Support NeoGAF

[Robin64]

Developer: Headstrong Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Website: Nintendo.com
Release Date: August 7th (Japan), August 9th (US, Europe)
Formats: Wii U (eShop Download)
Price: ¥400 / $3.99 (US) / £3.59 / €3.99 / $5.20 (AUS)

Art Academy: SketchPad is a robust art application that anyone can enjoy - from beginners to experts of all ages. Unleash your creativity using realistic stylus and touch screen-based controls. The tools at your disposal allow for an amazing level of detail. The huge variety of pencils, colored pencils, and pastels behave just like the real thing – with additional tools to further enhance your experience.

Use a pre-loaded image as a subject, or anything else you wish to create works of art to your heart’s content. When you’re done, you can instantly share your creation by posting directly to Miiverse!

It became obvious within days of the Wii U launching that Miiverse was going to be home to many wonderful artists. Many images that cropped up were especially amazing considering the limitations of low resolution and one color, black.

During the early videos that demoed the GamePad's functionality, there was something that looked a little like this:

Many hoped that meant the Wii U would launch with a drawing application, but it didn't. But! It seems the drawing activity on Miiverse inspired Nintendo to release a small section of their upcoming Art Academy game with just this purpose. Called SketchPad, we can finally draw to our heart's content.

Official Screenshots

So let's go at it. Let's do some amazing stuff and let's share here things we find on the community that are amazing too. If you post an image, please also link to the post on Miiverse so others can "Yeah!" them or follow the artist. Thanks!



A little warning, too: It turns out you can only have 12 things saved. So be careful and don't be scared of losing art! Still, bit of a shame...

 

[Robin64]

Some Miiverse Pictures

 

[oti]

I'm so so bad at drawing but I really love all the Miiverse-artists out there. There should be a system in place to reward good drawings.

I tried the 3DS Art Academy but it didn't grab me at all unfortunately.
Saw this one on Miiverse today.

 

[prag16]

Some of the stuff already popping up on there is insane. Wonder what the price will be in the west.

Judging by 400 yen, I'd have to think $5 would be the absolute max.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Praise the Sun

Spoiler

Robin64

for this thread! Hopefully it becomes great.

 

[Baleoce]

Subbed. Going to get very hooked on this particular miiverse.

 

[Phazon]

Amazing pictures and works of art. I love them.

Hopefully we'll see many more of those.

 

[zroid]

Ashley <3

oh, it's only 400 yen!? that's actually not too bad at all, for some reason I was just assuming it'd be at least $10. Even though I have no artistic skill whatsoever, if it's $4-5 I will most likely download it.

 

[Robin64]

Ashley <3

That's my personal favourite pic so far! The art is spot on and the colouring is excellent.

 

[hachi]

This will certainly take Miiverse to the next level and set it apart completely from any possible attempts on competing platforms.

If only Nintendo could communicate the benefits of Miiverse to the wider public. It's truly one of the system's best ideas, and it makes a great case for the Gamepad at the same time.

 

[Like the hat?]

I don't understand why this isn't coming until tomorrow.

 

[marc^o^]

I'm so so bad at drawing but I really love all the Miiverse-artists out there. There should be a system in place to reward good drawings.

I tried the 3DS Art Academy but it didn't grab me at all unfortunately.
Saw this one on Miiverse today.

Beautiful. Now Nintendo needs to add in miiverse a saving feature!

 

[eudaemonic]

This is great for people who don't have all the other bells and whistles at home (software/drawing monitor). I'll probably pass on it though unless someone else picks it up and I tinker with it... since I do have an arsenal of drawing supplies. *chuckles*

Nice to see it get some OT love though.

 

[EhoaVash]

wowza the Iwata drawing wow..just wow o_o

 

[borghe]

these ones were from earlier yesterday. mind you this was just a few mere hours after the app become available in japan.

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/users/TOKI0324

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/users/yuu-tan

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/users/happak

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/users/naniann

 

[GulAtiCa]

Really impressed with the drawings so far.

 

[batbeg]

I... I'd assumed this would be free. :-/

 

[Tokieda]

I... I'd assumed this would be free. :-/

400 yen is like 4 dollars. It's pretty cheap, all things considered.

 

[PBalfredo]

So is Art Academy an app that you can launch in any Miiverse to draw in instead of the standard B&W sketchpad, allowing you to use to post color pics to, for example, the Smash Bros Miiverse? Or is it strictly used to post in it's own Miiverse, meaning all color pictures made by Art Academy are going to all be lumped together in the Art Academy Miiverse?

I hope it's the former, because a lot of potential is lost if it's the latter.

 

[Baleoce]

So is Art Academy an app that you can launch in any Miiverse to draw in instead of the standard B&W sketchpad, allowing you to use to post color pics to, for example, the Smash Bros Miiverse? Or is it strictly used to post in it's own Miiverse, meaning all color pictures made by Art Academy are going to all be lumped together in the Art Academy Miiverse?

I hope it's the former, because a lot of potential is lost if it's the latter.

Agreed, it would be a missed opportunity. Hopefully that's not the case.

 

[hachi]

A few impressive ones I've come across:

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaIboOCA

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaH__iNg

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADTUKFM9qeHVQ

 

[Canis lupus]

Those are some nice drawings in first post :O

 

[Jocchan]

So is Art Academy an app that you can launch in any Miiverse to draw in instead of the standard B&W sketchpad, allowing you to use to post color pics to, for example, the Smash Bros Miiverse? Or is it strictly used to post in it's own Miiverse, meaning all color pictures made by Art Academy are going to all be lumped together in the Art Academy Miiverse?

I hope it's the former, because a lot of potential is lost if it's the latter.

All the drawings I've seen are in the Art Academy community, so chances are it's the latter.

 

[batbeg]

400 yen is like 4 dollars. It's pretty cheap, all things considered.

It's not necessarily that the price is obscene or anything, but considering the way they talked about releasing the drawing application in advance of the full Art Academy title, I had figured it was meant to be like a "demo" or "trial" of the software, and also meant to encourage more miiverse drawing.

I'll probably just wait for Art Academy to come out.

 

[chadboban]

These are just freaking incredible!

Is it going to be possible for people to post these on other Miiverse posts. Like say someone did a Pikmin drawing, would they be able to post it in the Pikmin community?

Edit: Seems like my question has been answered by Jocchan.

 

[Kodaman]

The best:

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaImipLg

 

[Tuck]

Brilliant combo of the GamePad and Miiverse. Love what I've seen so far.

 

[Cosmozone]

The best:

Haha, that's awesome.

 

[prag16]

All the drawings I've seen are in the Art Academy community, so chances are it's the latter.

Are you in Japan? If not, that make sense as of now regardless since we don't share miiverse communities with other regions as far as I know (with the exception of this special Art Academy one).

 

[Jocchan]

The best:

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaImipLg

Gamepad finally validated.

 

[Cosmozone]

I have certain hopes that the summer update is bringing colored messages to Miiverse. Please. The Miiverse drawings are smaller then the screenshots, though.

 

[Jocchan]

Are you in Japan? If not, that make sense as of now regardless since we don't share miiverse communities with other regions as far as I know (with the exception of this special Art Academy one).

I'm not in Japan, but we can see the communities from other regions.

Japan: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/communities?view_region_id=1
Americas: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/communities?view_region_id=2
Europe and Oceania: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/communities?view_region_id=4
Americas seems the default value for invalid regions.

EDIT: Added links to all of them.

 

[Kyzon]

Ok, this is just the thing I needed to get me back into Drawing!
My skills will improve finally!!!! (maybe)

 

[Tenki]

The best:

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaImipLg

lol

 

[Exile20]

So Miiverse went from pixel drawing, now to pastel. I can't wait for paint, ink, pencil, markers, crayons, etc.

Miiverse is going to explode.

 

[Gamerloid]

Some of these are just too good. Really talented people in MiiVerse.

 

[borghe]

So is Art Academy an app that you can launch in any Miiverse to draw in instead of the standard B&W sketchpad, allowing you to use to post color pics to, for example, the Smash Bros Miiverse? Or is it strictly used to post in it's own Miiverse, meaning all color pictures made by Art Academy are going to all be lumped together in the Art Academy Miiverse?

I hope it's the former, because a lot of potential is lost if it's the latter.

I went over this in the other thread.

There are likely multiple issues with what you are suggesting (though I admit it would be cool also).

1. the haves/have-nots. Essentially people would have to pay $4 for a Miiverse upgrade. I simply couldn't see Nintendo (or any of the manufacturers) doing that. If they were making this free I could see a better chance of that.. however..
2. storage and bandwidth. at black and white low resolution images, the Miiverse drawing-posts are extremely inexpensive. They are sent as indexed PNG files, and as such at a file size of roughly 5KB. If users posted ONE BILLION images to Miiverse, it would take up a mere 5TB. It also means these images will download quickly on almost any device/connection. By comparison, the screenshots are jpeg and stored around 250-300KB. So roughly 50-60 times larger than the B&W Miiverse shots. Meaning 50-60 times longer to download, and 50-60 times more space on a hard drive.

I think it would be cool as hell also.. but man. My activity feed is pretty massive. Adding 320x120 Art Academy thumbnails to even half of my activity feed would be a noticeable degradation. And I can't imagine the toll that would take on Nintendo's storage systems.

 

[SatoAilDarko]

I'm kind of happy it isn't free and available in all communities. The art in Miiverse is great but since there isn't a dedicated art community for each game these advance pieces of art always seem a bit at odds with the scribbles, notes and screenshots that are quick manifestations of reactions to games. Color drawings would kind of jump out a bit too much. If it was free and unrestricted everyone would be using color in their doodles no matter the level of drawing. There is something very nice about even bad drawings in Miiverse in black and white form. It recalls the scribbles people do to remember something or draw in the margins of notes, which fits with Miiverse. I think free use of color would ruin this effect.

I've never used the draw option in Miiverse because I'm horrible at art. I wonder if this will be included within the planned Wii U Art Academy games. Hopefully the lessons included would allow me to atleast improve to a level where I could use the draw option if necessary and not have the image be absolutely dreadful and embarrassing.

The best:




https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaImipLg

AMAZING

Edit:

2. storage and bandwidth. at black and white low resolution images, the Miiverse drawing-posts are extremely inexpensive. They are sent as indexed PNG files, and as such at a file size of roughly 5KB. If users posted ONE BILLION images to Miiverse, it would take up a mere 5TB. It also means these images will download quickly on almost any device/connection. By comparison, the screenshots are jpeg and stored around 250-300KB. So roughly 50-60 times larger than the B&W Miiverse shots. Meaning 50-60 times longer to download, and 50-60 times more space on a hard drive.

Great points. I forgot to even think of the technical issues of more detailed images. What you've said makes a lot of sense.

 

[aza]

Another Pikmin drawing:

 

[Baleoce]

Should post links to each one so people can "yeah" them if they want. And/or follow. I know some have already. Maybe put it in OP though.

 

[Cosmozone]

Want to post some more great drawings, it's addicting! Good idea with the link.


From a comment:

 

[Coldnoodle]

Another Pikmin drawing:

 

[Dwayne]

Concerning, I just looked at the eShop for New Zealand and among the update news there was no mention of Art Academy :/ Spin the Bottle etc was there though.

Though I do note the Oceania Art Academy Miiverse has no colour art in it yet, perhaps the release is slightly delayed.

 

[mohuerta]

Found these
DOS0000

Gyonikun

next 4 are from gonzarez

Gyonikun

edit: added links to creators' accounts

 

[hachi]

Could everyone (please source the drawings by Miiverse post URL for those of us who want to like / follow the original author?

 

[marc^o^]

These skills 0_o

 

[Haines]

Its odd it releases tomorrow and still no NA price...If its 5 bucks thats a steal IMO.

This is one of those apps that will put the divide between the WiiU and other consoles.

 

[borghe]

edited my post with user links

the mario one I posted is by the same guy who did Iwata and the Pikmin with strawberries.

 

[Mithos]

Gyonikun

I see a common theme on that artist's page. =)

 

[fabricated backlash]

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADTUKFM-QQDOw

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADKUKFaImmu8A