“You can’t be both. You can lean one way and hint at the other.

Realism asks: ‘What does the light do?’ Stylization asks: ‘What do I want the audience to feel ?’

Look at Arcane ’s Jinx. Her eye has a razor-sharp edge. Her jawline? Soft. Her hair? Lost edges at the tips.

Vertex Guild / Level Up Forums (Archived Livestream)

“Close your eyes. No, actually close them. If I showed you the silhouette of Mickey Mouse, Goku, or Shrek, you’d know who they are instantly. Why? Because stylized characters live and die by their readability .

Look. The shadows are teal. It’s wrong in reality, but right in art. That’s ‘stylized lighting.’ It creates vibration. It makes the red look hotter .”

Marco “Rizzo” Hernandez (Principal Character Artist, Riot Games Alumni)

Here is the golden rule: