Welcome to the Daca Daguao Art Academy.
Heads up!
The academy is now open.
Starting June 1, 2026, the first course—“Fundamentals of Art”—will be available. Designed for all ages, this course is intended for both adults and students from public and private school systems, and follows the standards of the National Art Education Association (U.S.).
The academy operates on Oregon time and is already welcoming its first students. The schedules have been designed to facilitate access from various regions, including the United States and the Caribbean.
All links are now active, and the information has been fully updated. Memberships can be purchased through the official website.
Thank you for your patience during the preparation phase. Welcome to the academy.
Color Without Limits – Artistic Excellence and Professional Development
Courses
A list of available courses. We are constantly working on new courses. Stay up to date!
Instructor and Director
My name is Gerardo Vargas, and this is my career in the fields of commercial art and fine arts.
Classes
I design classes in seven formats: 1. Asynchronous individual (no attendance required). 2. Asynchronous individual (with instructor support). 3. Asynchronous group work (with other students participating). 5. Asynchronous group session (with the instructor and other students participating). 6. Scheduled synchronous group session (with the instructor and other students). 7. In-person (one-on-one interaction between student and instructor).
Events
Eventually, we’ll hold in-person exhibitions, but we’re starting with digital versions. Here we will announce all kinds of events, including contests both inside and outside the academy.
Programs
The academy offers intermediate- and advanced-level art courses. In the future, I will add basic and beginner-level courses: preparatory programs for colleges, high schools, and universities.
Education
Education and training at the Academy are based on practice and research. Theory is integrated as students develop projects under the guidance of instructors, allowing them to make a more meaningful connection between theoretical knowledge and practice.
History of Daca Daguao
Daca Daguao Digital Design, LLC is a design studio specializing in 3D animation and commercial art. I am creating this academy to train the next generation of artists: future colleagues and current “partners” in the art world.
I also want to offer the homeschooling community an alternative for teaching the visual arts. Art is as diverse as the artists who make up the artistic community; the students are just as diverse, and there’s something here for everyone. Come check it out!
Scheduling of Individual and Group Courses
Mon–Fri: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time
Shipping Address
2355 State St., Suite 101,
Salem, Marion County, OR 97301, U.S.
profesor.daguao@dacadaguao4d.academy
Telegram
Signal
Upcoming Events
Opening of the academy
The academy is now open.
We’re embarking on an adventure in the visual arts. Today, June 1, 2026, the doors are open. Welcome!
The tools we’ll use
What do you need to take our courses?
These courses can be taken using an iPad, an Android tablet, or a Windows Surface device. iPads do not support Krita or other open-source programs, although there are proprietary software alternatives available in the Apple App Store. On the other hand, Android tablets and Surface devices do support open-source apps. One option is to use an iPad alongside a MacBook, using the iPad as a Cintiq: drawing on the iPad’s screen while the Mac runs the open-source software. You can do the same thing using a Microsoft Surface and a Windows PC.
Remote and Virtual Learning: Questions and Answers
Why did I start this academy?
For nine years, I worked as a visual arts teacher at various public schools and at a university. I realized that the country’s educational systems view the visual arts classroom as an ideal place to send students who don’t want to be in school. This always bothered me, since those students had given up on any attempt to improve themselves and were draining the energy I devoted to the students who truly wanted to study and learn, thereby depriving the latter of opportunities for growth. For this reason, I left teaching in both the public and private sectors; I now devote my energy to students who want to learn and develop their critical thinking skills.
Who benefits most from this system?
It is designed for students who need a safe space to express themselves—or a level of privacy that traditional schools do not offer—and who benefit from more direct interaction with the instructor.
It is also helpful for parents of students who are homeschooled rather than attending traditional schools, as I follow the standards established by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) in the United States. Over time, I will also include goals from other countries.
Will there be traditional courses that use materials such as paper, pencils, and paintbrushes, among others?
That’s correct. I’m already planning a series of introductory courses on traditional materials. I’ll start with drawing and then cover all the techniques at the beginner level. I will introduce methods for transitioning to a digital environment once students reach an intermediate level.
Will there be instructions on how to use the tablets individually?
Although it is necessary to learn these tools thoroughly in order to master them, we will not spend much time on the details of each specific digital tool, since they change rapidly. We will limit ourselves to covering the basics of each one and then take a closer look at digital programs compatible with various devices, such as the iPad, Android, Windows, and Mac.
If you have any further questions:
Please use the contact form, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for visiting the academy. I hope you find something in the art world that you’d like to learn or master.
Newspaper Articles
Online Arts Education: The Daca Daguao Academy of Arts
16 August, 2026
Online arts education is changing. It’s no longer just about random tutorials on YouTube or unstructured activities. The Daca Daguao Academy of Arts was founded on June 1, 2026, with a clear purpose: to offer artistic training with academic rigor, recognized standards, and a global perspective. I am not a corporation. I am an educator […]
The opening of the Daca Daguao 4D Academy:
31 May, 2026
Prior to my research on educational environment Daca Daguao 4D academy opening brings home education, traditional fine arts and modern digital arts Following my research on educational environment The opening of the Daca Daguao 4D Academy is not a point of arrival. It is a turning point. A decision to turn more than a decade […]
From the street to the Philippines: 3 years later my online art academy is reborn
10 May, 2026
Today is May 10, 2026. I am writing this on vacation from the Philippines, while finalizing the details of my online art academy. I sit at a small table in front of the sea, while my partner prepares coffee. It seems like a dream. And it is. But getting here took me eight years of […]