# Rendering: paper-cut

Layered paper-craft aesthetic — crisp scissor-cut edges, subtle paper shadows where layers overlap, hand-cut character. Used for education, children's content, cultural/folk topics, sustainability/environment, gift/festival contexts, storytelling decks.

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## 1. Style paragraph (paste-ready, 100 words)

> Layered paper-cut craft aesthetic. The composition is built as if cut from colored construction paper and stacked in layers — each shape has crisp scissor-cut edges (slightly irregular, hand-aware, not mathematically perfect) and casts a soft 8-12% drop shadow onto the layer beneath, giving real tactile depth. Each color appears as its own paper sheet with subtle paper grain at 10-15% opacity. Forms are simplified and stylized — recognizable as paper craft rather than illustration. Composition reads as cozy, warm, made-by-hand. Overall feel is approachable, tactile, child-friendly without being childish — the aesthetic of Eric Carle storybooks and contemporary folk illustration.

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## 2. Line, texture, depth

| Aspect | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Line quality | No outlines — shapes are defined by paper edges (slightly irregular cuts) |
| Texture | Paper grain at 10-15% opacity over each color sheet |
| Depth | Real layered depth via soft 8-12% drop shadow under each cut-paper layer |
| Material | Construction paper / cardstock — matte, slightly fibrous |
| Mood | Warm, tactile, approachable, hand-made |

## 3. Using the deck's HEX values

paper-cut treats each HEX value as **one color of paper**:

- Primary HEX: the dominant paper layer (largest or most-foreground sheet)
- Secondary HEX: background paper (the lowest layer / "table" behind the cut shapes)
- Accent HEX: a small cut-out shape on the top layer
- Layering matters more than proportion — even a small primary sheet placed in front of a large secondary feels primary-led

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## 4. Fewshot prompt snippets

**Snippet A — educational scene, text_policy: none**

> Layered paper-cut craft scene. Background sheet: secondary warm cream `#FEF3C7` paper with subtle grain at 12% opacity (the "table" the composition sits on). On top: a simplified paper-cut tree made of two layered cut shapes — a primary deep green `#0F766E` rounded foliage shape with slightly irregular scissor-cut edge, casting a soft 10% drop shadow onto the cream background; below it, a darker brown trunk cut shape. To the side of the tree: a small accent ochre `#D4A017` cut sun in a corner, with its own soft shadow. No outlines anywhere — shapes are defined by paper edges only. Every layer has paper grain at 12% opacity. Composed as a 600×600 half-page paper scene with 12% padding. NO text in the image. Color values are rendering guidance only.