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StippleShading[]

is a three-dimensional graphics directive specifying that objects that follow are to be drawn using small dots.

StippleShading[d]

uses the density d of shading.

StippleShading[col]

uses dots with the specified color col.

StippleShading[d,col]

uses dots of color col with the density d of shading.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Basic Uses  
Specification  
Lighting  
Applications  
Possible Issues  
See Also
Related Guides
History
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StippleShading

StippleShading[]

is a three-dimensional graphics directive specifying that objects that follow are to be drawn using small dots.

StippleShading[d]

uses the density d of shading.

StippleShading[col]

uses dots with the specified color col.

StippleShading[d,col]

uses dots of color col with the density d of shading.

Details

  • StippleShading is also known as stippling.
  • StippleShading is typically used to achieve a drawing effect in which dots are used to convey the shape, texture and lighting of a three-dimensional object.
  • StippleShading[d,col] specifies that dots of color col should vary with overall density d.
  • The density of dots is driven by the luminosity of the surface. Less dense areas indicate high luminosity.
  • The density d is between 0 and 1. A higher density indicates more dots per area.
  • The color col can be defined by RGBColor, Hue or any other color specification.
  • In StippleShading[d], the color of dots is taken to be Black.
  • StippleShading[col] uses a density of 0.5.
  • StippleShading[] is effectively equivalent to StippleShading[0.5,Black].
  • The setting Lighting"Accent" uses a directional light and faithfully reproduces colors on the surface.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Apply stipple shading to the unit sphere with a directional light:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]

Use stipple shading to show Beethoven with the standard colored lights:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], ExampleData[{"Geometry3D", "Beethoven"}, "GraphicsComplex"]}, Boxed -> False, Lighting -> "Accent"]

Style a surface in a plot:

Wolfram Language code: SphericalPlot3D[1 + 2Cos[2θ], {θ, 0, Pi}, {ϕ, 0, 2Pi}, Axes -> False, PlotStyle -> StippleShading[], PlotPoints -> 40 , Mesh -> None]

Show an anatomical structure:

Wolfram Language code: skull = ["skull"]["Graphics3DPrimitives"];
Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], skull}, Lighting -> "Accent", Boxed -> False]

Scope  (13)

Basic Uses  (5)

Apply stipple shading to a graphics primitive:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], #}, Lighting -> "Accent"]& /@ {Sphere[], CapsuleShape[], Cone[]}

Apply stipple shading to a plot:

Wolfram Language code: SphericalPlot3D[1 + 2Cos[2θ], {θ, 0, Pi}, {ϕ, 0, 2Pi}, Axes -> False, PlotStyle -> StippleShading[], PlotPoints -> 40, Lighting -> "Accent" ]

Apply stipple shading to a chart:

Wolfram Language code: BarChart3D[Range[5], ChartElements -> [image], ChartStyle -> StippleShading[], Lighting -> "Accent"]

Apply stipple shading to a 3D object:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], ExampleData[{"Geometry3D", "Beethoven"}, "GraphicsComplex"]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]

Summary box:

Wolfram Language code: StippleShading[]

Specification  (5)

StippleShading with no arguments uses gray tones:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]

Apply stipple shading to the unit sphere with different densities:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[#], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]& /@ {.2, .4, .7}

Use colorized stipple shading:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[#], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]& /@ {StandardRed, StandardGreen, StandardBlue}

Specify both the density and color of the stipple shading:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[0.8, RGBColor[0.93, 0.27, 0.27]], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"]

Use LightDarkSwitched to specify different colors for light and dark modes:

Wolfram Language code: graphic = Graphics3D[{StippleShading[LightDarkSwitched[Red, Blue]], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> "Accent"];
Wolfram Language code: {LightModePane[graphic], DarkModePane[graphic]}

Lighting  (3)

StippleShading works with all types of lights:

Wolfram Language code: lights = {{"Ambient", LightGray}, {"Point", White, ImageScaled[{1, 1, 2}]}, {"Directional", White, ImageScaled[{1, 1, 2}]}, {"Spot", White, {{1, -1, 1}, {0, 0, 0}}, Pi / 4}}; Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> {#}]& /@ lights

Use colored lights:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> {{"Directional", Red, ImageScaled[{1, -0.5, 1}]}, {"Directional", Green, ImageScaled[{-1, -0.5, 1}]}, {"Directional", Blue, ImageScaled[{0, 1, 1}]}, {"Ambient", GrayLevel[0.2]}}]

Use "Accent" lighting to faithfully reproduce colors on the surface:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> #] & /@ {"Accent", Automatic}

Applications  (1)

Style an anatomical structure:

Wolfram Language code: bones = ["skeleton"]["Graphics3DPrimitives"];
Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], bones}, Lighting -> "Neutral", Boxed -> False, ImageSize -> Medium]

Possible Issues  (2)

The default light scheme uses several colored light sources:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}]

Use a single directional light to get the standard stipple shading effect:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{StippleShading[], Sphere[]}, Lighting -> {{"Directional", White, ImageScaled[{1, 1, 2}]}}]

No shading effect is applied to faces of polygons or filled graphic objects:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{Red, StippleShading[0], Sphere[]}]
Wolfram Research (2020), StippleShading, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2020), StippleShading, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2020. "StippleShading." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2020). StippleShading. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_stippleshading, author="Wolfram Research", title="{StippleShading}", year="2020", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_stippleshading, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={StippleShading}, year={2020}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StippleShading.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}