Tutorial : Illustrating an Isometric Coffee Cup — Part 3

This is the 3rd and final part of the series on Isometric Illustrations. Do read the Part 1 and Part 2 as well if you haven’t already.

When I started writing the first post on Isometric Illustrations, I just thought of sharing how I overcame the fear of creating visual compositions. Thanks for motivating me to write more 🙌.

No tutorial is ever complete unless the reader feels accomplished at the results achieved from it. I know that it takes a little more than just a simple cube or a cylinder to get that feeling. So here I m back (as promised) with the 3rd and final part of this series on Isometric Illustrations. In this post, I will show you how to illustrate something more complicated like this isometric coffee cup 😊

Isometric Coffee Cup (You’ll be able to illustrate this in the next 5 minutes 🙌)

Well, by ‘complicated’ I just mean that it is a combination of multiple simpler steps that you have learnt in Part 1 and Part 2. So, all that you need to do is, break down the problem into smaller pieces. Simple.

Are you ready for it? Let’s get started!

First, let’s take a minute and observe the 2D illustration of the coffee cup. Unlike a simple cylinder which has a uniform cross section, this cup has a variable cross section; i.e. the top is wider and the bottom is narrower. It also has a protruding brim and a grip.

2D Coffee Cup

Geometrically speaking, it is made up of 4 simple shapes — 3 Trapeziums (2 for the body, 1 for the grip) and 1 Rounded Rectangle (for the brim). These are the shapes that we will separate to break down the image.

Breaking down the 2D illustration of the Coffee Cup into simpler shapes

Now, the so called complicated problem has reduced to 4, much simpler, problems. 😃 Consider each part as one independent illustration and proceed.

Let me demonstrate the top protruding brim of the cup because that is relatively more complicated than the other three.

Step 1 : Draw the orthographic projections

Here, we will draw only the top and the bottom views. Remember from Part 2? For cylindrical objects, we need not use the left and right views. 😊

Imagine seeing the brim of the cup from the top. You will see multiple circles corresponding to the edges. e.g. This particular cup has two circles for top view (one for inner and the other for outer edge) and two circles for the bottom (Refer to the image below). This will change based on how intricate the design of your cup is.

Isometric cup marked with the top-view circles corresponding to the edges

Top(s) & Bottom(s) view(s)

Step 2 : Apply SSR modifications

Once you have the orthographic views, select each one of them separately and:

1. Scale the height to 86.602% (Yes, this precisely needs to be 86.602%. Should not be rounded off to 86 or 90)
2. Next, shear the scaled face by +30°
3. Finally, rotate the scaled and sheared face by -30°

Transformation of the Orthographic Top View

And… We have the Isometric Faces ready! Fill appropriate colours to each of the transformed shape to arrive at the final look 😊

But hey… Something seems off, doesn’t it? 🤔

If you observe closely, you will notice that there is a slight mismatch which looks like an unfilled gap. This is because, SSR is not a magical formula for generating Isometric Illustrations. It is just a useful hack which comes with its own humble limitation.

The mismatch!

But do not worry 🤗 We can very easily fill this gap using the pen tool. Refer to this gif below.

Filling the gap

Similarly, transform and assemble the remaining shapes (the 3 remaining trapeziums) and we are all set to assemble the complete coffee cup! Excited 😃 ?

Isometric forms of the other shapes

And this, my dear friend, is how you illustrate an Isometric Coffee Cup! 😎

The final assembly 😍

So, do not forget the moral of the story👇

Complicated = (Simple 1) + (Simple 2) +…(Simple n)

Whenever you want to illustrate anything complicated, stick to the basics. Just break it down into smaller pieces and then everything will be as easy as a pie! All the best and do post your work and queries in the comments 😊

To check out more things I do and discover, follow us on Dribbble.

Here are some of my isometric shots on Dribbble:

Isometric Headphones

The Zeta Desk

Isometric Football Stadium

Other posts in this series

This is the third and final part of the series on Isometric Illustrations. Do read the first two parts as well :

1. Part 1 : How I became an Illustrator by discovering a new dimension
2. Part 2 : Mastering Isometric Illustrations

If you are curious about UX and Design, do check out my YouTube channel for tips, suggestions and tutorials related to design.