Drawabox 2.0 has been released - a full website rebuild, revisions of lessons up to 7 and 19 new videos
https://i.redd.it/pyoejbh5ce621.jpg
2018-12-25 09:54
Uncomfortable
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 09:59
Merry Christmas, oh box cult of mine. For the past few months, I've been hard at work on rebuilding the drawabox website from the ground up, mainly intending to deliver the content in a way that was more digestible, while also shoring up the back-end (which was horribly unstable, due to me never expecting drawabox to take off like it did, and making the poor decision of experimenting with new tech when building it).
As I did so, I found that the lessons honestly weren't up to par anymore, and I knew I could do better. While there is always plenty of room for improvement, I've done what I can in the time that I had, and have pushed myself hard to do so, pulling 16 hour days between my job, my web comic and drawabox for the last few weeks to get this done on time.
So, as mentioned in the title, the major changes include:
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Full website rebuild to deliver the content in a slightly less overwhelming manner
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Better mobile experience (mainly on tablets, phones are still not a great place to read all this information, but I've taken steps to improve it there as well)
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Revised lesson content from 1-7 as well as the challenges
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The new 25 wheel challenge
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A few tweaks to homework assignments for different lessons to hopefully bridge certain gaps of understanding, including bringing some of the earlier exercises back into the later lessons
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19 new videos - admittedly my videos have never been the sort to win awards for production value, but they are what they are.
And with that, I wish you all happy holidays. I am now going to go nap for two weeks.
Edit: Oh, and the subreddit broke 100,000 subscribers a few days ago! Let's call this update a celebration of that milestone too :D
ElectricSquiggaloo
2018-12-25 10:35
Thanks for all your hard work /u/Uncomfortable. The content looks fantastic and I'm excited to start the new and improved lesson 5. :)
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:34
And thank you for your work proof reading it :D
ElectricSquiggaloo
2018-12-25 22:59
Get a little more sleep before you write the next lessons. No stupid deadlines, eh?
Emmanuell89
2018-12-25 12:02
sorry to say but the audio quality is sub-par
Probablynotspiders
2018-12-25 16:10
It's free? Don't be a choosy beggar
Have a nice christmas
Emmanuell89
2018-12-25 20:29
Doesn't mean that if you take so much time planning and creating these videos you shouldn't get it right, either he does this because he likes it or because it brings him money or both. So get it done properly for whatever reason.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:38
Honestly, you are absolutely correct in that. I've made some attempts at trying to process the audio (watching tutorials and such) but none of it worked out particularly well, and it's honestly not a good use of my time. While I was unable to do this due to time constraints this time around, in the future I will be outsourcing the audio/video processing work to someone more skilled in that area.
While this won't happen for a while, eventually I will see to it that every video is redone. There's only so much I can (and am willing to) do as far as making the videos flow smoothly, but at the very least the audio is improved.
Until then, you'll have to make do with what I've uploaded. I really can't express how much I hate making videos, and every step on this front is one taken with immense frustration.
Emmanuell89
2018-12-25 20:26
I was assuming you are at least making a decent living out of this entire ordeal so might aswell get it done right. regardless, your site had been helpful to me, thank you
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 20:42
I certainly do, and because I want the general quality of what I'm offering to be decent, I'll be putting some of that money towards it instead of trying to do it all myself.
That said, I am keenly aware of investment vs. returns - and based on the way drawabox works, increasing production value isn't likely to actually yield significant returns, because it's inherently not the same kind of semi-entertainment you find on other parts of youtube. Because of this, I've put more of my time and effort into developing the content on the website and generally ensuring that the resources themselves are as helpful as I can manage, rather than investing in the video quality.
Funnily enough, I don't actually get much traffic from youtube going to my site - it's mostly the other way around.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 12:18
*Torture 2.0 has been released
But thank you for your great work uncomfortable.
travbombs
2018-12-25 12:43
Thanks Uncomfortable. I been thinking of revisiting all the lessons and this will give me some extra incentive.
Merry Christmas
JustDame
2018-12-25 12:46
Incredible! Thank you. Ive been having so much fun with the first 3 lessons. Will you have lessons for/similar to composition and "exploring an environment" in the future?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:39
I will! I'm working on a 4-phase plan, the first phase being the website rebuild and the second being the full revisions of lessons 1-7 and the challenges. The third phase - which I'll start on once I've had a nice long break, will be developing two new curricula: design (the skills one uses as a concept artist) and illustration (composition, storytelling, etc.)
[deleted]
2018-12-25 13:02
[deleted]
ElectricSquiggaloo
2018-12-25 13:18
The old website was based on Node, I believe Uncomfortable has written his own CMS in PHP this time with plans to expand it out to a proper community platform in future.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:41
Hahaha, good timing! Yeah, as /u/ElectricSquiggaloo mentioned, the original website was built in Node (I never expected drawabox to take off so I took the opportunity to build with something new and fancy) - a decision I've regretted ever since.
This one is pure PHP - which I often refer to as an incredibly stupid language, but it is my stupid language, as some of my first and biggest steps forward in programming and development in general were made with it. I built the CMS from the ground up myself, as I plan on expanding it in a few very specific directions that a prebuilt one would only hinder.
kat_skinner
2018-12-25 13:17
Thank you so much /u/Uncomfortable ! I really appreciate all the hard work you put into the site and teaching us how to draw. Thank you so much.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 14:22
Awesome. One of my New Year's resolutions is to do the site and make a big effort to learn to draw this year. Have my supplies ready, and my boys are excited to do it too. Thanks for your effort.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:42
Hahaha, you can bet that I hope to make a significant marketing push on all those delicious new years resolutions.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 21:10
Haha, well with all the hard work, it is well deserved. Hope you have a great year.
Shermarki
2018-12-25 14:47
Just the Christmas present I wanted. Look forward to going through this throughout the new year thanks
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:44
I'm glad! I hope the revisions help clarify some of the material for you.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 15:13
thank you so much! i just started some exercises and i can't wait to progress with 2.0 :)
Eclipsing_Sun
2018-12-25 15:15
Just took a look, it looks fantastic! Also, the 1, 2 and 3 point perspective explanation in lesson 1 is great and extremely helpful. I'm definitely going to try and use the new information for the rest of my 250 boxes. Merry Christmas!
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:45
That's honestly a topic I've struggled with explaining for years, and I feel like every time I clear the slate and try it from a different angle, it gets a little better. Let's hope this one sticks.
flooshtollen
2018-12-25 15:20
Uncomfortable what is your webcomic?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:45
Thanks for asking! My web comic is Orc and Gnome's Mild Adventures. Not particularly well known at the moment, and it's only been around for a little under a year, but we have big plans for it!
thareqfarras
2018-12-25 16:22
tortured wailing
Jokes aside, thank you very much for all your hard work!
aftmostfools7741
2018-12-25 16:58
Merry Christmas! Thanks so much for giving free material to improve my art!
[deleted]
2018-12-25 17:00
Thanks a bunch ! Would be great if we had an update log to see what did you changed on the previous lessons : )
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:54
Honestly that might be a bit too taxing to put together. The simple version of it would be:
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Completely rewrote/restructured lessons 1 and 2
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Each exercise in lesson 1 and 2 as well as the box/cylinder challenges is given clear step by steps, along with an explanation as to the purpose of that exercise and a list of common mistakes with examples, and finally an example page of that exercise's work
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Incorporated one page of the texture challenge as an exercise in lesson 2
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Further developed the "lecture" section of lessons 3-7, sometimes replacing old diagrams and rewriting certain chunks
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New demos for lessons 3-7. Most lessons got 2, lessons 6 and 7 got one. Some of the new demos are formalized versions of previously informal demos that were available previously, along with videos explaining what's I'm doing as I step through them.
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New 25 wheel challenge as a bridge between lesson 6 and 7.
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Modified some of the homework assignments, bringing exercises from lesson 2 into later lessons as repeats where they are relevant and need to be refreshed in a student's memory
I think that covers most, if not all of it.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 19:21
Thanks a lot !!!!!!! : 0 Merry Christmas : D
[deleted]
2018-12-25 17:15
[deleted]
[deleted]
2018-12-25 17:30
I gave up on DaB a long time ago this might let me give the site another shot (even though I most likely to give up again)
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:56
I strongly recommend that you read through lesson 0 carefully. There are a lot of things students generally do when approaching the lessons that I try to dissuade them from - grinding, rushing, not following the instructions closely, focusing 100% of one's time on drawabox or learning/improving in general and so on - that make it a lot easier to burn out and give up.
Drawabox is tough, but that's one of the biggest mistakes people make, and I've tried to dissuade them before, but hopefully setting it up as a lesson of its own will make those warnings stick a little better.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 21:09
I will try
ArtOfShiN
2018-12-25 17:59
I dont know if I were the only one who left in-progress. But hey dudes, I swear, I'm gonna do whatever I have to for the learning of art fundamentals. DrawABox will be my main resource for that. Whoever feels like me, just do your best, be patient but disciplined. This is our year!. Thank you for all @Uncomfortable. Literally thank you for your hardwork on this page.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:57
My pleasure. I think there are a lot of people who've given up or stalled in their work here, and it's mostly been from the fact that they've applied their own ideas on how the material should be used, often resulting in them burning out because they've been too hard on themselves. So I highly recommend you read the lessons carefully, starting from lesson 0 where I go over how the material should be used. This should give you a much better chance of getting through it with more appropriate expectations of yourself, rather than asking too much and getting frustrated when you can't deliver.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 18:04
[deleted]
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:58
Huh! I didn't know that - I'll look into it myself, but I don't suppose you have anything you can link me to with more information on that point? I hate those things too (and I think everyone else does too), so I tried to make it a touch more light-hearted, but there's only so much one can do with what is essentially a little pop-up.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 21:24
[deleted]
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 21:52
Honestly, GDPR is wholly overkill and I loathe it. But it does require any website that uses cookies that can land on the computer of a citizen of the european union (I use google analytics and adsense which use cookies) to report their use and preemptively ask permission before actually employing them. Everywhere I've seen, passive permission is not enough.
I cannot express how much it irritates me that a foreign body can muck around in my business and loom with the threat of fines and fees (whether or not they're ever going to act on them).
Mikebvr
2018-12-25 18:58
Hey, I just wanted to say that I have not completed the draw a box course but it got me to a point to where I feel like I can improve I constantly think about how I want to return to this course and work through it once my skills improve a bit, I also want to say thank you @uncomfortable for everything you do, you are an absolute beast and are continuily driving forward modern art culture.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 19:01
I think that's been the main goal for Drawabox - to show students how they can go about learning. It's something that's often left so vague and unclear that they're left feeling directionless in a void full of information that doesn't necessarily apply to them until they've gotten more of the basics under their belt.
I'm glad I was able to help you with that. I have a lot of students who do end up returning to the course and starting from the beginning (even those who have gone all the way through), and most are amazed with just how much of a difference it makes, still helping them develop the second time around, but showing such a vast change from their first attempt.
R_Jordan73
2018-12-25 19:06
Honestly, this is an amazing resource for artists of all levels, and its amazing that you give your time and experience to us all for free. Thank you ever so much - it is very much appreciated.
A very merry Christmas to you and all your family, and best wishes for 2019 (which is hopefully a year I get to grips with my fundamentals!)
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 19:07
Hahaha, thanks for the kind words! I do hope that these changes will make that endeavor a little easier to bare, and best of luck through 2019.
AirZoo
2018-12-25 22:38
Oh man, that Rudolph is viciously horrifying. I absolutely love it.
I discovered this subreddit randomly a while back but have been insanely busy since then. Life is great like that sometimes. But now I should have the free time to give this a go. Thanks for this site and subreddit, it all looks incredible!
[deleted]
2018-12-25 22:54
Now that's what I call good news.
Your course is such a great place to start this humongous frecking journey. Your philosophy towards failure is so important.
What your work has done for me is unbelievable. I really was lucky to stumble upon your cursus, it happened at the same time I realized I was drawing like a mongoloïd.
Now I can take on Proko's lessons with solid fundations, and the awareness of space and ABOVE ALL line quality improvement since the start is mind boggling. Look ffs! Maybe it's laughable to some, but comparing it to the beginning is so unbelievable...
And if I drew that without a ruler it's only because you were screaming in my head for months to practice drawing straight lines.
It's so annoying I can't really put into words how I am grateful for your work.Thanks SO MUCH man.
Merry Christmas.
^(Maybe one day I'll finish writing the french subtitles for your videos lol)
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 23:23
Oh damn, those forms look fantastic! It's great to see the hard work paying off.
Rhaga
2018-12-25 23:54
I started and got through most of Lesson 1 a few months back, but then got really busy and didn't keep up.
Have been planning to get back on the horse (and stay on it) during these christmas days, so these news just came at the perfect time !
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 00:32
Hahaha, I played it a bit close but I was pretty adamant to get it out now because of just that reason. Christmas and New Years tends to be the time people want to give it another stab.
JadeAtlas
2018-12-26 00:31
Oh my goodness, this is a gorgeous update! Thank you for all the hard work!
SniperE_1337
2018-12-26 04:54
You have no idea how shook I was when I just started last night and awoke to a full website rework and a bunch of videos posted on that very day. I was questioning reality.
In all seriousness tho this is really cool man!
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 05:19
The response from the community has definitely made the hard work well worth it!
agoosewalkedover
2018-12-26 05:19
literally the best drawing tutorials i've ever found! youre the best!!
athalean
2018-12-26 06:22
I'm already sold on the new introduction. I've recommended your site to many people who I thought were ideal candidate for this super technical approach but I always had two gripes about the site that I'm so happy that you addressed them in the introduction: That you don't need to grind exercises forever and that you still need to draw for fun. That was EXACTLY the disclaimer I gave everyone when I shared them DAB 1.0 cause I needed to come to that realisation myself a few years ago before I realised that technical exercises cannot be everything. I'm so happy to see this as part of the site proper now!
The rework came just at a time where I'm in a mood to revisit my fundamentals a bit. Looking forward to seeing what else has improved!
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 06:47
That's honestly a point that's always irked me. I've tried to convey it as part of the beginning of lesson 1 (in a big section titled "read this if you haven't yet" or something to that effect), but people always seemed to miss it. Hopefully presenting it in a separate lesson altogether will force them to see and understand it.
keenspleen
2018-12-26 06:42
Thank you so much. The site has helped my drawing and understanding of form like crazy
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 06:48
I'm glad to hear it! That's definitely one of the core principles I've been aiming to teach.
AspiringArtist13
2018-12-26 11:31
Thank you som much! I have just startes lesson 2 does this mean I have to start over again?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 17:30
Not at all - the homework for lesson 1 hasn't changed. You should probably go over the lecture notes again though (just so when you incorporate those exercises into the warm-up routine, you're doing so based on the most up-to-date information). Lesson 2's homework has changed slightly - only in the addition of an extra texture exercise, but since you've just started that shouldn't be a problem.
Bazing4baby
2018-12-28 05:04
Hello. I just want to let you know I appreciate every things you do for this community. Every second of your effort is greatly appreciated. You are the god's work. Truly I can say not all heroes wear capes. Other help people to draw boxes. Saying thank you so much is not enough. Maybe you have a happy and fulfilling life ahead of you! Thanks!!
thareqfarras
2018-12-28 23:19
Umm u/Uncomfortable, where are lessons 13 and 14 (the composition and background lessons, if I got it right)?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-28 23:20
Gone for now, but they'll be returning as part of more properly developed curricula, one focusing on design and another on illustration, as part of the next phase of updates I want to push out.
thareqfarras
2018-12-28 23:24
Oh thank God, I thought they're gone forever. I mean, where else can I find tutorials that are excruciatingly painstaking?
Seriously though, I trust your tutorials (and assignments) for studying art above all else.
Iceila
2018-12-29 03:53
Hey u/Uncomfortable, just a quick question on Lesson 0, is the automatic drawing technique (https://youtu.be/MJYGFwGhHnA) what you mean by drawing for the sake of drawing? Is there any other types of drawing that should take up the 50% of freeform drawing? For example, personal design projects?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-29 03:56
You're overthinking this a bit. I literally just mean drawing for fun. Personal design projects, doodling, sketching random things. Whatever the reason you want to learn drawing is, do that. Some people want to learn to draw so they can draw interesting characters, crazy environments or cool vehicles - and most of them don't because they feel like they're not "ready".
The point is about not waiting for yourself to be ready - jump in, and learn to enjoy drawing as an act, not focusing on the end result or growing your skills from it.
Iceila
2019-01-05 06:40
Thanks for your reply, Uncomfortable. I guess I should change my question, then. Would you try to create portfolio pieces while practicing with drawabox? Does this still count as freeform drawing?
Uncomfortable
2019-01-05 07:01
Sure, it certainly can. It definitely falls into that category, just make sure that you're not stressing yourself over the fact that "i want this to be part of my portfolio so I must deliver". The point of this whole thing is that not every moment spent drawing has to be done with the intention of getting something tangible out of it, be it a nice drawing or something that you've learned.
[deleted]
2018-12-29 04:03
[deleted]
Uncomfortable
2018-12-29 04:27
I'll have to go back over them and give them a listen to get a better sense of what you're referring to, but for now all I can say is that I'm sorry you got that impression, as far as the condescension and disinterest goes. I'll have to be more mindful of how much of my exhaustion seeps through. Admittedly I've never had anyone describe by videos as condescending but I don't doubt that my demeanor could be taken that way.
As for doing it on paper though, that's not really a matter of whether or not I "care enough" about my business. It's about what allows me to convey the concepts I'm discussing and produce the videos in the time that I have. Demonstrating all of this work traditionally is not going to convey the information any better, but it is going to take me vastly more time and therefore result in fewer videos being produced, and less content being available for my students. It also isn't likely to increase my bottom line, for the same reason that causes me to put set the production value at a much lower priority.
I have the benefit of not really having my work held to any particular standard beyond the effectiveness of the instruction, given that all the content is free - it'd be an entirely different story if people had to pay for access to the lessons and videos. It means that while there is certainly plenty of room for improvement on many fronts, as long as I deliver the best that I can in regards to the core elements of what Drawabox is, the community appreciates every bit of effort. In that, I am very spoiled.
So I certainly am going to be working on improving the content in the various media it is presented (as much as I dislike producing videos, I'm probably going to invest in having a third party do all my audio/video editing for me, and will gradually reproduce all of the content). As a whole however, I don't really feel the community pressuring me to invest very much in that area - though in general I'm lucky enough to have a community that isn't by any means demanding.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 12:53
Wow, 16 hour days. Thanks so much man.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:39
It's been tough, but the response has been worth it.
Exerionius
2018-12-25 14:14
Finally! I was waiting this since anouncement.
Great job!
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:42
Hahaha, I've been eagerly awaiting it too - so I could pass out on my couch for a couple weeks.
Exerionius
2018-12-25 14:23
Btw, links to lessons 14-15 on sideview of subreddit aren't working anymore. Are they gone?
And what about mystical 8-13 lessons? Do you plan to rewamp them one day as well?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:43
Lessons 14/15 are gone for now, but the next phase of my revamps (first two being full website rebuild and second being the revision of the lesson material up to lesson 7) is going to be the creation of structured curricula focused on design (concept art rather than graphic) and illustration (composition, storytelling, etc).
Haven't yet had the chance to think about how I want to approach them, but I've been wanting to add these topics to Drawabox for a while, as I feel resources on those fronts - especially design - aren't as common as they ought to be when it comes to free resources.
theJirb
2018-12-25 15:50
Would it be a terribly large amount of trouble to compile your lessons into a pdf for us? If it is, I understand, and won't ask again, but I like to have my resources printed and I've tried a bit with the stuff on your website but copying and pasting was being a little bit finicky especially with the share links and the pictures.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 18:50
Unfortunately I have developed a policy against producing PDF versions, for a few reasons:
As the content gets updated, the PDFs get left behind, leaving many different out-of-date copies of the lesson material floating around, potentially being shared, but still technically being officially from drawabox
It's incredibly time consuming
Loss of potential ad revenue, especially if it gets shared around
I have however gone through some efforts to make the lessons more printer-friendly. It's not perfect, as every now and then there are some images that display too long to stay on a single page, but by and large by forcing page breaks after each "section", most of the lessons print a little cleaner.
As for the share links you're mentioning, are you talking about the social media stuff across the top, or the anchor links at the far right of each section? Right clicking on the anchor links and selecting 'copy link address' should give you a pretty clean URL to direct anyone to that specific section of content.
theJirb
2018-12-25 19:47
That's understandable. Thank you for all your work!
FishToaster
2018-12-25 19:24
Im sure Im just echoing what everyone else has already said, but: thanks for all your hard work! DaB is a truly amazing, unique, and somehow free resource.
In programming, there are a ton of Learn X in 10 days! kind of books. A lot of people try them and come away frustrated that they didnt really learn all that much. In response to that, there have been a bunch of books titled in the format Learn X the Hard Way. Theyre a lot of work, and they neither promise nor deliver easy answers. Theyre full of exercises, and although theyre not that long, they take a long time to get through if you do all of them. Theyre great for people tired of Learn X in 10 days books.
When I got started drawing, I was really looking for Learn Art The Hard Way. There are a ton of tutorials and videos, many of which end up looking like reddit.com/r/restofthefuckingowl. DaB was a godsend for people like me with little-to-no experience, but a willingness to start from nothing and stick with it.
I dont know how far Ill get with drawing. Ive been at it a few years and I expect to be at it for decades to come. But however far I get - however good I get - Ill owe it to DaB and your work.
Thank you. :)
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 20:08
I felt much the same when I was trying to learn, to the point that I initially thought drawing simply wouldn't be a skill I'd be able to develop to any sort of a professional level. That's more or less why I wanted to push drawabox out, even long before I was remotely equipped to convey this information. It just wasn't really as available as it should have been, and far too many people were being discouraged.
[deleted]
2018-12-25 19:31
[deleted]
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 20:08
Hahaha, yes - I'm very tired. I hope it was worth it!
[deleted]
2018-12-31 04:21
[deleted]
Uncomfortable
2018-12-31 18:43
Thanks for the feedback! The simplification bit is definitely something I'm continually trying to work on - I'm definitely still very long winded in my explanations (both in text and on video) and want to try and refine those as I move forwards. Baby steps!
[deleted]
2018-12-25 22:10
Ive been a member of your Patreon for a year and have never submitted anything. Im so dumb. However, I fucking adore al youve done for bad illustrators like myself.
Uncomfortable
2018-12-25 23:22
Hahaha, don't be too hard on yourself. While I encourage you to take advantage of the critiques and to remember that you're not submitting your work to impress me, but rather to make sure you're heading in the right direction, there are plenty of people who've done the same as you. Drawabox has made it pretty far on a number of different groups - those who offer their money and get their worked critiqued, those who offer more money than they need to for the critiques they request, those who intend to eventually submit for critiques and use the pledge to motivate themselves to do so, and those who simply want to support the resources and their continual maintenance. All of these groups of people are what have made this a feasible project, and have kept the pledge tiers low for everyone, and the content entirely free.
[deleted]
2018-12-26 03:14
Very cool. What is your web comic?
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 03:16
It's called Orc and Gnome's Mild Adventures.
ErrantWhimsy
2018-12-26 04:40
Merry Christmas to us! Thank you for the rebuild! I've wanted to try it for a while and just got a job with less crazy hour. New year's resolution is to try it!
Uncomfortable
2018-12-26 05:18
Hahaha, aiming just before the new years resolution rush was definitely the plan. Best of luck!