Disney Art Academy for Nintendo
My son recently received a copy of the Disney Art Academy game by Nintendo as a gift. As I was putting the case away, I read on the back cover “Master the art of drawing beloved Disney and Pixar characters!” and “Add some magic to your art!” Um, sounds good to me! I promised myself to exercise more creativity this year, right?
I feel like I should mention that I haven’t received a lot of praise for my drawing skills over the years. My junior high art teacher used to say things like “good effort” or “we all have different gifts” whenever I turned in my assignments. It didn’t bother me, because he was right. I’m not naturally artistic. Maybe I’m too literal? Too precise? I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s always possible to learn something new, and the very act of trying something that is not your “thing” will inevitably make you more appreciative of those that are gifted in that area.
So, I started up the game, pulled out the little stylus stick thing and followed the prompts. I liked what I found. The game is mostly geared toward children, with silly instructors and lots of encouragement. It requires quite a bit of reading though and shares some higher level art concepts, so I’m thinking it will hold greater appeal for older kids (maybe 9+?) and some adults too (like me!). I better play with it now before my son stops wanting to share.
The game is set up in three modules: 1) lessons – step-by-step instructions on how to draw characters, 2) free paint – a place to practice what you’ve learned by drawing new characters on your own and 3) the clubhouse – a place to save and revisit your past drawings. The “lessons” are then sub-divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced modules and cover topics such as expressions and color theory, just to name a few. As you complete the lessons, new ones open, similar to other games.
Overall, I really enjoyed Disney Art Academy. The first time I tried it I stayed on so long I received a “maybe it’s time for a break” message. Oops. I love the variety of characters from classic to contemporary films. I also liked the straight forward instructions and the opportunity to toggle back and forth between screens as needed. The lessons were challenging enough to hold my interest, but not too hard to keep me from trying. I also really like how the game introduces the idea of using different layers for sketching, coloring, etc. similar to general design software. One of my favorite features was the ease of accessing the “undo” button, which was my friend countless times during my sessions.
Here’s one of the images I drew following the guides on the game. Yep, it’s Ursula from The Little Mermaid. The fact that you can tell who she is without any help is a tribute to how good this game is. You can see some of the other drawings in the gallery on the lower half of the photo. I won’t be hired by Disney animation any time soon, but the game is a really fun way to stretch your brain and learn something new. I suspect it will make me view the animation in the next movie I watch a little more closely too.
Want to give it a try? If you don’t have a Nintendo gaming system, you can look up Disney drawing options online or check-out a book from the library. There are plenty of options, including ones you can share with kids. If drawing isn’t your “thing” and you don’t like it enough to try, consider some other creative activity to add a spark to your routine. If I can do it, you can too! Add some magic to your world.
