Curriculum Design

Low Poly Unit Plan with lessons 1 and 2

UNIT FOCUS

Students explore how shape, color, and light can be used to create the illusion of form through low-poly digital illustration, using Adobe Illustrator as a design tool.

cONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING

• Low-poly art uses geometric shapes and color variation to represent form.

• Light and shadow influence color value and perceived depth.

• Artists use reference images to analyze form, light, and structure.

• Digital tools shape both artistic process and outcomes.

• Art-making is an iterative process involving planning, execution, and reflection.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do color and shape define an object?

• How does light affect the way we perceive form?

• How do artists use reference images?

• How does technology influence artistic process and decision-making?

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Navigating the Adobe Illustrator interface

• Using essential tools and shortcuts (selection, copy/paste, undo)

• Working with layers

• Creating and editing strokes and fills

• Using the Pen Tool to construct polygons

• Using the Eyedropper Tool to sample color

• Identifying highlights and shadows in reference images

SEQUENCE:

Phase 1 — Visual Analysis & Concept Building

• Examine examples of low-poly art alongside early 3D wireframe and game graphics

• Discuss how technological limitations shaped visual style

• Identify how artists use simplified geometry to communicate structure

• Analyze animal reference images to locate major shapes, light, and shadow

• Evaluate which images are suitable for low-poly translation

Phase 2 — Tool Orientation & Use

• Download an Illustrator document

• Review interface elements, layers, and workspace

• Practice creating a closed shapes made with straight lines using the Pen tool

• Experiment with color, stokes and fill controls

Phase 3 — Shape Construction

• Create a new Illustrator document

• Use the Pen Tool to draw polygonal shapes

• Break animal forms into geometric structures

• Arrange shapes to define the underlying form

Phase 4 — Color & Value Application

• Sample colors from their reference images

• Apply color and adjust value to represent light and shadow

• Refine color choices to improve depth and clarity

Phase 5 — Refinement & Evaluation

• Revise shapes and colors for accuracy and readability

• Compare their work to the reference image

• Explain how shape, color, and value support the final image

• Reflect on design choices and areas for improvement

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