A Hand-Held Art Studio Allows Users to Unleash Their Creativity

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Everyone has artistic impulses, whether it’s doodling on a notepad or feeling inspired by a painting. With the Oct. 25 launch of the Art Academy™ software for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Nintendo shows how art instruction can teach people to create their own masterpieces in no time. Art Academy gives people from all walks of life a remarkable new way to boost their creative skills and act on their artistic inspiration anytime, anywhere. This title offers a series of fun, interactive lessons that teach the essentials of drawing and painting, plus unique features that let users create and store their own personal masterworks.

Art Academy helps users rediscover the passion and excitement for art they had as kids, whether they’re making a portrait of a friend or having fun replicating the work of a master. Users can follow basic tutorials on topics such as color and shading or just explore the boundless creative possibilities of Free Paint mode, which lets them draw whatever comes to mind. The Nintendo DS stylus can be used just like a paintbrush or pencil, while the touch screen functions as a virtual canvas. The ability to adjust brush and pencil sizes, mix custom colors and apply creative effects can yield beautifully realistic results. Even better, the skills learned in Art Academy can be transferred to real-world art materials.

“Art Academy makes it fun and convenient to express your creativity anytime, anywhere,” said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. “Even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before, the simple-to-follow lessons and intuitive touch-screen controls open up a world of artistic enjoyment for budding artists of any age.”

Art Academy lessons are led by a friendly on-screen instructor named Vince who gradually guides students through numerous artistic concepts. Lessons can be enjoyed at each user’s own pace, and even paused and saved for later completion. The software includes all 10 lessons from the previously released Art Academy: First Semester and Art Academy: Second Semester for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, which allows users with a broadband Internet connection to access downloadable content. Art Academy also contains additional mini lessons, 20 virtual picture frames and more than 80 motifs that can be used to practice. Users will find themselves smiling with satisfaction as each masterpiece is perfected step by step.

Via a local wireless connection, users can share a Demo lesson with other Nintendo DS owners, even if they don’t own a copy of the software. Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ users have the added ability to use their system’s built-in cameras to take photos of subjects they want to paint and use them as a reference.

For more information about Art Academy, visit http://www.nintendo.com.