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Thin-Line Animation

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Round eyes, simple designs, and a feeling of motion.note Top, left, and right: Gravity Falls, Regular Show, Adventure Time
"You'll also notice that the designs of many of these characters is much more simpler than ones of the past. They do this 'cause it gives way to faster animation, while also allowing more time to focus on color, backgrounds, and of course, the story."

Thin-line animation is a stylistic trend that has emerged in The New '10s based around thinner lines, rounder shapes and noodle-like appendages than seen in standard animation, all while still being distinctively Western.

This style may have emerged for a number of different reasons. The emergence of anime and their influences on Western cartoonists have made them focused less on detail. Different coloring techniques with digital art may have removed the need for thicker lines, and thus it only remains when it's a stylistic choice. The need for quicker, cheaper animation after the economic downturn may also have driven the desire for more cheap, yet still pleasing animation styles. It also may have been due to the widespread adoption of High Definition (HD) televisions — before HD, small features such as thin lines in an image tended to flicker and/or disappear depending on their angle and motion; HD allowed the freedom for this new, previously unattainable style. Finally, many Western cartoonists are striving to achieve a modern art style that is distinctly American without being just another Disney clone or overly influenced by foreign elements such as the aformentioned anime.

It is also known under the pejorative term "CalArts Style". This term was originally coined by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi in a post on his blog John K. Stuff; however, his usage of the term was very different from the modern definition. He first described the term in response to works such as The Iron Giant (decidedly not an example of this trope), alleging that certain animated films and many animators in The '90s who graduated from the California Institute of the Arts heavily copied Disney's animation and art style.note CalArts was indeed founded by Walt Disney and his brother. The term itself as used by John was used to mock the style of on-model animation and realistic character proportions.

More commonly, the term "CalArts Style" tends to be used specifically for works that not only have thin lines and round shapes, but also bean-shaped heads, bean-shaped mouths, and dome-shaped teeth — works that only have thin outlines without the other elements tend to avoid the label (to the point where another common pejorative for the style is "beanmouth"). Taken to its extreme, "CalArts Style" can be used for any animated work from the 21st century that uses this style that one considers "samey-looking", despite similar art styles being the norm since the infancy of the medium itself. As such, please do not include examples of shows that simply have thin outlines — they also need rounded/noodle-like styles to qualify.

Thin-line animation is actually Older Than Television, since many cartoon shorts during The Silent Age of Animation (particularly those made by Disney and Max and Dave Fleischer) featured rounded ball-and-noodle art-styles and thin outlines. However, it was often done out of necessity since the simplistic designs made things easier on the animators at the time.

Compare Puni Plush and Animesque, contrast with Thick-Line Animation or No-Line Animation. See also Tooth Strip, Sphere Eyes, Black Bead Eyes, Black Dot Pupils.

Examples

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    Advertising 
    Anime 
  • Kirby: Right Back at Ya! zigzagged this trope, with its combination of rounded designs note Dedede, Escargoon, the citizens of Cappy Town, and Kirby himself and angular designs.note The humanoid characters and most of the monsters
  • One Piece is one of the few modern animes to use this trope. Its art-style, while far from simplistic, is noticeably more rounded and cartoony compared to other anime at the time of its initial premiere. It lessened over time, however, with the art-style becoming more angular and complex.
  • Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Everyone looks much more rounded compared to previous eras, like a quasi Steven Universe with a Pokémon coat of paint. In fact, not only has the palette gone for a much more pastel inspired look, but also did the eponymous Pokémon themselves.
    Asian Animation 
  • Incredible Ant. Series creator Cheng Li even stated the show's look was intended to help it stick out from the numerous animesque series produced in China, with its art direction being heavily inspired by the many Thin-Line western cartoons he himself is a fan of or had worked on.
  • Kung Fu Wa: One of the few examples to have come out of East Asia, with the overall style of the show relying heavily on simple rounded shapes quite similar to those found in European examples of the style.
    Films — Animation 
    Visual Novels 
  • The cutscenes for Marco & the Galaxy Dragon are animated in this style, with the usual simplified designs, bright colors, and fluid motion. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the visual novel, which uses a more detailed and proportional anime-style typical of visual novels.
    Web Animation 
    Western Animation 
  • 50/50 Heroes: Rounded shapes, bright colors, and bean-shaped mouths all characteristic of the style are present here, with this French series falling neatly into the European variations of the thin-line animation.
  • The 7D: Its look contains many elements common to Disney Television Animation series of the time like Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb. Notably many of the people working on this series had experience on the other shows.
  • Adventure Time and its spinoffs: Probably the one that singlehandedly popularized the modern trend in animation along with Phineas and Ferb, Regular Show and Gravity Falls. And while its preference for Black Bead Eyes contrasts with what is more common for the style, its famously simplistic yet colorful look and love for noodly limbs are considered trademarks of Thin-Line Animation with reason.
  • The Amazing World of Gumball: Certain characters, such as the Watterson and Fitzgerald families, are drawn in a rounded style. The change in art style between the first two seasons made several character designs more round and less rectangular (particularly with the Wattersons), though it also made the outlines thicker. Regardless, the thin-line character designs for this British-American series are perhaps the most familiar example of the European variation of thin-line animation for American viewers and became a pioneer of it for European TV animation.
  • Amphibia: It's most prominent in the main human characters, who all have large heads with big eyes and Black Dot Pupils and gangly Noodle People bodies, but one can also see it in most of the amphibian characters, who likewise retain the bug eyes and noodle-arms. It's worth noting in this case that series creator Matt Braly was an alumni of Gravity Falls.
  • Apple & Onion: The outlines are somewhat thicker than typical, but the shapes incorporated into the character designs are quintessentially thin-line.
  • Atomic Puppet: Although the outlines are thick, the character designs and incorporated shapes are in the Thin-Line style. In fact, the series' production studio, Mercury Filmworks, is well-known for its extensive work animating for many Disney series also listed on this page.
  • Audrey's Shelter: A French/Canadian series that uses the simplistic, rounded look for its human characters, although the outlines have a bit of a scribble look to them.
  • Ba Da Bean: The outlines are very thick, but the design philosophies of the characters are very much Thin-Line and characteristic of series creator Pedro Eboli.
  • Battle Kitty: While the cartoon is CGI-animated, the art style has that rounded and simplistic aesthetic.
  • Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!: The first entry of its franchise to use this, featuring much simpler character designs than typical.
  • Being Ian: Although this series predates when the style became popular, it bears many of its hallmarks, such as simplistic, rounded shapes and noodley limbs.
  • Ben 10 (2016): In contrast with the more Animesque look traditional of the Ben 10 franchise, the show aims for a visual appearance more closely influenced by other Cartoon Network series of the 2010s.
  • Best and Bester: The outlines are on the thick side, but the overall look is rounded and simple.
  • Big Blue: While the outlines are quite thick, the artstyle is still very rounded and simplistic.
  • Big City Greens: Large eyes and simple, rounded shapes are a major hallmark of the series' character designs.
  • Billy Dilley's Super Duper Subterranean Summer: Noodly limbs, round shapes, and large eyes are all incorporated into this series.
  • Bluey: Simple shapes are a major part of the show's overall look, although atypically for the medium, the show prefers rectangles rather than circles and ovals.
  • Bob's Burgers: One of the major pioneers of it in adult animation since the 2010s. Many of the people who worked on the show would go on to create other series in a similar appearance, such as Central Park and The Great North.
  • BoJack Horseman: Probably one of the best-known examples of this in adult animation, particularly for Netflix's productions.
  • Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, as well as Best Bugs Forever and Nate Is Late, being all from the same studio, all use the characteristically European variation, with thicker outlines than typical but a heavier emphasis on rounded shapes and bright palettes.
  • Breadwinners: While it does have a rounded art-style, the outlines are more thickish.
  • Brickleberry, Paradise PD, and Farzar, all sharing the same creators, are well-known examples of the Family Guy-influenced variation common in adult animation.
  • Care Bears: Unlock the Magic: The first entry in the franchise to employ the thin-line look, using a much more simplified and rounded look compared to previous series.
  • Carol & the End of the World: Ultra-thin outlines and simple shapes are used in the animation of this adult-aimed series.
  • Centaurworld uses this style for the residents of Centaurworld; notably, Horse and Rider's world is instead depicted in a more detailed Animesque style.
  • Chowder is considered an early pioneer of the style, despite the characters having slightly rougher lines than the others on the list.
  • Clarence (2014): Creator Skyler Page based the look of the show off his childhood doodles, with the character designs using large eyes and simple shapes on a bright palette. Lampshaded in the episode "Goldfish Follies", which highlights its inherent similarity to the Inkblot Cartoon Style.
  • Cleopatra in Space has elements on this. While the artstyle isn't particularly noodley and more angular than typical, it still shows a preference for bright colors, simple shapes, and light outlines. This is particularly visible with the character designs for Akila and Brian.
  • Coach Me If You Can: One of the most extreme examples of the European thin-line format, with a heavy emphasis on simple, rounded shapes, bean-shaped mouths, and thicker outlines than typical.
  • Counterfeit Cat: This British-Canadian production features the extreme simple round shapes typical of the European variation.
  • Craig of the Creek and its spinoff Jessica's Big Little World feature a simple rounded look for its characters.
  • Crash Canyon sports a near-identical artstyle to that of Family Guy, which itself is perhaps among the best-known examples in adult-aimed animated TV shows.
  • Cupcake & Dino: General Services: The show's visuals take some cues from Adventure Time (albeit with rougher outlines), although still bearing most of the hallmarks of creator Pedro Eboli's own look (which itself also qualifies).
    • Eboli's other series, Ollie's Pack and Oswaldo, both fall firmly into this form of animation, being very similar to Cupcake & Dino, albeit with the incorporation of prominent, distinctive noses (a common design choice in thin-line animation).
  • The Cuphead Show!: It goes between this and the rubber hose animation. This is justified due to the fact that the show alongside its video game counterpart were heavy inspired by cartoons from the 1930’s, which were an influence upon thin-line animation.
  • Dead End: Paranormal Park: The outlines are a little thicker than typical, but the character designs are quite rounded and simple.
  • Cartoon Saloon's animated TV series (Dorg Van Dango, Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, and Vikingskool), all use a visuals similar to that of the studio's more famous cinematic works, albeit somewhat simplified.
  • Droners: While primarily animesque, the series has elements of the Thin-Line Animation style, such as the usage of rounded, simplistic shapes for its character designs.
  • Duncanville: This is probably most obvious with the noodle-like limbs of protagonist Duncan Harris, but can also be seen in other elements, such as the eyes and mouths.
  • El Chavo Animado, especially in the later seasons.
  • Elliott from Earth: If the appearance looks a lot like that used for the Wattersons in The Amazing World of Gumball, that should be no surprise, given these are both British-American productions from the European CN Studios. Indeed, thick outlines contrasted with ultra-rounded, highly simplistic shapes with bug-eyed faces are characteristic of both looks.
  • The works of Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show) use a less noodle-y but still simplistic and rounded art-style. Nonetheless, alongside The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, and Rick and Morty, it would go on to become one of the biggest visual influences in adult western animation.
  • Fangbone!, although the books it was based on follow a similar design philosophy.
  • Final Space: A lot of the characters there have round faces and noodle like arms especially the alien characters but the titans, especially Bolo are shown to be more bulkier in shape.
  • F is for Family uses very thin outlines and rounded shapes in its character designs, although it is far from noodle-like.
  • Fish Hooks. In the fish designs, they have thicker outlines but rounded shapes.
  • Fugget About It. The show has very thick outlines, but the animation still uses simple, rounded shapes.
  • The Fungies! uses an ultra-rounded, ultra-bright look common to Cartoon Network series of the 2010s and 2020s.
  • Future-Worm! features a simple, rounded appearance with thin outlines.
  • The Ghost and Molly McGee: Although the overall look differs from most other Disney Television Animation series to utilize the Thin-Line look, rounded and simplified shapes are incorporated into many of the human and ghost characters, such as Molly's spherical head or Scratch's bulbous nose.
  • Gravity Falls: The art-style is rounded, but compared to Breadwinners above, the outlines are more in between thin and thick. Nonetheless, it's considered a major pioneer of thin-line animation for children's TV animation, especially those produced at Disney Television Animation, featuring simple shapes incorporated into its human characters and bug-eyes with Black Dot Pupils like those found in The Simpsons (which was a major influence on series creator Alex Hirsch).
  • Hailey's On It!: Not as rounded or simplified as typical, but still incorporates many of its elements, like large eyes, clear shapes, and long limbs.
  • Harriet the Spy: Being a cartoonier-looking take on the original book's visuals, the outlines are rather thick, but the show is quite rounded, giving the characters a cleaner, brighter, and more simplistic appearance. This is perhaps most obvious with Harriet herself, who looks identical to how she appears on the cover of the book, just a little more "cutesy".
  • Harvey Beaks: Following the artstyle of its predecessor Chowder, the show uses thicker outlines than typical, but angles and corners remain a rare sight in the character designs. Additionally, some of the artists who worked on the show would later produce other thin-line series, notably Chris and Shane Houghton of Big City Greens fame.
  • Harvey Street Kids crosses this style with the Harvey Comics style.
  • Hero Elementary has a very simple, rounded look to it.
  • The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe: Like many European examples, the outlines are very thick, but the use of rounded, simple shapes is much more heavily emphasized.
  • Hilda: While the original comics looked pretty similar, the show renders it a little cartoonier, such as larger eyes and a brighter palette. Creator Luke Pearson had also previously worked on Adventure Time, and the series' main animation studio, Mercury Filmworks, has many other credits among shows on this page
  • Hoops quite clearly follows the version of this influenced by other adult animated series like Family Guy.
  • HouseBroken: This is mainly obvious in the eye designs for the animal characters.
  • I, Elvis Riboldi: Bug eyes, gangly limbs, and round shapes are all common elements in the show's character designs.
  • Infinity Train: Series creator Owen Dennis was a veteran of Regular Show, and elements of its visuals can be seen in this series.
  • Inside Job: Very thin outlines with simple, clear shapes. Large eyes with Black Bead Pupils are also common.
  • It's Pony: The outlines have a rougher and thicker look than typical, but simple shapes and gangly limbs are still a prominent part of the character designs.
  • Jellystone!: Being from C.H. Greenblatt, the creator of Chowder and Harvey Beaks, the series renders Hanna-Barbera's library of characters in Greenblatt's signature look from their traditional Thick-Line Animation look.
  • Justin Time (2011) is unique as it has no outlines, but the character designs still use rounded shapes and simple designs like many Thin-Line cartoons. Also furthering its unusualness is that its an All-CGI Cartoon rather than a 2D-animated show.
  • Kid Cosmic; uses the same art-style as Wander Over Yonder (another show created by Craig McCracken).
  • Kid vs. Kat: The series predates when the style became popular, but it still bears many of its hallmarks, such as round character designs and ultra-thin outlines.
  • Kiff: Large eyes, simple shapes, and gangly limbs are all commonplace with the character designs for this series.
  • Krapopolis features very thin outlines, although the character designs aren't as simplistically rounded as some other shows.
  • Lana Longbeard: This European/Canadian co-production draws heavily from the European version of the thin-line look, although its outlines are much more typically thin as per many North American series.
  • Let’s Go, Bananas!: The outlines are a little thicker, but the shapes are very thin-line, which is especially evident in the mouths.
  • Living with Dad: Thin outlines, round shapes, and bean-like mouths are all a part of the show's look.
  • Long Live the Royals: Ultra-thin outlines and rounded character shapes are common in the series' overall look. Series creator Sean Szeles had even previously worked on Regular Show, a well-known example.
  • The Loud House and its spin-off, The Casagrandes. While both series possess much thicker outlines than is typical, the character designs and rounded shapes used by them are typically Thin-Line.
  • Lyla in the Loop: The outlines are thicker than typical, but the shapes are still simple and rounded.
  • Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart: Many similarities with other Cartoon Network series of the 2010s can be observed in this show's overall look, firmly placing this cartoon in the realm of thin-line animation.
  • The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: The show's staff, in fact, included Alex Hirsch, Pendleton Ward, and others as storyboarders, who would all later do their own shows. While despite the art-style being round, the outlines seem somewhat thicker.
  • Middlemost Post: Rounded shapes, large eyes, light outlines, and bright colors are all characteristic of this show.
  • Monster Loving Maniacs: The outlines are thicker than typical and the series doesn't shy away from angles in the character designs, but rounded, simple shapes and gangly, noodle-like limbs are common on many of the characters.
  • Oddballs: Thicker outlines than usual, but still very round and simple.
  • Oggy and the Cockroaches is a Mime and Music-Only Cartoon example and an early example too, debuting long before it became mainstream anywhere in western animation.
  • OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes: Notably, series creator Ian Jones-Quartey had previously worked on Steven Universe.
  • Over the Garden Wall: Another example created by a veteran of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, with Patrick McHale having also had experience of Adventure Time.
  • The Owl House crosses this with Animesque similarly to Bee and Puppycat above. And like with Amphibia, the series' creator Dana Terrace was a veteran of Gravity Falls.
  • Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero; mixed with ink paint-like thick outlines in the show's art-style.
  • Phineas and Ferb is an early pioneer of the style. Its sibling shows, Milo Murphy's Law and Hamster & Gretel qualify too, on account of using a similar visual appearance.
  • Pickle and Peanut: This is more obvious with the secondary and background characters, rather than the titular duo (who are a case of Medium Blending).
  • The Powerpuff Girls (2016) uses this style in sharp contrast to the original's more angular thick-line art-style. Notably, the Girls in the original series had a Non-Standard Character Design that could be considered a prototypical version of this style.
  • Primos possesses a very cartoonish look emphasized by the rounded, simple shapes utilized in many of the character designs.
  • The Prince (2021) has a preference for rounded shapes and large eyes, although most of the character designs aren't as simplistic as typical for thin-line animation.
  • Regular Show: This is more straight in later seasons when the outlines became thinner. Regardless, alongside Adventure Time and The Amazing World of Gumball, it's considered one of the most iconic pioneers of this style among Cartoon Network series. Also applies to Close Enough, which was also made by J. G. Quintel.
  • Rekkit Rabbit; uses the same animesque version of the style as Sally Bollywood.
  • Rick and Morty: Often considered a major groundlayer for Thin-Line Animation's ascendancy in adult animation alongside Bob's Burgers and Family Guy.
  • Rock, Paper, Scissors (Nickelodeon): The outlines are a little thicker than usual, but the usage of thin-line animation is clearer in the human characters than with the titular trio.
  • Ruby Gloom: Although the show is far from noodly, its preference for simple rounded shapes is quite prominent in the designs of characters like Ruby, Iris, and Misery. A particularly unusual example as it aired during a time when Thick-Line Animation was still popular, particularly in its country of origin, Canada.
  • Sally Bollywood; one of the earliest shows that also used this style.
  • Sanjay and Craig: Notably features character designer Jay Howell, who also worked for Bob's Burgers.
  • Saving Me uses rounded shapes and pop-out eyes, but thicker outlines.
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
  • The Simpsons is considered the Ur-Example of this style, with oversized eyes bearing Black Dot Pupils and a preference for less lines in the character designs being hallmarks of Matt Groening's art (although later seasons would employ more detailed character designs, particularly for celebrities). Its sister series, Futurama and Disenchantment, possess a similar look.
  • The Sisters Grimm uses a softer look compared to the original books' illustrations, most prominently in the facial shapes of the main characters.
  • Smiling Friends: This is probably clearest in the designs for the critters working at the titular charity, particularly Pim and Alan.
  • Solar Opposites: Being from the same creator as Rick and Morty, the series looks very similar to its sibling series.
  • SpongeBob SquarePants started using this style since Season 9 with the designs becoming a bit simpler and the palette being more pastel. Its subsequent spinoff, The Patrick Star Show, has followed in its footsteps.
    • The style was parodied in The Patrick Star Show episode "Face/Off Model," where for the fifth season the characters would be redesigned with bean-shaped heads and mouths.
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks features large eyes, light outlines, simple shapes, and long limbs in many of its character designs.
  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil: The outlines started off thick but became relatively thinner following the change in animation studios in the middle of the first season. Nonetheless, the character designs were characteristically "thin-line" from the beginning, with noodle-like limbs, bug-eyes, heavy usage of simple shapes, and bean-shaped mouths being common.
  • Steven Universe and Steven Universe: Future: Compared to some of the other shows listed here, the outlines for this particular show remain consistently thick, and the characters have fairly realistic proportions. Nonetheless, Steven Universe is still considered one of the most distinct examples of Thin-Line Animation, and is often used as a "default" example of it by fans and detractors alike.
  • The Strange Chores: The outlines and palette are a little more rough and scribbly than normal, but the shapes are characteristically thin-line.
  • StuGo uses thin outlines, simple and rounded shapes, and lanky limbs for most of its characters.
  • Summer Camp Island fits neatly into this, with its simple look, large eyes, and light outlines.
  • Summer Memories features ultra-simple character shapes with very light outlines and lots of rounded elements.
  • Super Wish has simple round shapes with large eyes and bean-like mouths.
  • ThunderCats Roar is probably one of the most noted examples of this style being incorporated into an older, traditionally more realistically-proportioned franchise. Its style is the cartooniest of any incarnation of Thundercats yet.
  • Tig 'n Seek: Simple, rounded shapes with large eyes and noodle-like limbs are common in many character designs, most prominently its protagonist.
  • ToonMarty: The outlines are much thicker than usual, but the shapes are very rounded.
  • Tuca & Bertie is considered a prominent example of this in adult animation, much like Bojack Horseman, which it has often been compared and contrasted with.
  • Uncle Grandpa: Again, rounded art-style but with relatively thick outlines.
  • Underdogs United, though some scenes tend to draw the characters in thick lines.
  • The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti prefers rounded shapes and thin, colored outlines in its characters' looks.
  • Victor and Valentino has the rounded shapes and large eyes preferred by many thin-line series.
  • Wander Over Yonder: The art direction is generally rounded, but true to Craig McCracken's Signature Style, the outlines are pretty thick.
  • We Bare Bears: It's mostly with the Funny Animal characters. Humans have less noodle-y proportions. The spinoff We Baby Bears follows the same overall art philosophy as its parent show, but with a much brighter and more whimsical colors to match its more fantastical nature.
  • Welcome to the Wayne: Light outlines, simple character designs, long limbs, and distinctive noses are all common cues of the thin-line animation look, and this series features all of them.
  • Winx Club; uses this style in later seasons of the show.
  • Wishfart: In behind-the-scenes interviews, the series' creators admitted to explicitly seeking a rounded look for this series.
  • Work It Out Wombats!: The outlines are thicker than typical, but simple shapes, bright colors, and bug eyes give this show away as an example of Thin-Line animation.
  • Wylde Pak: The show's outlines are more thick and scribbly than typical, but the rounded shapes used in the character designs will be quite familiar to those who have also seen The Loud House, which shares much of the same crew.
  • Zig & Sharko is an another Mime and Music-Only Cartoon example.

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