3D Logo Design on an Isometric Grid
This tutorial builds a 3D-looking letter logo in Adobe Illustrator without any 3D effects. The trick is a custom grid at 60 degrees, made with the Blend Tool, that you snap to with the Pen Tool. Once the grid exists you can draw any blocky 3D shape on it. The video was sponsored by Domestika.
Step 1: Make the grid
- Draw a long line with the Line Segment Tool. Alt-drag a copy some distance away and align both to the top.
- Select both, take the Blend Tool and click one line then the other. Double-click the Blend Tool, choose Specified Steps and enter 6 or 7. You now have a set of parallel lines.
- Double-click the Rotate Tool and rotate the set by 60 degrees.
- Double-click the Reflect Tool, choose Vertical and click Copy. The two sets cross to form diamonds. Lengthen the lines if needed (hold Alt to extend both ends).
- Turn on Smart Guides and Snap to Point (View menu). Draw a vertical line exactly through one row of crossing points, copy it to the last row, align them, blend them with Specified Steps set to the number of crossings between them (11 in the video).
- Select everything, Object > Expand, and group the grid (Ctrl+G).
Step 2: Draw the letter faces
Decide how many grid cells each part of the letter takes. In the video the top bar of a T-like letter is three cells by three cells, with a stem going down. With the Pen Tool and snapping on, click from crossing point to crossing point to draw the top face of the first bar, then the second, then the stem. Give each face a different flat colour for now (pink, blue, green) so they are easy to tell apart, and fix any anchor points that missed a crossing.
Step 3: Add the side faces
Draw the vertical side faces the same way, one cell deep, in yellow or a lighter tone, and add the small triangular fill where two bars meet so the shape closes. Tidy the anchor points so every face shares its edges with its neighbours.
Step 4: Colour
Once the geometry is right, apply your real palette: one tone for top faces, a darker tone for the left sides and a lighter one for the right sides, or gradients if you prefer. The grid can be deleted or hidden.
Conclusion
A 60 degree blend grid plus Snap to Point turns the Pen Tool into an isometric drawing tool. Everything stays flat vector, so the logo scales and recolours cleanly, and the same grid works for letters, icons or small isometric scenes.
Links from the video
- Join the members-only content: https://bit.ly/3fEEvD4
- Sign up for Domestika (video sponsor, code DIGITAL_ART_CREATION-10 for 10 percent off): https://bit.ly/2Y0haW6
- Premium tutorials on Udemy: http://bit.ly/2Cqmcgo
