Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Shading Reference

Simple 3D shapes for artists to study and practice, online

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Shading Reference launched in 2021; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1
Shape 2▲540
5000+ fully customizable assets for your web design projects
2020 · shape.so · its alternatives →
2
Mesh▲608
Design 3D illustrations & icons in a quick and engaging way
2022 · morflax.com · its alternatives →
3
CSS generator for a high-def glass effect▲420
There are lots of glassmorphism generators out there, but I wanted to push the effect further! This project is the result of months of experimenting with CSS property layering and battling browser quirks. Cross-browser compatibility is actually the reason I rely on ::before and ::after pseudo-elements to build up the effect. Move the color/opacity to the main element, and you’ll get weird color bleed on the corners in Chrome. Move the texture, and it muddles the bevel’s specular highlight. Move the bevel, and it gets blurred out by the backdrop-filter. And so on! Layers include: *…
2025 · glass3d.dev · its alternatives →
4
Reference▲102
An online tool to help you sketch human figures.
2020 · reference.riteshkr.com · its alternatives →
5
JustSketchMe▲89
Interactive 3d models for drawing reference
2019 · justsketch.me · its alternatives →
6AV
A voxel design tool built on the top of CSS transformations▲78
2017 · fatiherikli.github.io · its alternatives →
7
Alter 3D illustrations▲304
Hundreds of 3D illustrations for your designs
2021 · getillustrations.com · its alternatives →
8SL
Shader Lab, like Photoshop but for shaders▲160
Create, stack, and animate shader effects on images, video, text, and 3D models — free, in your browser, powered by WebGPU. Export video, publish to the community gallery, and remix any published scene.
Apr 2026 · eng.basement.studio · its alternatives →
9
Pigment▲258
A unique way to explore color using lighting and pigment
2018 · pigment.shapefactory.co · its alternatives →
10
I built a tool to generate triangulated art from images▲296
Generate high-quality triangulated and polygonal art from images. - rh12503/triangula
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
11
3DMADE▲147
A pack of customizable 3D shapes for Figma
2021 · its alternatives →
12
Pixellate▲102
A simple and easy-to-use pixel art creator with offline mode
2021 · pixelated.vercel.app · its alternatives →
13
Tint & Shade Generator 2.0▲128
Precise tints and shades from any color in 10% increments.
2020 · maketintsandshades.com · its alternatives →
14
Pixel Paint 3D▲86
Create 3D models from 2D pixel art
2021 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
15
Pxl▲87
Single div CSS illustrations made easy!
2020 · pxl.netlify.app · its alternatives →
16
Flatify▲64
Measurement of 2D objects and forms made easy
2022 · its alternatives →
17
Vertexshaderart.com▲145
2015 · vertexshaderart.com · its alternatives →
18
piCSSel-art▲129
Draw pixel art with CSS!
2018 · its alternatives →
19
Mesh Gradient▲164
Create beautiful gradients
2020 · meshgradient.com · its alternatives →
20
Angle 4▲146
Create presentations with a library for Figma, Sketch and XD
2021 · angle.sh · its alternatives →
21
Shade▲105
Super easy color contrast insights and recommendations
2017 · halogensoftworks.com · its alternatives →
22
Vectary Photon▲181
One-click photorealistic rendering for 2D designers
2019 · vectary.com · its alternatives →
23
Vectary for Sketch▲122
Real 3D mockups and elements in Sketch
2020 · vectary.com · its alternatives →
24
Draw3D▲98
Convert your drawing to a realistic photo
2023 · draw3d.online · its alternatives →

Also compare

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →