no gloss, no smooth curve. Naming the refusal is what separates a toon shaded character from a clay one, and a clay one from a toy. Three of these are deliberate imitations of a real material, and each says which handmade entry it is imitating and what it can never quite reproduce.

Rendered to look drawn

3

Three ways a renderer pretends to be a pencil, by throwing away the one thing it is good at.

Toon Shaded: A rendered model lit in two or three flat bands instead of a smooth gradient.

A rendered model lit in two or three flat bands instead of a smooth gradient.

Hand-Painted Texture: Light and shadow painted into the texture itself, so the renderer barely lights anything.

Hand-Painted Texture

Light and shadow painted into the texture itself, so the renderer barely lights anything.

Voxel: Everything built from identical cubes on a grid, so no surface is smooth.

Everything built from identical cubes on a grid, so no surface is smooth.

Rendered to look like a material

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Four honest imitations of something physical, each naming what it can never quite reproduce.

Clay Render: One matte material on everything, so only the form and the shadow show.

One matte material on everything, so only the form and the shadow show.

Felt and Fabric: A rendered figure surfaced in wool and cloth, with fibre standing up at every edge.

Felt and Fabric

A rendered figure surfaced in wool and cloth, with fibre standing up at every edge.

Plastic Toy: A figure rendered as a moulded plastic toy, complete with seams and sprue marks.

A figure rendered as a moulded plastic toy, complete with seams and sprue marks.

Papercraft Render: A rendered figure surfaced as folded card, with a crease at every facet.

Papercraft Render

A rendered figure surfaced as folded card, with a crease at every facet.

Rendered to look expensive

4

Four looks that keep the renderer's strengths and spend them deliberately.

Stylised PBR: Physically correct materials on exaggerated shapes, which is the modern feature film look.

Physically correct materials on exaggerated shapes, which is the modern feature film look.

Subsurface Character: A figure made of something light passes through, so the edges glow from inside.

Subsurface Character

A figure made of something light passes through, so the edges glow from inside.

Vinyl Designer Toy: A collectible vinyl figure: one piece, no articulation, matte and slightly soft.

Vinyl Designer Toy

A collectible vinyl figure: one piece, no articulation, matte and slightly soft.

Diorama Render: A tiny complete world on a base, shot as though it were a real model on a table.

A tiny complete world on a base, shot as though it were a real model on a table.

Draw one of them

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Other style groups

Drawn traditionsHow a character is drawn by hand, and the wording that gets each tradition.9 drawn styles Anime and mangaThe looks from Japanese animation and comics, and the wording for each one.8 anime and manga styles PaintedThe painting media, and the wording that gets each one out of a model.7 painting media Made by handStyles built from real material, and the wording that gets each one.10 handmade styles Soft materialsThe surfaces that make a hard form soft, and the wording for each one.10 soft surfaces Gradient and noiseHow a colour transition is handled, and the wording for each one.5 gradient styles Applied overStyles that put one thing on top of another, and the wording for each.4 layered styles Character shapesHow a figure is built and finished, and the wording for each decision.12 character styles Studio looksThe looks asked for by studio name, described by what is on the screen.8 studio looks Technical drawingHow a thing is specified rather than depicted, and the wording for each.7 technical styles

Print stylesPrinting a sheet rather than drawing a character? The same reference, for ink on paper.

Because a renderer defaults to smooth gradients, glossy materials and correct physics. Every style here is a decision about what to refuse, and naming the refusal is what separates one from the next.