Feature: Nintendo Life Presents... Colors! 3D Artwork

Ever since Nintendo introduced the touch screen on the original DS, it was clear to artists that there was plenty of potential to produce art without the need to dig out a canvas and materials. The Art Academy series was a high-profile example on DSi that scratched that itch, as well as being titles that helped to attract yet another kind of gamer to the handheld.

We do happen to have some talented and enthusiastic artists in the Nintendo Life team, and they've all been busy at work in the exceptional Colors! 3D eShop app, while one team member shows off the power of Lessons in New Art Academy.

Ron DelVillano

My first piece is titled "Flight," and it features an airplane soaring through the air. Some birds are present as well. This painting is simple, but many of the comics that I write involve the idea of flight, so this painting is indicative of the rest of my work.

The second is titled "Marceline," and features Marceline the Vampire Queen from the popular cartoon Adventure Time (soon to be a Nintendo DS and 3DS game!). She's a favourite character of mine, and painting big hair is always fun.

My final piece is simply titled "Pac-Man," and it's my interpretation of what actually happens when Pac-Man gets his "hands" on a power pellet. Awful, just awful. Those poor ghosts.

Gaz Plant

Drawing on the 3DS takes some getting used to thanks to some interesting dead zones, so I figured an easy character would be best to draw first. And who's the easiest of the lot? Why, Mr Game & Watch of course!

Having recently gone back to Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and (finally) completed the game, it felt right to celebrate the game in art form. So here is the heroic Koops alongside Koopley and Koopie Koo outside Petalburg. Hopefully this inspires Nintendo to create that Koops spin-off we're all waiting for...

Mike Mason

Gaze upon this tranquil woodland scene. The sun is shining, the grass is lush — but what's this? The warm weather has brought out a few familiar beasts; can you spot 'em all? More importantly, can you decipher the scrawl and work out just what they're actually meant to be?

Tom Whitehead

If ever I say I'm artistic, I'm always referring to creative writing and music, simply because stick men are normally beyond my scope for drawing or painting. I never downloaded Colors! 3D as it seems to be a powerful tool rather than a teaching aid, so when I reviewed New Art Academy I was incredibly impressed at how effective the lessons were, and the fact that I've started to understand how visual art is constructed, as well as being able to do it at a basic level. My selection is a basic painting of a tulip, but considering where I started I'm rather proud of it.

So there you have it, four staff members showing their artistic side. We'd love to read your comments — though be gentle — and keep an eye out for a follow up feature soon.