Screenshot 1 of 5. A grayscale pencil-sketch view of blocky hills, trees and outlined clouds rendered with SketchBound.
What SketchBound works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Iris, OptiFine |
| Minecraft versions | 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18.2, 1.19.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3 |
SketchBound is a sketch-style shader pack for Java Edition that redraws the world with pencil outlines and dynamic hatching, so every block looks drawn by hand. It runs on Iris and OptiFine and changes visuals only. TheGentooGamer made it.
Shader loaders and versions
- Iris and OptiFine: Minecraft 1.17 to 26.3.
Nine drawing styles
Styles switch from the shader settings, so you change the look without swapping packs. The presets span grayscale, vibrant color and blue pen, and the settings expose more tweaks.
- Pencil on Paper, the classic graphite sketch.
- Colorful Sketch, a looser and more colorful pencil style.
- Blue Pen, ballpoint-style linework.
- Painterly, soft brushstrokes from a Kuwahara filter.
- Outline Pencil on Paper, heavier outlines over the sketch base.
- Blueprint, a technical drawing with grid overlays.
- Chalkboard, chalk on slate.
- Comic, a halftone Ben-Day dot look.
- Textureless Comic, the comic style without paper texture.
Installing SketchBound
- 1.Install Iris or OptiFine. The newest files list no other required mods.
- 2.Place the SketchBound .zip in the shaderpacks folder.
- 3.Select SketchBound in the shader menu (Video Settings > Shader Packs for Iris).
The shader install guide walks through both loaders. If the pack never appears or the screen stays vanilla, try fixing shaders that are not working.
Trade-offs and credits
This is an art-style swap, not a lighting upgrade.
XorDev allowed the use of block model distortion, Voronoi texture effects and water glare techniques from the Unsquare Shaderpack.
SketchBound showcase by The Gentoo Gamer
Questions about SketchBound.
4 questions
How do I install SketchBound?
Install Iris or OptiFine, place the SketchBound .zip in the shaderpacks folder, then pick it in the shader menu. For Iris that is Video Settings > Shader Packs. The pack lists no other required mods, so nothing else needs installing first.
Does SketchBound work with Iris and OptiFine?
Yes. The newest files list both loaders with no further requirements. Iris runs on Fabric or NeoForge. After placing the zip in the shaderpacks folder, select the pack from the shader menu of whichever loader you use.
Does SketchBound work on Bedrock?
No. SketchBound is a Java Edition shader pack and relies on Iris or OptiFine, which Bedrock cannot run. Bedrock uses a different shader format, so these pack files will not load there.
How many styles does SketchBound have?
Nine drawing styles are built in and switch from the shader settings, including Pencil on Paper, Blueprint, Chalkboard and Comic. A Kuwahara filter drives the Painterly style, while grayscale, vibrant color and blue pen presets cover the color options.
