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4 users agree
6:55 AM, Sunday July 19th 2020
edited at 7:44 AM, Jul 19th 2020

DaB is a pretty intensive course and requires a lot of concentration, so 1 page of exercise per day is a good pace to start with. I've been doing that since I started DaB (I've finished Lesson 1 and currently doing 250 Boxes) and it's just about right for me. If I'm feeling fresh and not worn out by that 1 page, I'll do 2 pages, but that's maximum.

Uncomfortable's 50% rule is also a great rule-of-thumb:

https://drawabox.com/lesson/0/2/50percent

Every art session I do, I try to make it half DaB, and half my own art for fun. Sometimes I only have time in the day/evening to do a DaB exercise, but that means the next day I'll start off doing fun art for that session. With my life schedule and responsibilities, and doing fun art, I usually manage 1 page of DaB exercise per day anyway.

If DaB exercises are the only drawing you're doing at all, you're probably grinding and ought to slow down, especially if you're determined to do DaB (and art in general) for the long haul. The 50% rule is less of a "rule" than about developing a mindset of enjoying the art process. Learning is frustrating and DaB lessons are tough, so that frustration has to be balanced out with fun, or we'll all burn out. Grinding runs the risk of you developing an "art = frustrating" mindset. While art can be frustrating, you don't want to lose the sense that "art = fun" too.

I guess you have to reflect on how you're approaching your art. If you find that you're getting worn out or fixated on DaB exercises, you're probably rushing and it's best to slow down.

edited at 7:44 AM, Jul 19th 2020
3:24 PM, Saturday July 25th 2020

I think this is a really great approach, specifically for keeping yourself motivated for the long haul.

I recently tried following moderndayjames' Solo Artist Curriculum, which has you doing the first 3 lessons of Drawabox in a single month. It was really arduous, and I definitely rushed through things only to make it partially through Lesson 2. In order to "make the deadlines" I could only do the drawabox exercises each day, so I stopped drawing for myself and for fun. It was a grueling process that I was doing "just to get through it." Once I hit the texture exercises, they were VERY difficult for me, and I got so frustrated I just completely stopped for a month, feeling discouraged and frustrated that I "failed" at two things: drawabox AND the curriculum.

I'm now coming back to the exercises and taking things slower, and making sure to draw more things that I enjoy drawing as well as the exercises.

Long story short: gauge how much you are able to focus on an exercise, but also allow yourself mental "breathing room." Really take Uncomfortable's 50% rule to heart.

10:32 PM, Thursday August 27th 2020

I Know that Curriculum, I first thought that 2 months were an ok time, but seeing how much it takes to complete an exercise, wait for critique and all that jazz. There's no way you can take your time and do lesson 1-7, the challenges all in 2 months, except if you draw as sloppy as you can and ignore any critique and revisions they may ask

I'm not saying that the curriculum is bad though, but it's important to consider that some things may take more time than others ( and DBA really takes a lot of time )

I can spend a couple of days only doing DAB's exercises without really doing much of personal or fun work, but i would take days of break after a couple of exercises done, sometimes i switch places by taking breaks doing fun work and then going back to DAB

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