Isometric art

LEARNER CONTEXT

  • Grades 9–12, introductory-level digital art students

  • Diverse learner population, including a high percentage of English Language Learners

  • School-based instructional setting

  • Primary tool: Adobe Illustrator

UNIT FOCUS:

  • DescriptioLow-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.

    • 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?

    • 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

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.

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

  • 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

Phase 2: Orientation & Use

STUDENT WORK:

SLIDESHOW: