# Ligne Claire

> Uniform fine closed black lines describe layered space, with bright flat colors preserving rich, readable narrative detail.

[Web page](https://aistylebook.com/image/ligne-claire/)

## About this style

Uniform thin closed contours describe objects and spatial relationships without being obscured by bright flat color. Detailed backgrounds remain readable because every shape has a clear boundary.

Ligne claire keeps objects readable through consistent contours rather than dense shading.

Clearly outlined windows, cars and figures can make a busy street browsable through placement and flat color.

### How the style changes different subjects

- **Portrait**: Even fine outlines enclose features and clothing, keeping expression direct with little realistic shading.

- **Landscape**: Detailed streets remain readable because each shape has a distinct boundary.

- **Object**: Fine lines separate components while flat color clarifies construction and omits complex reflections.

**Subjects**: Choose travelers, streets, vehicles or clearly constructed objects rather than subjects defined by ambiguous light.

### Background

The Hergé Museum associates the clear line with Hergé’s comics and credits Joost Swarte with the term. Relatively uniform black contours, flat colors and clear storytelling are central features.

## Visual keywords

Uniform closed contours · Flat color · Clear boundaries · Narrative detail · Spatial readability

## Names and related terms

Clear-line comics

## Style examples

- [Portrait](https://img.aistylebook.com/reference-assets/20038-img_large.avif?v=14215befc85a9be7)

- [Landscape](https://img.aistylebook.com/reference-assets/20039-img_large.avif?v=125179f0c3dc7a71)

- [Object](https://img.aistylebook.com/object-assets/80038-large.avif?v=253417673ba63279)

## Reusable style prompt

```text
Use classic European ligne claire drawing. Outline every foreground and background form with uniform fine black closed contours, maintaining equal ink clarity throughout. Fill shapes with muted but luminous flat solid colors, using only a few single-shape shadows and no hatching or gradients. Keep spatial details accurate and complete, with graceful natural forms and rich narrative relationships. Make the image clean and readable rather than reducing it to isolated icons.
```

## Photo creation and prompts

Photo generation requires an account and credits; the cost is shown before generation.

[Create with this style](https://aistylebook.com/photo.html?style=20038&lang=en#studio)

## Related styles

- [Webtoon](https://aistylebook.com/image/webtoon/): Both aim for bright readable comics, with softer shading in webtoons.

- [Newspaper Gag Cartoon](https://aistylebook.com/image/newspaper-gag-cartoon/): Similarly economical, with looser lines and more blank paper in gag cartoons.

- [Caricature World](https://aistylebook.com/image/caricature-world/): Shares readable ink and character narrative, exaggerating proportions in caricature.

## References

- [Hergé Museum: Joost Swarte and the clear line](https://www.tintin.com/tintin/actus/actus/001090/DDPJoostEN.pdf)