---

name: art-style-creator description: Create and define visual art styles for projects. Use when user wants to establish an art direction, create a style guide, define visual language, document aesthetic choices, or create consistent artwork guidelines for games, illustrations, animations, or other visual media.

Art Style Creator

This skill guides the creation of comprehensive art style definitions for visual projects.

Workflow

Step 1: Vision & Context

Gather project context:

1. Project type: Game, illustration, animation, UI, branding
2. Target audience: Age group, cultural context
3. Vision statement: 2-3 sentences describing the visual direction
4. Key words: 5-7 words capturing the style essence
5. Primary influences: Reference styles, artists, or works

Step 2: Color Palette

Define the color system. See color-theory.md for detailed guidance.

Ask for:

• Palette type: Monochromatic, analogous, complementary, triadic, etc.
• Dominant color (60%): Background, large areas
• Secondary color (30%): Supporting elements
• Accent color (10%): Highlights, focal points
• Mood alignment: Match colors to intended emotion
• Forbidden colors: Colors to avoid and why

Step 3: Line Work

Establish line characteristics. See line-and-shape.md for details.

Define:

• Outline approach: Full / Partial / None / Color holds
• Base weight: Thin / Medium / Thick (with pixel/pt measurement)
• Quality: Clean / Sketchy / Geometric / Organic / Calligraphic
• Weight variation: Different weights for FG/MG/BG
• Line color: Black / Dark local color / Color holds

Step 4: Shape Language

Define shape characteristics. See line-and-shape.md.

Specify:

• Dominant shape: Circle (friendly), Square (stable), Triangle (dynamic)
• Complexity level: Simple / Moderate / Complex
• Edge treatment: Sharp / Rounded / Mixed
• Character shapes: Heroes, villains, NPCs
• Environment shapes: Architecture, nature, props
• Silhouette priority: High / Medium / Low

Step 5: Composition

Set layout rules. See composition-lighting.md.

Define:

• Framing system: Rule of thirds / Golden ratio / Center-focused / Dynamic
• Symmetry preference: Symmetric / Asymmetric / Varied
• Depth approach: FG/MG/BG presence and treatment
• Perspective type: 1-point / 2-point / 3-point / Isometric
• Visual hierarchy: Primary method (size/contrast/color/position)
• Negative space: Minimal / Moderate / Abundant

Step 6: Lighting & Atmosphere

Define lighting style. See composition-lighting.md.

Specify:

• Overall brightness: Dark / Dim / Neutral / Bright
• Contrast level: Low / Medium / High / Extreme
• Shadow rendering: Gradient / Cel-shaded / Hatched / Minimal / None
• Primary light direction: Front / Side / Back / Top / Variable
• Light hardness: Soft / Medium / Hard
• Shadow color: Black / Colored / Complementary
• Atmospheric effects: Fog, particles, god rays

Step 7: Texture & Detail

Set detail approach. See texture-mood.md.

Define:

• Detail level: Minimal / Low / Medium / High / Photorealistic
• Texture rendering: Painted / Photo / Procedural / Flat / Stylized
• Detail distribution: High detail for focus, low for background
• Surface treatments: How to handle different materials
• Aging/weathering: None / Subtle / Visible / Heavy
• Noise/grain: None / Subtle / Visible

Step 8: Mood & Tone

Establish emotional baseline. See texture-mood.md.

Specify:

• Core emotion: Joy, sadness, fear, tension, peace, mystery, etc.
• Intensity: Subtle / Moderate / Strong
• Tone position: Light ↔ Dark spectrum
• Energy level: Calm / Moderate / Energetic
• Genre alignment: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, noir, etc.
• Elements to avoid: What would break the mood

Step 9: Technical Specs

Document technical requirements. See technical-specs.md.

Define:

• Working resolution: Dimensions at DPI
• Export resolution: Final output specs
• Color mode: RGB / CMYK / Indexed
• File formats: Working and export formats
• Asset sizes: Characters, environments, UI elements, icons

Step 10: Generate Style Document

Output the complete art style definition using the template below.

---

Output Template

Copy# [PROJECT NAME] — Art Style Guide

## Overview
**Project**: [Name]
**Style Name**: [Unique identifier]
**Version**: 1.0

### Vision Statement
[2-3 sentences describing the visual vision]

### Key Words
[5-7 words capturing the essence]

---

## 1. Color Palette

### Primary Palette
| Role | Color | Hex | Usage |
|------|-------|-----|-------|
| Dominant | [Name] | #XXXXXX | [60% - backgrounds, large areas] |
| Secondary | [Name] | #XXXXXX | [30% - supporting elements] |
| Accent | [Name] | #XXXXXX | [10% - highlights, CTAs] |

### Extended Palette
- Highlight: #XXXXXX
- Shadow: #XXXXXX
- Neutrals: #XXXXXX, #XXXXXX

### Color Rules
- [Rule 1]
- [Rule 2]

### Forbidden Colors
- [Color]: [Reason]

---

## 2. Line Work

- **Outline**: [Full/Partial/None/Color holds]
- **Base weight**: [Thin/Medium/Thick] at [X px at Y resolution]
- **Quality**: [Clean/Sketchy/Geometric/Organic]
- **FG weight**: [Weight]
- **BG weight**: [Weight]
- **Line color**: [Black/Colored/Color holds]

---

## 3. Shape Language

- **Dominant shape**: [Circle/Square/Triangle/Mixed]
- **Complexity**: [Simple/Moderate/Complex]
- **Edges**: [Sharp/Rounded/Mixed]
- **Heroes**: [Shape description]
- **Villains**: [Shape description]
- **Environments**: [Geometric/Organic/Mixed]
- **Silhouette priority**: [High/Medium/Low]

---

## 4. Composition

- **Framing**: [Rule of thirds/Golden ratio/etc.]
- **Symmetry**: [Symmetric/Asymmetric/Varied]
- **Depth layers**: [FG/MG/BG treatment]
- **Perspective**: [Type]
- **Hierarchy method**: [Size/Contrast/Color/Position]
- **Negative space**: [Minimal/Moderate/Abundant]

---

## 5. Lighting

- **Brightness**: [Dark/Dim/Neutral/Bright]
- **Contrast**: [Low/Medium/High]
- **Shadow style**: [Gradient/Cel-shaded/Hatched/None]
- **Light direction**: [Default direction]
- **Hardness**: [Soft/Medium/Hard]
- **Shadow color**: [Black/Colored] at [opacity]%
- **Atmosphere**: [Effects if any]

---

## 6. Texture & Detail

- **Detail level**: [Minimal/Low/Medium/High]
- **Texture style**: [Painted/Flat/Stylized/etc.]
- **Focus areas**: [High detail]
- **Background**: [Low detail]
- **Weathering**: [None/Subtle/Visible]
- **Grain**: [None/Subtle/Visible]

---

## 7. Mood & Tone

- **Core emotion**: [Emotion] at [intensity]
- **Tone**: [Light ↔ Dark position]
- **Energy**: [Calm/Moderate/Energetic]
- **Genre**: [Genre]
- **Avoid**: [Elements that break mood]

---

## 8. Technical Specs

- **Working**: [Dimensions] at [DPI]
- **Export**: [Dimensions] at [DPI]
- **Color mode**: [RGB/CMYK]
- **Formats**: [Working] → [Export formats]
- **Character size**: [Dimensions]
- **Environment size**: [Dimensions]
- **Icon size**: [Dimensions]

---

## 9. References

### Primary Influences
1. [Influence]: [What to take]
2. [Influence]: [What to take]

### Avoid
- [Style/Work]: [Why]

---

## 10. Do's and Don'ts

### Do
- [Correct practice]
- [Correct practice]

### Don't
- [Incorrect practice]
- [Incorrect practice]

---

Reference Files

Load these as needed for detailed guidance:

• color-theory.md - Color wheel, palette types, psychology, construction rules
• line-and-shape.md - Line characteristics, shape psychology, silhouettes
• composition-lighting.md - Composition principles, perspective, lighting setups
• texture-mood.md - Detail levels, texture types, mood mapping, genre guides
• technical-specs.md - Resolution, color modes, file formats
• style-references.md - Art movements, contemporary styles, animation styles
• glossary.md - Art terminology definitions

Quick Style Presets

For rapid style definition, use these genre presets as starting points: