Eureka! I Found A Great Product
A Review of Eureka! I Can Draw
Karina Worlton
I remember taking art in grade school. I don't remember what I learned, but I don't think it was much beyond "free expression" in a variety of media. I didn't learn much about the theory behind art. When I first received "Eureka! I Can Draw, " I thought, "Gee, another paint program. " I was wrong. "Eureka! " teaches all the theory I missed in grade school, in a fun humorous way.
You begin using the product by entering through one of several
doors in an art museum/gallery. You can begin a new session, load a
saved session, get instructions, see the quick menu, enter your personal
studio, or visit an artist at work. In the personal studio, you can
practice drawing anything you wish with the draw tools. When you visit
the artist at work, you will see some "works in progress" and learn a
little about the process the artist used to create them.
If you choose to start a session, you will find yourself in a
3-D art gallery environment, reminiscent of the Doom games. However,
this is a much more peaceful place. The walls are hung with
masterpieces which you can click on for a closer look. There are eight
rooms you can enter, each occupied by a different artist. Each artist
will teach you different essential art concepts, in six levels. Since
these concepts are best learned in order, you will find images of the
artists that you should visit next along the bottom margin of your
screen.
When you enter an artist's "studio, " the bottom margin will show
images of items you can click on to receive your art education. For
example, the first artist you are encouraged to visit is a German
Einstein-like scientist. The bottom margin shows you a bunsen burner, a
calculator, and a vase. When you click on one, the scientist explains
in a German accent the math principles behind art. Across the hall is
the snooty French artiste. The other artists are the New York
bagel-eating modern artist, the Oriental, the Western lumberjack, the
Jamaican "mon, " the 60's flower child, and the Native American.
You will notice that each studio is designed to fit the
personality of the artist who works there. All of the graphics are
cartoon-like, with bright colors and personality. The background music
changes from classical music in the hallway to a sound typical of the
artist. Each artist, in an appropriate accent, will deliver deadpan
one-liners, most of which are generally groaners, but still humorous.
For example, the Oriental says "Thus, we are all one, except Sumo
wrestlers, who are often two or three. "
The concepts you learn, such as perspective, proportion, shadow,
and portraiture, are all first explained by the artist, and then
illustrated, often by an interactive tutorial. And therein lies my only
problem with this product. You are supposed to draw using your mouse,
giving you results I can only compare to an Etch-a-Sketch. I would
recommend that when you buy this product, do your drawings the
old-fashioned way, with paper and pencil. However, as the product
points out, "There's no Undo command in the real world. "
Overall, this product is terrific. It's easy to use and to set
up, and includes online help. The graphics are exciting and visually
pleasing. The humor ranges from quirky to vaudeville one-liners. The
background music is pleasant and adds to the experience. You'll learn
art principles in a captivating, humorous way and find yourself getting
in touch with your creative right brain.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
Eureka! I Can Draw |
| Company: |
Nu.Millennia Inc.
|
| Cost: |
$39.95 |
System Requirements:
PC Compatible:
486-66MHz processor with VLB,
Super VGA (minimum 640x480, 256 colors),
8 MB Ram (5MB free), Double Speed CD-ROM Drive,
Windows 3.1x or Windows 95, DOS 5.0 or better,
Windows-compatible 16-bit sound card, Windows-compatible mouse.
Macintosh:
68040 or PowerPC processor, 33MHz,
8MB RAM (5 MB free), Double Speed CD-ROM drive,
System 7.1 or higher and mouse.
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 3
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 5
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Overall Score:
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