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Art style

Classic cel anime style

Classic cel is the hand-painted look of traditional TV animation: flat cel shading with two tones per surface, bold clean ink outlines and painted backgrounds. Animey draws every character sheet, location and shot of a classic cel series in that look, with your own characters.

Start a Classic cel series
A frame made with Animey in the Classic cel style.

The Classic cel look

Every surface gets one light tone and one hard-edged shadow tone, like paint on acetate. Outlines are clean and confident, backgrounds are painted with soft gradients, and a light film grain sits over the frame. Faces read clearly from wide shots to close-ups, so expressions and action land.

Palette

  • #2B3A67
  • #E94F37
  • #F6F7EB
  • #3F88C5
  • #F2C14E

What it suits

  • Action, adventure and sports stories with big emotions
  • School and slice-of-life comedy with a nostalgic feel
  • Series that want a timeless, hand-drawn TV look

FAQ

Questions about the Classic cel style

  • Does the Classic cel style copy an existing anime?

    No. Classic cel is a generic description of a look and never names a studio, an artist, a show or a character. Your characters and your world are your own.

  • Will my characters look the same in every Classic cel shot?

    That is what they are designed for: the series’ Classic cel style card and each character’s approved reference sheet are the references of every shot, which helps keep faces, outfits and colors consistent from scene to scene.

  • Can I move a series away from Classic cel later?

    Yes. The series gets a new style card, and approved characters are redrawn in the new style and approved again.

  • What does a Classic cel episode cost?

    The same as any other style: one credit per 5-second Standard shot. A 5-minute episode at Standard is about 60 credits.

Your story, in the Classic cel style

Start with 10 free credits and meet your first character today.

Start a Classic cel series