Art Academy is great piece of software that is well worth your time and money, provided you don't have access to cheaper and basically identical DSiWare apps.. My only gripe about the game is that you cannot export your photos, which may be enough to turn some people off from enrolling.
It's the perfect start to what I can only hope is a series, with all of the fundamental components executed very well indeed. With a few additions (most importantly, some way to share your work) this could even become a tool for teachers to leverage or the basis of a new online community.
I think this is a pretty good way to learn some art skills if your style of art you want to learn is mostly still life and painting with references. Although even if you are solely into, say, cartoon art or portrait art, I still feel like there is some stuff to be learned from here. I had a lot of fun doing the lessons, and feel like I learned some stuff. My only real problem was how it would sometimes make me break from the instructions just to do something small like mix my paints when I could do that after the instructions, but since it may be helpful to people who have memory problems, I'm all for possible accessibility.
Art Academy is a very unique type of game. There really is no goal or objective but painting and the resources that Art Academy provides suffice. The ten lessons in the game are all well designed and do a good job of teaching you how to use the painting tools to create your own masterpieces. One thing to touch on is how nice the game sounds, Every thing from the brief interludes between steps in a lesson to the sound of your paintbrush are a pleasure to hear.
The only real issue is a lack of content in the game, After the 10 lessons there are a few more that are pretty much the same lesson but with a new object to paint. The lessons never visit feature abstract paintings, portraits, or anything beyond landscape paintings and still life. Art Academy could have been greatly improved from extra modes or more lessons.
Overall I think Art Academy is worth your time and the price of entry. It serves as a decent teaching tool and a welcome oddity in the DS library that players of any age can find enjoyment and relaxation despite it's relatively low amount of content.
Art Academy was a great DsiWare title, and now it's a greater cardige for all DS owners. Every lesson is a nice way to learn and understand drawing and painting, and the combination between the stylus and the touch screen is well implemented into the experience.
For those of you who purchased both of the original DSiWare titles, Art Academy does not offer enough new content to justify a third purchase. However, the retail release fixes several issues that Second Semester suffers from by combining both lessons, offering an improved product overall.
Would-be artists can check it out for a decent introduction to drawing and painting, but those truly interested in building a solid art foundation will need to seek a more robust course load elsewhere.
Well to call this a game is questionable, It teaches you a lot about artwork and does it well, On the other hand it doesn't teach much because of the limits of the Nintendo DS but what it does teach you is helpful
I recommend this to Older kids who are interested in artwork such as doing it for GCSE or BTEC or Adults trying to learn art skills overall 6/10
SummaryArt Academy: Learn painting and drawing techniques with step-by-step training gives both budding and experienced artists simple and creative tips and tricks to improve, enhance and even learn how to draw and paint.