At Home Learning For Teens

Do Space has limited programs and services for the next two weeks. Artists on social media are already taking advantage of this break to create more work. We can also spend this time creating media and learning. What are you going to do with your two weeks?

This blog is dedicated to providing at-home learning possibilities for teens (or adults). Stay tuned to our social media for more home learning tips for other age groups.

What Can I Do?

There are a variety of online learning programs that everyone can explore and learn with, so I am providing a list for those who don’t know where to look. I am also providing prompts for projects for those who learn by doing! and not just reading or watching tutorials. Below you will find several lists with applications to try out first and then projects to do with those applications second.

Home-learning

There are a variety of topics you can get into during this break such as art, code, engineering, and design.

2D Art

Applications to download

You will need to take the time to learn the user interfaces of your chosen applications. The application websites do have resource guides.

Free:

1. Krita
2. Corel Painter
3. Gimp

Trials:

1. Clip Studio
2. Affinity Designer
3. Adobe Photoshop

Learning resources and projects

A lot of the resources I have do assume you have a stylus and/or touchscreen. If you only have a touch screen phone, you can still try these projects.

DrawBox

• “Drawabox is a set of free exercise-based lessons that focus on the fundamentals – the skills you’ll need to make sense of all the other resources and tutorials out there. First, we focus on the basic mechanics of mark-making, and how to use your arm. By the end, we develop a strong understanding of form, 3D space and construction.”

Ctrl+Paint

• “Ctrl+Paint is a free learning resource dedicated to the basics of digital painting. Each bite-sized video covers a different concept, allowing you to learn complex subjects in manageable increments.”

Creative Blog

• This blog does not have guided resources, but it has a lot of amazing articles on techniques.

3D Art

3D Art requires a lot of resources to operate. You may need a computer with a graphics card and know how to use computers well.

Applications to download

You will need to take the time to learn the user interfaces of your chosen applications. The application websites do have resource guides.

 Free:

1. TinkerCad
2. SketchUp
3. Blender

Learning resources and projects

CGCookie

• This is specifically for Blender.

SketchFab

• SketchFab has a lot of cool challenges for 3D Art.

Code

Applications to download

There are several free IDE’s (Integrated development environment) out there you can download for free. The following list is organized by programming language.

Free:

1. Python
2. C++
3. Java
4. HTML/CSS/Javascript
   1. Visual Studio
   2. Brackets
   3. Atom
   4. NotePad++

Learning resources

Beginner:

1. Code.org
2. Code Academy
3. Khan Academy

Advanced:

1. MIT Open Courseware
2. Learn C++

Project Prompts

Try Making:

• Flashcard Maker
• Task/To-Do  List Manager
• Text Adventure
• Maze/Puzzle Generator
• Virtual Pet Simulator
• Chess/TicTacToe Game
• Think of anything in your life that could be done easier. Program a tool to solve that problem for you.

Engineering

Applications to download

Free:

1. Arduino Create
2. TinkerCad

Learning resources and projects

Arduino Project Hub

• You can take these projects to either TinkerCad or Arduino Create to digitally replicate them without needing to buy any of the required circuits. You will have to skip the projects that include additional items like plants or cardboard boxes.

Software Design

You can practice design by making games or mobile apps. You do not need to know how to code to make games or apps, but it does help.

Applications to download and learning resources

Free:

• AppLab
• MITAppInventor
• Stencyl
• Unity
• Unreal

Project Prompts

• Ludam Dare has a lot of amazing themes from their game jam website you can try out.
• Invent for change:
  1. You can brainstorm ideas by addressing a need. Talk to your friends and family about a problem you could solve with a game or an app.
  2. List down all the problems you collected. Do not create a solution yet.
  3. Find out what it’s like to have that problem. Create a timeline of someone who has the need and how that need prohibits them for doing what they enjoy daily.
  4. Now come up with a solution. Brainstorm 25 ideas in 5 minutes.
  5. Pick your top 5 ideas.
  6. Present them, test them, get feedback.
  7. Choose your favorite and create a to-do list for creating that app or game.
  8. Make it!