In a world with an ever-increasing
focus on resolution and detail, you may
have noticed chunky, jagged graphics
popping up here and there. The trend is
called low-poly art, and its popularity is
rising in the digital art world.
Today’s low-poly art is an
interpretation of the beginnings of
3-D modeling. The term comes from
the fact that 3-D objects are modeled
using a series of shapes stitched
together—called a polygon mesh—and
early 3-D graphics had a significantly
lower polygon count than today.
Nowadays, many artists are returning
to their roots and imitating these early
graphics.
So what’s the appeal? Low-poly art
feels like a throwback to simpler times.
It’s a step away from the organic curves
of high-res images and a step toward
the blatant unreality of early graphics.
Its value lies in the nostalgia and thrill
we experienced when we first entered
the world of early video games, and the
fantasy of a world that hints at our own
without trying to replicate it.
With low-poly art, it’s not all in the
details; in fact, it’s precisely the
opposite. By stripping graphics down to
their simplest form, the artist—and the
viewer in their experience of the art—is
empowered to focus on other elements
such as color, lighting, and style. It’s an
embracing of the essence of the subject
rather than the literal, physical image.
If you’d like to bring low-poly art to
your images, check out the Geometric
Animal Faces package available in the
PicsArt Shop.
PicsArt Monthly |79