Best 3D Illustration Libraries for your UI Design
By: Christine Vallaure
Tags: Figma, Illustration, 3d, UX, UI

UX/UI Design

Best 3D Illustration Libraries for your UI Design

3D illustration has become a huge UI design trend in 2021. Using tools such as Cinema 4D or Blender (free to use by the way) will allow you to create your own, and that will obviously be a great advantage and create masterpieces just like those by Peter Tarka, who is my all-time hero when it comes to 3D illustration.

Now I don’t want to upset you but let’s face it, unless you are ready to contract a 3D illustrator or get your hands dirty yourself, it’s just not going to be as easy as a Figma layout. However, if you are looking for something ready-made to add some sparkle to your UI Design, here is a list of libraries that you might like.

Note: This is a mix of free and paid libraries. I am not associated or get paid by any of those, it's purely a selection of tools that I like using and you mi want to explore.

Characterz ($)

Characterz is another fantastic series by ThreeDee. It contains a Blender pack to create your own avatars, but you can also use the ready-made PNGs, compatible with Figma, Sketch, Xd, Photoshop, and Illustrator. It comes with a beginner’s tutorial for customizing with Blender without knowing Blender, pretty sweet.

Vectary Figma Plugin

I love the Vectary 3D Plugin for a quick mockup! With one click, you add your Figma frame to a 3D canvas. They offer anything from mobile to desktop, apple watch to T-shirts for free. Vectary.com is generally impressive if you are looking for a tool to add some 3D to your designs.

Best Pixels ($)

source: Best Pixels on Creative Market

source: Best Pixels Creative Market

BestPixels has a great selection of ready-made images sold on Creative Market. For a Figma fan like me, the only disappointment is that they come as customizable Photoshop file ONLY, so unless you hold a PSD license, this might not work for you. Bit of a downer, but the illustrations are fantastic and can be customized and exported from PSD as PNGs to be used in your Figma file.

UI8 ($)

UI8 is its own marketplace full of UI Design resources and kits. The new 3D section holds fantastic resources for your 3D Design ranging from healthcare to space and anything you can dream of. If you are looking for a specific topic, this is your place. Most sets are compatible with Blender and Figma, but make sure to check before purchasing.

Toy Faces ($)

Check out the playful 3D work by amritpaldesign.com. In the Design Asset section, you can buy packs, like this fantastic toy faces collection. Download the free demo bundle here.

SALY — 3D Illustration Pack

Another treasure from the Figma Community page. Try out this excellent free 3D Illustration Pack by Saly. All ready to use in Figma. However, the illustrations are ready-made PNGs, so not much you can change. Still fantastic value for a free pack!

FALL GUYS

Ok, monsters might not be your typical business case; however they are so incredibly cute, plus they are free, so you might want to give them a try. Fall Guys are ready to use in Figma via the Figma Community. And you can customize them!

Handy Hand’s

Figma community at its best. Try out 3D Hand gestures with 20 premium hand images. They are set up in such a way that you can adjust the color in Figma to go with your branding. Simple yet nice touch to ordinary mockups.

Hanz ($ but free test version)

If you are into the hand idea but need more, there is another excellent set from ThreeDee. Handz contains a Blender pack to create your own, but you can also use the ready-made PNGs, compatible with Figma, Sketch, Xd, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Download a free version here.

3ddd ($ but free test version)

3ddd offers a set of colorful and playful characters for your web and app design. You can get a free demo to test it. Not the most extensive library, but if you are looking for simple characters, this might be a fit.

Kukla Kit ($ but free test version)

Kukla Kit is an extensive set of tweakable 3D illustrations for presentations, apps, and websites. Being compatible with Blender and Figma gives you complete control. You can get a free download here.

Stock Images ($)

source: StockStyle on Shutterstock

source: Khairitdinov on Shutterstock

You can actually buy some decent pre-rendered images at places like Shutterstock, AdobeStock, or Creative Market. You won’t be able to tweak them as much, but if you are looking for a nice intro image for your website in high quality, this might the perfect solution. Check out the work by Rinat Khairitdinov and StockStyle.

Thank you!

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