Art of Glow
By Dana Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Create free, simple, mesmerizing art with a finger twirl.
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Art of Glow
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What’s It About?
Kids start drawing by first choosing settings for color, shape, size, speed, "blink," and more. With Art of Glow's many choices to choose from (for example, shapes include eight different options), the combinations for creation are endless. As kids begin to finger paint, their own unique moving, twinkling, fading digital art creations appear on the screen.
Is It Any Good?
ART OF GLOW is deceptively simple and yet can be intriguing for long stretches of time as you watch your own fingers create fireworks, stars, and endless swirls that seem to take on a life of their own. The settings are fun to play with and can completely mix up the experience. For kids who can't yet read, a parent will need to explain which setting controls what aspect of each glow drawing (speed, color, shape, etc.) and the app is self-explanatory from there. If you want to create specific images with this art tool, it may take a few tries to learn how to get the details that you want, but it can be done even for those not artistically inclined. If your kid is happy to just to move his or her fingers around and watch the colors and shapes come to life, this app is an instant winner. Pro version ($0.99) has video and other expanded capabilities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Ask kids to explain why they chose the settings they did on a particular drawing.
Draw a picture together and then mix it up. Discuss with your kid what feelings different color, speed, and motion settings create in the same drawing.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Arts: drawing, painting, Science: motion, Math: shapes
- Skills: Tech Skills: digital creation, Creativity: imagination, making new creations
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: August 28, 2010
- Category: Kids' Games
- Publisher: Natenai Ariyatrakool
- Version: 1.1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.0 or later, Android 2.2 and up
- Last updated: August 22, 2016
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