Drawabox.com | Part One: The Basics | Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes | What Next?
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Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes

What Next?

So assuming you've been reading diligently (starting from lesson 0) and have followed the instructions of completing only the recommended number of pages, then you're probably wondering, "what do I do now?"

Well, the smart thing would be to get your homework reviewed. Let's say you've done that already, and want to know what your next step is going to be.

Your next step is to tackle the 250 box challenge. This exercise will take what you were introduced to in the rotated boxes and organic perspective boxes exercises and work on developing your overall grasp of, and comfort with, freely rotating forms in 3D space. The notes and video there cover techniques that will help you do this as efficiently and effectively as possible as well.

It's a tall order, but most who've gone through it have shown considerable improvement - especially those who've read through the notes and applied the error-checking approaches consistently.

And before you go, I hope you've been able to get your work reviewed by other members of the community to make sure you're still on track. You can watch me get my work reviewed by Uncomfortable, live!

He points out some mistakes I've made, and also talks about common issues he sees when critiquing others' work.

250 Box Challenge >>>
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Staedtler Pigment Liners

Staedtler Pigment Liners

These are what I use when doing these exercises. They usually run somewhere in the middle of the price/quality range, and are often sold in sets of different line weights - remember that for the Drawabox lessons, we only really use the 0.5s, so try and find sets that sell only one size.

Alternatively, if at all possible, going to an art supply store and buying the pens in person is often better because they'll generally sell them individually and allow you to test them out before you buy (to weed out any duds).

Getting Your Work Critiqued

Critiques on reddit.com Critiques on our discord chat server

Having your work reviewed by others is critical, as those who are just starting out aren't in a position to properly judge their own work, and won't be for quite some time. Don't be afraid to show your struggles - it's by analyzing your mistakes that we can help you grow. Perfect homework is not what we're looking for; we just need it to be complete.

There are currently two places you can get your work critiqued by the community - Reddit and our Discord Chat Server.

Both of these are completely free.

Private Patreon Critiques

Critiques on reddit.com

If you are interested in receiving extra help, I critique the work of those who support Drawabox on Patreon.

All of these private critiques are done through reddit, in specific threads where students post their work as a comment, including a link to their work (often hosted on Imgur, though most image hosts are okay).

My requirements are more strict than the free community critiques:

  • You must complete the lessons in order, in their entirety, starting from lesson 1
  • All work for the lesson must be completed - that means all exercises in the lesson, not just those in a given section
  • You may only move onto the next lesson once the previous has been marked complete
  • The work must be done in the tools recommended in the lesson

The minimum pledge for this lesson is $5.00/month. The orange button above will take you to the reddit thread for this lesson, you can post a link to your work there and I'll be notified. Once I catch the submission, I'll add it to this backlog spreadsheet.

Pledges are collected at the beginning of the following month, but you may start submitting your work immediately. If you're a new patron, I'll be reaching out to your shortly to collect your reddit username.

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