3D isometric US cities made with AI
Even if the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained so much notoriety in the last year, artists and designers are only starting to uncover its true potential.
To keep you inspired in this journey and give you downloadable content for your own creations, we created a series of illustrations where iconic US cities were put through the lens of AI. The result was four collections of isometric images that do what AI does best: reveal new perspectives to well-known concepts.
But first, what is isometric art?
Isometric art is a 3D style where all dimensions are represented at a scale that doesn’t distort reality. This type of art also demands that the angle between the top, left and right axis remains the same which provides the most open perspective possible. Because of this, isometric art is often used to represent scenes that require high levels of detail such as outdoor environments, buildings and rooms.
How to do a 3D isometric city in AI?
In order to showcase the power of AI, Freepik gathered a group of renowned illustrators to turn New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago into 3D isometric illustrations.
Using Generative AI and their own skills, these artists were able to put ideas into action much quicker and explore larger amounts of possibilities. Tools such as Freepik’s AI Image Generator, can help you uncover new creative paths by just typing what’s in your head.
How to write prompts to create isometric 3D art in AI?
Since words can be turned into art in an instant, picking the right ones has become a key part of the creative process.
When it comes to prompt writing, it’s important to consider two things:
- The right word can help your vision come to life.
- The wrong word can do the exact opposite.
After deciding on the style of the US cities project, artists came up with AI prompts that would cover all the key points of their vision.
Here you’ll see an example of one successful prompt that was used in this project:
“Tiny cute isometric (USA city) in a cutaway box, soft smooth lighting, soft colors, 100mm lens, 3d blender”
The result of prompts like this one became the basis of the final designs that we’ll be reviewing soon.
Examples of isometric 3D cities made with AI
Before exploring the end result, it’s important to describe what came after the prompt writing and the use of the AI tools.
It is true that AI allowed digital artists to execute multiple versions of their vision in no time. However, to accomplish a truly remarkable result, these artists had to evaluate the proposals from the AI tool, select the elements that worked from each one, edit those elements to generate one coherent design, and retouch each design to achieve a distinctive style.
The final contribution of these artists was to animate these illustrations and bring their little worlds to life in a completely different way.
With the quick adoption of AI, concerns about the role of digital artists within this new landscape have arisen. When looking at the entire process of the US cities project, it becomes clear that the touch of a human is as necessary as always.
Having said that, let’s dive into the collections!
New York collection
One of the most recognizable cities in the world gets a new perspective with these isometric designs that include a relaxing new perspective of Central Park and a compelling miniature view of the Statue of Liberty.
Seattle collection
This playful version of Seattle takes us through iconic spots such as the Space Needle and its multi-faceted architecture.
San Francisco collection
This new perspective of San Francisco’s steep roads and that iconic bridge is like looking at a dollhouse that you would love to live in.
Chicago collection
This collection showcases the Chicago experience in a small and fun way; from a visit to the cinema to a walk by the water, the dynamic vibes of this city are well represented here.
AI needs you
We hope these collections and its behind the scenes got you interested in integrating AI to your design activity. As this technology keeps evolving, the way we use it should evolve too.
Whether it is to reimagine iconic cities or to visualize a new idea, AI is in need of creative minds to fulfill its potential.
We can’t wait to see where you’ll bring it.
