Almost 50 young da Vincis participated in this year’s Visual Arts Camp, specialising in drawing, etching, video game design or painting. 

TAFE head of art and design Andy Totman said the goal is to help students start a quality body of work. 

“For the first time this year students can intensively concentrate on one medium for the three days,” he said. 

“It really gives them the chance to know the craft.” 

It’s the sixth year the camp has been run in partnership with TAFE and Mr Totman said numbers were higher than ever. 

Art students from years 8 through 11 from 11 Riverina schools took part. 

Ruby Condon, 14, from Wagga High decided to swap the pencil for the brush this year. 

“We’ve learnt how to use tones, shadows, light and dark. It’s been more technical than what I’d do at school,” she said. 

Rebecca Cumming, a 14-year-old from West Wyalong High School majored in drawing, leaving camp with a jaw-dropping photorealistic sketch of a model.

“I like drawing better because you can’t control paint as much,” she said. 

Camp coordinator and head teacher at Albury High Sharon McEachern said the children get so hooked they don’t want to leave.

“We want them to gain that initial experience in their skill and be able to take it back and apply it at school,” she said.