Glossary15 January 2026 · 1 min read

Anime and Cartoon

This style reproduces characters from anime, manga, comics and cartoons, with clean outlines, flat or graded colours and characteristic proportions. It often relies on third-party drawings, so copyright can be relevant.

Why it matters: It is a style defined by subject: it requires clean lining and even fills.

Related: New School, Illustrative, Packing, Lining.

Guide4 min readReading a style: six elements for looking at a tattooStyle labels help find one's way around, but they say little on their own: two tattoos called the same thing can be very different, and a work can sit between two styles. This guide proposes a method for looking at a tattoo by observing six concrete elements: line, colour, contrast, composition, depth and subject. With these elements the families of styles can be recognised, what is seen can be described, and one can understand from which traditions and influences they come. The styles mentioned have a glossary entry; here the interest is in how to look at them.

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Anime and Cartoon

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