Who Needs Drawing Lessons?
A Review of Drawing Discoveries
by Brad Jeske
For some of us certain things come easier than others. While some are more sports inclined, others might have the edge in art. If it's the edge in art your seeking there is a CD program called Drawing Discoveries by Brainstorm that might just give you the help you're looking for.
Using the African landscape as the backdrop, you learn the art of drawing by using the African landscape as your practice board, as you try your hand at drawing the animals and people of that land.
Akua, a gazelle, is your guide throughout the program. Not only does she help you learn to draw, she also adds some flavor by giving some interesting facts and history about the continent of Africa. Navigating is easy to do; from the main menu you have the choice of three different areas: The Grasslands, The Rain forest, and the Desert, and some additional help areas are available such as the Studio, Mask, and Frame.
Selected a drawing by dragging the mouse over the map of Africa, and holding over the graphic, a graphic image will appear. By selecting the image you are taken to the drawing board to start.
Before you start drawing a short video clip plays introducing you to the subject you are about to draw.
The drawing screen is divided into two sections. One is reserved for you, the other is for Akua. Here you can either go on your own and draw the image, or you can use Akua's help as she gives her insight onto how to draw the image.
You can either draw from a paper and pen, or use the mouse and draw on the sketch pad on the screen. I found that using the mouse was not as difficult as I first imagined it would be. After just a short breaking in period, I found just as easy to use as paper and pen. If your running a Mac here's a hint, go to your control panel and select the mouse. Here you can slow down the tracking of the mouse which will allow more control when drawing. One feature missing here though is an option for more variety of different pencil sizes as the program offers only one choice.
The technique used for drawing is started out by drawing the eyes first. Once the eyes positioning has been made you work out from there. As a novice artist, this proved to be interesting, as when I try to draw, I always seem to start from the outside and move in.
As you move through the drawing, Akua is there to provide helpful hints, and encouragement. Though there isn't too much insight into drawing technique, it is more or less follow Akua as she leads through the image.
Room for exploration and trying you own ideas of the image is highly encouraged with this program; nothing is considered wrong. Once finished with the picture, you have an option of coloring it. Though, it must be saved first before coloring can commence. Three different size brushes allow for coloring. Once done, printing out and saving the finished project can be done.
Finished, or works in progress can be saved in the Gallery. Here you can create your own portfolio to show to others.
Along with this program are some helping sections. One is the Studio Tour. Here you see the work of Pablo Picasso, and how the influence of African art inspired him. Calling this section a "Tour" is a bit of an misnomer, as there is only one area of Picasso is covered.
The Art Studio is a selection of thirty-three different drawing in which you are allowed to work with on your own. By scrolling through the thumbnails of pictures, just "click on" the one you would like to work on, and be taken to the familiar work screen area where you can work from the mouse, or pen and paper.
Throughout this CD there is a wonderful soundtrack of African music, which can also be play in any CD player.
There is a twenty-three page manual that can be printed out from the CD in Adobe Acrobat.
This program, according to the producers, is designed for anyone from 8 to 101 years of age, it has most definitely been targeted for the younger art prodigy. This program probably wouldn't fly well with older kids, who may find the language too juvenile for them.
Though I felt that Drawing Discoveries fell a bit short. More teaching of basic art techniques could have been used; and the Studio Tour was a bit of a disappointment.
But, on the other hand, if you have child, that really has the desire to learn to draw, then give Drawing Discoveries a try. The encouragement here is genuine. And the skills attained will give your child a good start to the basics needed to pursue the pleasures and rewards of drawing for many years to come.
MultiMedia Cafe Scorecard
| Product: | Drawing Discoveries |
| Company: | BrainStorm, a division of Interplay |
| Cost: | $29.95 |
System Requirements:
IBM:
WINDOWS 95 or Windows 3.1, 486 66 Hhz,
8 MB RAM, 10 MB free hard drive space,
Minimum of 640x480 resolution monitor,
Double Speed CD-ROM Drive, Windows compatible sound card.
Optional:
Windows compatible printer,
Windows compatible graphics tablet.
Macintosh:
68040 or better processor, System 7 or better,
10 MB free hard drive space, 4 MB RAM,
Minimum of 640x480 resolution monitor,
Double Speed CD-ROM drive.
Optional:
Mac OS compatible printer,
Mac OS compatible graphics tablet.
Breakdown:
Entertainment Value 4
Educational Value 3
Concept 2
Depth 4
Interface 3
Overall Score:
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