Disney Art Academy Is a Game That Can ACTUALLY Teach You How to Draw

If you've always wanted to know how to draw, Disney Art Academy for the Nintendo 3DS can be a lot more than just a game.

It takes advantage of the system's touch screen and stylus for a seamless drawing experience, starting off players with simple step-by-step drawing tutorials using basic tools before introducing more advanced techniques.

Main screen of Disney Art Academy for Nintendo 3DS

(via Nintendo)

And unlike most video games, the skills you learn here are actually applicable to the real world. This game can truly unlock your inner artist.

Disney Art Academy is all about supplying you with the building blocks you need to draw great characters. It starts players off with a simple drawing of either Mickey or Minnie Mouse.

Disney Art Academy drawing of Minnie Mouse

(via Nintendo)

In the beginning, there isn't a ton of artistry involved. The outlines are provided, and it's up to the player to just color in the spaces according to the instructions, showing players how easy character-construction can be.

 

The next set of drawings introduces more complicated concepts. It's all about expressions, and how the use of color and shape is effective in conveying different emotions.

Disney Art Academy drawing of Sadness from Inside Out

(via Nintendo)

For example, Sadness' moody palette and soft, downturned shapes express her mournful personality. Look how morose she looks!

 

Disney Art Academy uses Disney princess drawing lessons to help players learn how to draw detailed facial features and make characters more beautiful through the use of symmetry.

Disney Art Academy drawing of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog

(via Nintendo)

During the princes lessons, players also learn new techniques, including the use of a spray paint tools to create glowy effects around crowns and jewelry.

 

As the lessons progress, the game develops into something much bigger than simple step-by-step exercises, focusing on theory as well as technical skills. This is the stuff you can use in real life!

By drawing characters from Winnie the Pooh, players learn about shading and volume, and in a few classes centered around Mickey's classic gang, they find out how to construct whole characters from basic shapes.

There are also instructions around how to use lines of action and the importance of poses, plus a few lessons about the asymmetry and angular lines used to create villains, and color theory.

Disney Art Academy drawing of Mulan

(via Nintendo)

 

Once you've mastered these skills, you'll be pretty impressed with your results. Using different levels of transparency for different effects and using layers and different mediums, you'll be able to get exactly the result you want.

disney-art-academy-simba-drawing-072016 copy

(via Nintendo)

 

These stunning Disney princess drawings wouldn't be possible without Disney Art Academy!

disney-art-academy-elsa-jasmine-drawing-072016

(via Nintendo)

 

And all of these techniques you learn in the game can transfer to real life. Here's an Eeyore we drew in Disney Art Academy:

Disney Art Academy drawing of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

(via Nintendo)

 

And here's an Eeyore drawn on a sticky note with just a pencil and a couple of pens following the same instructions:

Eeyore drawn on sticky note based on Pokémon Art Academy directions

We don't think it looks too shabby!

If you're an aspiring artist, Disney Art Academy is definitely worth picking up. We don't think it's a stretch to say that some of the people playing this will be animators at Disney themselves one day!

 

And if you're in the lookout for another riveting and adorable game to play this summer, click HERE to see what we thought of Kirby: Planet Robobot.

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