IJIET 2025 Vol.15(8): 1573-1583
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.8.2359
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.8.2359
Developing a Digital Illustration Curriculum Based on A/R/Tography: Integrating AI-Generated Art and Chinese-Spanish Heritage Patterns for Cross-Cultural Education
Xi Zhu1,*, Bili Duan2, Xiaojing Cao3, and Yue Tan4,5
1. Faculty of Education, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
2. Faculty of Art and Design, Guangzhou Institute of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China
3. Faculty of Art, Sichuan Film and Television University, Chengdu, China
4. Faculty of Modern Hotel Management, Gingko College of Hospitality Management, Chengdu, China
5. Faculty of Tourism, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
Email: xixi.zhu87@gmail.com (X.Z.); 364528752@qq.com (B.D.); 851963869@qq.com (X.C); u1990333@campus.udg.edu (Y.T.)
*Corresponding author
2. Faculty of Art and Design, Guangzhou Institute of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China
3. Faculty of Art, Sichuan Film and Television University, Chengdu, China
4. Faculty of Modern Hotel Management, Gingko College of Hospitality Management, Chengdu, China
5. Faculty of Tourism, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
Email: xixi.zhu87@gmail.com (X.Z.); 364528752@qq.com (B.D.); 851963869@qq.com (X.C); u1990333@campus.udg.edu (Y.T.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received March 27, 2025; revised April 9, 2025; accepted May 26, 2025; published August 7, 2025
Abstract—A/R/Tography, as a research framework that integrates artistic creation (A), research (R), and teaching (T), provides new possibilities for digital art education. This study explores the application of Generative AI (AIGC) in heritage pattern design by integrating AI-generated art with A/R/Tography theory to develop a structured digital illustration curriculum. The course framework comprises symbolic deconstruction, AI-assisted pattern generation, digital reconfiguration, and cross-cultural adaptation, enabling students to engage critically with Chinese and Spanish heritage motifs, such as Sanxingdui totems, Forbidden City cloud and dragon patterns, Alhambra geometric structures, and Arabesque floral ornaments. By closely working with AI Agents, students will analyze and generate heritage symbols and optimize AI-created patterns through manual double-checking and cultural adaptation, ensuring aesthetic authenticity and global applicability. Findings indicate that AI enhances efficiency, accessibility, and innovation in heritage design education, whereas human intervention remains essential for cultural accuracy and creative extension. This research demonstrates that AI+A/R/Tography not only enriches artistic pedagogy, but also fosters cross-cultural dialogue, interdisciplinary learning, and the global dissemination of heritage art in the era of digitalization.
Keywords—A/R/Tography, Generative AI, digital illustration, heritage patterns, cross-cultural adaptation, visual arts education
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—A/R/Tography, Generative AI, digital illustration, heritage patterns, cross-cultural adaptation, visual arts education
Cite: Xi Zhu, Bili Duan, Xiaojing Cao, and Yue Tan, "Developing a Digital Illustration Curriculum Based on A/R/Tography: Integrating AI-Generated Art and Chinese-Spanish Heritage Patterns for Cross-Cultural Education," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 1573-1583, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).