Lesson Plan: 3D drawing in Adobe Illustrator (Jackson Carr)

Time: 4:00pm

Date:

Class/Group:

10th of March, 2015

IC&T workshop, Tuesday Group.

Room:
Education Computer Lab
(ground floor)

Topic: An intro to 3D drawing in Adobe Illustrator

Curriculum links:

Specific Objectives/Learning Goals:

The content of this lesson plan links with the

Learning Goals

creating with ICT capability within the WA

Students will:

ICT Curriculum.

Have an awareness that vector

graphics may appear 3D

Understand that 3D images require

perspective and shading to look
realistic, and these can be easily
applied to simple shapes in AI.

Specific Objectives
Students will:

gain basic skills working in the

perspective grid in adobe illustrator.

be able to create simple 3D effects in

AI utilising shading and the 3D text
function.

Prior Learning:

Resources/Materials required:

Students will already have skills allowing

them to:

Create and edit files in AI

Create simple shapes

Understand the various selection

with AI

Print ours with blue, red and green

pages to demonstrate 3D plains

Understand how to colour fills and

I&CT Curriculum I

Projector or smart-board with screen

mirroring and audiovisual capabilities

tools available in AI

Computers for students equipped

Jackson Carr - 21286599

strokes in AI.
Lesson Steps
Time:
Procedure
3pm
1. Pre-Lesson

Comment

a. Prepare materials (printouts etc) prior to

lesson time.
b. Test A/V capability of computer lab, ensuring
that videos can be viewed.
4:00
4:05 pm

Play the video, make

sure it works!

2. Introduction and motivation

a. Refer to previous work, citing how it all looked
flat on the page.
b. Suggest that more exciting images and logos
might incorporate a 3D element.
c. Present learning objectives:
i. Use the perspective grid to create 3D
perspective drawings
ii. Apply shading to a drawing to enhance
3D appearance
d. Watch short video that shows how the
perspective grid can be used to draw in 3D.
http://youtu.be/kqGhpna1G08
e. Introduce the first activity: tutorial on drawing a
3D shape using the perspective grid, using
prop (demo of the perspective plains) to
demonstrate the meaning of perspective
plains, and showing what it looks like on the

Make sure that all

students can see the
prop, and understand
the meaning.

screen.

4:05 4:10 pm

Walk around the

3. Student Activity
a. Students work independently through the

classroom, monitoring

tutorial provided, as teacher monitors and

the students activity

provides feedback.

and fielding

b. Tutorial involves drawing three shapes (2

questions.

identical rectangles (1x2) and a square (1x2) )

c. Shapes are then added to different plains in
the perspective grid, resulting in the

I&CT Curriculum I

Jackson Carr - 21286599

construction of a 3D object (a rectangular

prism).
d. Extention exercise (for faster students): Create
the same shape with a different orientation. Ie:
students are not spoon fed instructions, must
understand the principles.
Talk about this as you
4:10
4:12 pm

4. Demonstration/guided activity
a. Students observe as the teacher inserts some
3D text, and adjusts lighting effects (this
provides an example of how shading can add

go, remembering to
show a preview of the
image.

depth to a 3D image).
b. Teacher illustrates how shadows change with
different lighting orientations.
4:12
4:16 pm

5. Student Activity
a. Students then use the 3D text (on the smart

Walk around the

board) as a guide in shading their own 3D

classroom, monitoring

image.

the students activity

b. Extension Activity: Can students create

shading that indicates lighting from a different

and fielding
questions.

angle? What about for a different coloured

shape?
c. Students save their image for submitting to the
teacher.
4:16
4-19 pm

6. Class discussion

Try and encourage

a. The teacher asks the following questions and

invites student contribution and discussion on
the answers. (Questions invite the students to
think more deeply about how we perceive 3D
images)
i. We have seen how to apply greyscale
shading to a 3D image. How would you

students who have

not completed the
extension activities to
answer first, to
encourage them to
think more deeply.

shade a shape in colour? (gets

students who might not have made it
to the entension activity to consider
what it was asking them to consider.)

I&CT Curriculum I

Jackson Carr - 21286599

ii. How might you shade something in AI

to provide the illusion of a curved
surface? (this challenges students to
think outside the box, draw on other
experience they have, and make
connections between that and what
they have just learned)
4:19
4:20 pm

7. Conclusion
a. Summarize the skills that the students have
developed
b. re-iterating the learning objectives and how
students achieved them in the exercise.

Evaluation of Student Learning:

The submitted work (3D drawing with shading) will be used to evaluate student learning.

Did student manage to draw the desired 3D image?

Was an appropriate shading scheme applied?

Did the student successfully complete any of the extension activities?

The response of the class to questions, and the quality of ensuing discussion will also
indicate the level of comprehension.
Were there any students who struggled to get through the activity?
Self-Evaluation/Reflection:
Reflect on the following questions after the lesson:

Was the audio/visual material appropriate or effective in introducing the topic to the
students?
o

The video was chosen for the simplicity and accuracy of language, the
conversational tone, and clear, concise presentation.

Did students still not understand the purpose of the perspective grid after
seeing the video? i.e. were they asking questions that were addressed by the
video?

If not, try and find a better example, perhaps with more elaboration, or create
my own. Also, allow more time for discussion or questions before beginning
the task.

I&CT Curriculum I

Jackson Carr - 21286599

Was my presentation method and style clear and concise (did students have to ask
questions I already answered? Did I keep to time?)?

Were students engaged in the activity, or were they distracted? (facebook etc? Did
they complete the task in the allotted time?)
o

If motivation was lacking, how could I improve it?

Did students have the assumed knowledge, or did they need to ask question about
techniques below the level of the task (i.e. did they know how to use the tools not
explained?

Were students challenged by the exercise (Did some need to seek guidance, but still
able to achieve the task with a little support)? Was the activity too easy (no
questions)?
o

i.e. was I in the zone of proximal development?

Was there sufficient extension material for students who were ahead of the class?

Were students able to suggest ideas in class discussions?

How might better questions be posed that link to other skills acquired in prior
learning?

Were there any behavioural management problems?

o

If so, were they related to students failing to engage with the topic, the topic
being too easy or too hard, or because the topic was too long?

I&CT Curriculum I

Jackson Carr - 21286599