Graphic Design Trend: 3D Illustration

3D Illustrations are a thing of the future. Since the first appearances of 3D graphic designs in 2020, there have been no signs of this trend declining in any way. When it first emerged decades ago, it appeared to be cutting-edge technology but since then, it is accessible to anyone. These creative graphic designs have made their appearances in things like food commercials, music festival posters, product advertisements, company promotions, social media assets, and many other creative ways. There are no real limitations to this design because it can be used in such a wide range of ways.

There are a couple things to remember when creating a 3D Illustration; angles, shadows, scene composition, and color. This is a complex art that does require a lot of work and patience to create. I chose to use Adobe Illustrator for creating my own 3D Illustration but there are many other options out there available to create a 3D graphic. I started my graphic by drawing a circle with the Ellipse Tool, then choosing the Direct Select tool to delete one side of the ellipse circle. Then I chose Object > Path > Join to make a straight line, creating a completed half circle. I chose the whole shape and chose Effect > 3D and Materials > Revolve. This is the point in which you see the 3D effect you are looking for. From here, the 3D and Material menu allows you to manipulate the shape by the object, materials, and the lighting. This is how I created my mushroom shape. I created half circles, transformed the dimensions, and manipulated the 3D shape with the Direct Select tool and Pen tool. The colorful marble pattern applied to each mushroom top is an option in the Materials subsection to the 3D and Materials menu. I experimented with the mushroom stems but decided to keep them a solid color. I chose to write “Trippin'” in the same marble 3D look that the mushroom tops had to create a little unity. The green, pink, and purple colored stripes in the back of the graphic were added to show the different dimensions in the graphic.

Not only is it a useful skill for advertising, 3D Illustrating is a lot of fun and a great way to get to know the platform you are using to create graphic designs. The platforms like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are increasingly including tools to create 3D designs. As the world is becoming technologically inclined, 3D Illustrations are being used more and more in the advertisement industry. This 3D Illustration trend is a great tool for any graphic designer to know and use.

Sources

Rimmer, K. (2021, June 17). Trend spotlight: 3D Design & Illustration. Envato. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.envato.com/blog/3d-illustration-design/

May, T. (2017, April 17). 10 brilliant uses of 3D in graphic design. Creative Bloq. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.creativebloq.com/features/10-brilliant-uses-of-3d-in-graphic-design