Drawabox | A free, exercise based approach to learning the fundamentals of drawing

Anyone can learn to draw. It's not some magical talent a few people are born with. It's a skill you can train. We can help.

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.

I won't lie to you - our approach is tough and involves a lot of hard work. It's also structured and gives you a clear path with concise explanations and assignments you can complete and submit for review.

You can read more about Drawabox and how it came about here.

Or you can join the community of thousands of beginners and professionals alike and get started.

Homework

Once you've completed a lesson, one of the best ways to refine your understanding of that material is to help others by critiquing their work. After having done thousands of critiques and having improved immensely over the last few years, I can attest to that myself.

  • Lesson 2: Contour Lines, Texture and Construction

    see_wolf

    1:26 AM, Tuesday May 28th 2024
  • Lesson 7: Applying Construction to Vehicles

    Tygerson

    5:35 PM, Wednesday May 8th 2024
  • Lesson 2: Contour Lines, Texture and Construction

    EpainDedRick

    9:36 AM, Monday May 27th 2024
  • Lesson 3: Applying Construction to Plants

    Pinkietastic

    12:54 PM, Thursday May 23rd 2024
  • Lesson 3: Applying Construction to Plants

    CabbageHeads

    11:52 AM, Tuesday May 21st 2024
  • 25 Wheel Challenge

    seebfl

    10:00 AM, Friday May 24th 2024
  • Lesson 6: Applying Construction to Everyday Objects

    seebfl

    9:57 AM, Friday May 24th 2024
  • 250 Cylinder Challenge

    owlsolar

    8:20 PM, Thursday May 23rd 2024
  • Lesson 3: Applying Construction to Plants

    LemonyLite

    5:23 PM, Wednesday May 22nd 2024
  • Lesson 7: Applying Construction to Vehicles

    Himanknyx

    3:08 PM, Wednesday May 22nd 2024

Questions/Discussions

Take a moment to answer someone's question, or contribute to a discussion, if you have anything to offer.

Sketchbooks

Along with Drawabox work, our community members also post other artwork to their sketchbooks.

  • Morsrael's Sketchbook: I should definitely learn how to draw bones properly.

  • Omertoso's Sketchbook: 50%, Part 4: End of an era

  • moto42's Sketchbook: Some recentish stuff

  • RebbyLee's Sketchbook: Lesson 1 - Homework

  • Feldspar's Sketchbook: 50% rule #2:Emblem

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 I've used myself. If you're interested, here is a full list.
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

This is a remarkable little pen. Technically speaking, any brush pen of reasonable quality will do, but I'm especially fond of this one. It's incredibly difficult to draw with (especially at first) due to how much your stroke varies based on how much pressure you apply, and how you use it - but at the same time despite this frustration, it's also incredibly fun.

Moreover, due to the challenge of its use, it teaches you a lot about the nuances of one's stroke. These are the kinds of skills that one can carry over to standard felt tip pens, as well as to digital media. Really great for doodling and just enjoying yourself.

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