Parents' Guide to

Art Academy

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Thorough, fun lessons will genuinely help your art.

Game Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi 2010
Art Academy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Art Academy Game: Screenshot #1
  • Art Academy Game: Screenshot #2
  • Art Academy Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Alexandria L.
Alexandria L. Adult
May 1, 2011
age 10+

If you are a die-hard gamer, this is NOT for you!!!

I bought this game recently for a long car trip, and I, as a 14-year-old that it is EPIC (in my own way)!!! I still play on the Metallic Rose-colored Nintendo DS Lite that my mom bought for me at the local Walmart the day after I got out of the sixth grade, so I don't have the ability of the camera that is included in the DSi/XL/3DS, but it's not the end of the world. (I honestly don't care). I like the fact that you can use the free paint and create whatever you feel like, but the only disadvantage is that once you switch from pencil to paints, you CANNOT switch back to pencil (which is a piece of advice for people who are complaining that they can't swich back to pencil once they go to paint without starting over or saving the current painting. But, I've done the same thing in art class). And, this would make an excelent Wii game. MY FAVORITE!!!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
kmillsma
kmillsma Parent of 7 and 10-year-old
April 17, 2011
age 8+

fabulous for learning to draw and paint

My 10 year old loves playing this game and has picked up many great tips she now uses in her own art.
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

In 10 somewhat lengthy lessons (plus a number of quicker mini-lessons), Art Academy can make you a better artist. Starting with the basics of line drawing and moving on to shading, mixing colors, and everything in between, your virtual tutor, Vince (a Leonardo Da Vinci look-alike), not only tells you how to hone your artistic skills, he also demonstrates, stroke for stroke, how to do everything. Once you've got all the various techniques under your belt, you can create art as you wish -- and then save pictures to your gallery, adorned by the frame of your choice.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

What makes Art Academy such a wonderfully helpful tool is the way it not only tells you what to do, but shows you. After Vince explains how to use intersecting lines to create cross-hatch shading, you get to watch -- in close-up -- exactly how his brush or pencil moves to create those intersecting lines. The game might not be able to make you a great artist, but if you truly pay attention and follow these lessons, you can't help but learn a few things along the way. The tools all work wonderfully, and in very realistic manners. You can choose from multiple different brushes and pencils and even choose to hold a pencil at different angles. The amount of paint coming off a brush will decrease until you "re-dip" and start a new stroke. The DS screen makes for a very tiny canvas, but Art Academy doesn't intend for you to work only in this virtual format -- the game actually tells you to take what you've learned and use it in real life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the value of art. Why do we need art in the world? In what ways does art make the world a better place? Can you imagine a world without art?

  • What kind of things do you like to draw and paint? Ask kids their reasoning behind the pictures they make.

Game Details

  • Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
  • Subjects: Arts: drawing, painting
  • Skills: Tech Skills: digital creation, using and applying technology, Creativity: combining knowledge, imagination, making new creations, Self-Direction: effort, self-assessment, self-reflection
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: October 25, 2010
  • Genre: Art
  • ESRB rating: E for (No Descriptors)
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

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