Calling all artists and Pokémon lovers! New for Nintendo 3DS is a fun new artsy game that teaches you how to draw your favorite Pokémon characters: Pokémon Art Academy. The game makes you an official student of the Pokémon Art Academy, a school that takes you through everything you need to know to become a Pokémon card illustrator, from the basics to the more artistically advanced skills.
You go through the different levels of lessons in the Art Academy with your fellow, very-much-less-artistically-talented student Lee, who has trouble with the basics and a super positive attitude, so even with the tougher artistic nuances, the player doesn’t get frustrated. Each new lesson adds a little something more. I played through almost half of the novice lessons and learned to draw a Pokémon’s head straight on and at an angle, and even worked my way up to drawing a full body Pokémon—in just an hour!
I have no artistic skill whatsoever, but the step-by-step lessons are really easy to follow. Each lesson has the main lesson, and then a few mini lessons that allow you practice the main lesson you just learned on your own. You’re never alone though—your trusty instructor is always there to help you when you get stuck. The lessons teach you how to use different tools to make your Pokémon look as close at it can to the real art, and even those that are not as artistically gifted, such as myself, will feel pretty proud of their masterpiece. After each of the lessons, you can save your drawing on a Pokémon card, and view your collection in your very own book of trading cards.
Pokémon Art Academy is a really fun new way to play with your favorite Pokémon characters. Instead of your typical battling game, this game encourages your creative spirit, allowing you to draw Pokémon based on lessons, but also in a free paint mode that lets you draw as you please. I’m sure someone much better than myself would probably be able to transfer the skills they learn in the game to drawing IRL, but perhaps by the time I play through all the lessons, I’ll have been blessed with such talent. Overall, this game provides a great way to incorporate favorite characters, while still exercising that creative part of your brain.
Check out the trailer from E3 below:
