Drawabox.com | Announcement | Drawabox is Partnering with New Masters!
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Drawabox and New Masters!

Art instruction is notoriously expensive, with brick and mortar art colleges putting people tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt. That was never the problem Drawabox set out to solve - after all, our goal has always been to get people started on the right foot, to nurture a healthier outlook on one's potential future as an artist (be it as a hobby or a career), and to give beginners a chance to prove to themselves that they can pursue this field, if they so choose. That talent is irrelevant in the face of patience, tenacity, and hard work.

But that doesn't mean it isn't a problem that exists, and it's one that New Masters Academy - our new sponsor - has been working to address for years.

What is NMA?

New Masters Academy hosts an enormous library of video courses exploring every corner of art, from the more traditional approach to learning the fundamentals, to painting, to digital illustration, to comics and more. Recently, they've been making a concerted push into entertainment design, and their catalogue is continuously expanding.

These courses are taught by acclaimed instructors you may have already heard of - like Glenn Vilppu, Steve Huston, Joe Weatherly, and John Asaro just to name a few - and students are able to access this wealth of knowledge for a fraction of the price you'd pay on other platforms for similar information.

That is, if you can find that information outside of a classroom at all.

Not only does NMA provide video courses - but they've also been pouring resources into developing a catalogue of scheduled live courses, and have been exploring additional options for instructor feedback.

Where most online courses will cost hundreds of dollars for a single 10 or 12 week course, New Masters makes their video and live courses accessible for as little as $36/month - but due to our relationship with them, we're able to offer an even better deal. You can use the coupon code "DRAWABOX_1STONLY" to save an additional 25% on your first billing cycle (applicable only to new signups to the Library and Library+ plans).

A vote of confidence

I should also mention what this means for Drawabox as a whole. I've been developing this resource for upwards of 7 years now, and it has grown with me. As many of you know, it started as a collection of regurgitations of what I'd learned, likely fraught with misunderstandings and mistakes throughout. But with time, and through a number of revisions and rewrites, it has developed into a resource shared and recommended by many established artists.

While my heart swells with every individual that has recommended our lessons, being approached for a partnership and sponsorship by a school like New Masters - something they have yet to offer to anyone else (as they understand the risk of publicly backing another entity) - is on a whole new level.

Our relationship with New Masters is more than just an affiliate coupon and a percentage commission. While we'll be adding a channel to our Discord server for people to discuss what they're learning through NMA's courses, NMA will be doing the same for Drawabox on their own server, helping integrate students across both platforms.

In effect, by sponsoring Drawabox, NMA is pointing their own community to our resources, and the vote of confidence that entails is not easy to overlook.

Due diligence

Of course, we're not quite so easily wooed - we've done our due diligence, and NMA seems to be a fine partner. I've confirmed our alignment on a number of issues, including the importance of nurturing students with a focus on their mental health, something that so often goes overlooked in schools. I've also spoken to our own community members, as NMA has not been unknown to us, and we have many students who are already working through NMA's courses alongside their work on Drawabox.

Next steps

Circling back to what this means for you guys, ultimately that's up to you.

We will however include recommendations to relevant NMA courses throughout the material, and in the videos as needed. We all know that Drawabox only aims to teach a limited set of core fundamental concepts, and so I think pointing students to NMA to explore other topics - from figure drawing, to observational techniques, to learning how to just let go and draw without stressing about it, and so much more - will help to provide more jumping off points from which to explore.

While I am very firm on the idea that one should follow the instructions of whatever course they're going through (and avoid mixing-and-matching unless specifically permitted), there is still immense value in jumping into learning other topics sooner rather than later, and letting those skills develop alongside the core fundamentals we explore here, so as to develop you into a well rounded, fearless artist.

The recommendation below is an advertisement. Most of the links here are part of Amazon's affiliate program (unless otherwise stated), which helps support this website. It's also more than that - it's a hand-picked recommendation of something we've used ourselves, or know to be of impeccable quality. If you're interested, here is a full list.
Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike

Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike

This is one of my favourite books. It's a fantasy-comedy romp, and the world that J. Zachary Pike has created honestly takes my breath away. There are laughs at every turn, but the story is not without its heart wrenching moments - some for which I have yet to fully forgive the author.

If you're at all curious about the kinds of nonsense I read, or just need something new to sink your teeth into, this is one I can highly recommend. On top of that, being self-published by an indie author, it's the kind of thing where your individual support can go a long way.

P.S: The audiobook, with narration from Doug Tisdale, is especially good, and elevates the story in ways I can't rightly describe.

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