New? Lost? Read this intro to /r/ArtFundamentals and Drawabox.com before you post anything
https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtFundamentals/comments/ckpim1/new_lost_read_this_intro_to_rartfundamentals_and/
2019-08-01 15:02
Uncomfortable
Hey! The last sticky intro post is very long and somewhat outdated, so I decided to put up a new one.
TL;DR Summary
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Drawabox is a free website with structured exercise-based lessons that cover the fundamentals of drawing, including mark making, form and constructional drawing that started out on Reddit back in August 2014 and has grown since then.
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The lessons come with homework assignments and there are various options for getting your work critiqued, both by the community and by the lesson creator and his teaching assistants.
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This subreddit is RESERVED for those working through the Drawabox lessons and only posts relating to the lessons and their homework exercises are allowed. Anything else will be removed. If you're unsure of your post's suitability, you can ask a mod for permission.
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We also have a very active discord chat server with over 10,000 members who are all interested in learning to develop their drawing skills. We don't just talk about drawing, but the shared interest gives us a lot of common ground.
What is this subreddit, and what is Drawabox?
Drawabox.com is a website focused on delivering free lessons for those who are completely new to drawing, as well as those who have been drawing on their own without any proper structured guidance. The lessons are all about developing the most basic, fundamental skills for drawing. The lessons have concrete exercises and homework assignments to help build a roadmap on how to progress.
We focus on how to control your arm to make marks effectively, on developing your ability to draw forms that feel three dimensional rather than flat, and to build your internal understanding of 3D space as a whole. Once these are established, we learn how to break down complex objects into their most basic, simple components, then combine those components on the page to reconstruct our object. We treat drawing as the fabrication of an illusion that we have not created lines on a page, but rather have constructed real, solid forms in a 3D space - and at the core of that, we focus on learning how to believe in that illusion ourselves. The most convincing lie we can tell, after all, is one we believe in ourselves.
/r/ArtFundamentals is where it all began, back in August 2014. I started posting badly hand-written lessons here, and critiqued the homework of anyone who submitted it. In March 2015, I moved the lessons to their own website. Finally once the workload got to be too much in October 2016, I stopped doing free critiques and opened the subreddit up, allowing students to post their own homework and comment on it amongst themselves.
Okay, so the lessons include homework - how can I get it reviewed?
As of this writing, I am working on a built-in community platform on the Drawabox website itself, but that won't be out for a few months yet. Once finished, it will allow a much finer degree of control over which homework posts stay at the top and for how long. For now, we have two main options for receiving free homework critiques from the community:
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Posting Directly to the Subreddit. We strongly encourage students posting to the subreddit to post their work only when the whole lesson is completed (rather than partial submissions or single exercises). I get that you want to make sure you're not doing anything wrong, but when you're using a free resource and taking advantage of other peoples' generosity and good will, you should expect to end up doing a lot more work on your own. People tend to be much more receptive to full submissions, and more inclined to critique them. It also cuts down on clutter and allows submissions to stay near the top longer, rather than getting flooded out before getting a critique.
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Posting to the Drawabox Discord Chat Server. While less conducive to longer critiques, you can get more of a back-and-forth question/answer with other members of the community by posting your work on the appropriate lesson channel of the discord server.
Of course, since all of this is free and community-driven, you aren't guaranteed a critique. So if you haven't gotten a response after a day or two on the subreddit, or several hours on the discord server, feel free to post your work again. Just be polite about it, and don't go soliciting people for a critique (either by bothering people in other channels or tagging people directly).
Alternatively, you do have the option to get a guaranteed critique from me (/u/Uncomfortable) and my team of teaching assistants. This is available to those who support Drawabox through Patreon, which you can read more about on this page of the website. This is the same service that was free up until October 2016, and is handled on the subreddit in dedicated patreon critique threads where students post their work as a comment. Eventually this will also be handled on the dedicated community platform once it is done being built.
All these critique options are listed under the "Finished your Homework? Get it Critiqued!" button found on the table of contents of each lesson page.
So if you're looking to learn to draw and think the structured, regimented approach Drawabox uses may work for you start by reading Lesson 0. Above all else, make sure you read and follow the instructions, and you will see growth in your skills.
[deleted]
2019-08-09 01:44
[deleted]
ElectricSquiggaloo
2019-08-09 03:57
Sadly that makes a second place to post and update them every time a thread ages out. They're up for I think 3 months before Reddit automatically archives them.
Uncomfortable
2019-08-09 14:37
That's a good idea! I'll have to delay implementing it though until I'm sorted through some things I'm working on now, and once I figure out how to make that work with the way the rest of the system functions now, but I will add that to my todo list.
diamartist
2019-10-05 05:55
Can I ask a question about what the intended way to use the sub is? Or maybe it's more of a clarification on how much I should be doing before submission. I have done several exercises (but haven't finished lesson one entirely, I'm up to tables of ellipses), but I haven't submitted anything yet because of the advice that it's better to wait until you've done a whole lesson before submitting for critique.
From reading the lessons I got the impression that I was only supposed to do as many pages of the exercise as it says in the homework section (e.g. two pages of superimposed lines, one page of ghosted lines, etc) to avoid grinding, and then submit them all when I have finished lesson 1 completely (which I think means finishing boxes). But when I looked at the sub, it looks like a lot of the submissions are for individual exercises and some of the wording says like "Think I'm getting better!" or "Latest try" or something along those lines, and the quality of the marks in those is way, way better than mine (I am currently terrible at drawing and I've never been good, hence the determination to learn how to be good). Also in the lesson plan it says work submitted for critique should be "The best you can currently do".
So I'm worried that by submitting the work I've done, it's not going to be useful for critique purposes because the quality of it is so low, because e.g. I have literally done two A4 pages of superimposed lines ever, and currently my understanding is that those two pages (plus the ghosted lines, ghosted planes, etc) are what gets submitted for critique in a big Imgur album once I'm done lesson one, and then I work on it from there. If I'm wrong and I'm meant to work on the exercises more than just the pages that will be submitted before submitting them, I don't want to waste anyone's time by not submitting work that's good enough to critique.
Uncomfortable
2019-10-05 17:47
You are indeed correct. When I initially glanced at the beginning of your question, I assumed that you didn't read the lessons thoroughly enough (since how the homework should be approached is covered early on in lesson 0's How should Drawabox be Used section). It turns out you're among those who read and followed those instructions closely.
The issue is that there are a lot more people who don't read instructions as carefully as they ought to, resulting in a lot of people posting their work section by section (first lines, then ellipses, then boxes), or even a few that post page by page. I do my best to actively discourage the latter, and further encourage completing the full lesson before submitting (in the submission rules and on the submission page, as well as in various places in the lessons), but ultimately it's an uphill battle.
Now, the flipside is to heavily moderate the subreddit and delete partial/single posts, but I feel that this too would go against the spirit of what we're trying to do here. It's not that these students haven't put effort and work into completing the exercises, and so throwing away their submission can be intensely discouraging.
What I am currently doing is working on a completely separate community platform that will be built into the drawabox website, that will give me considerably more control over what students see as they try to submit work - but that won't be ready for some time.
As it stands, trust that the way you've read the instructions on the website is how the community is meant to be used. Complete a full lesson before submitting your work. Not only is this better for the community (resulting in fewer submissions, less clutter, and greater longevity for each post as it sits on the front page), but it also makes it more likely that you will get a response from those willing to give critiques. They appreciate seeing a greater investment of time and effort, and also being given a fuller body of work on which to base their critique makes the process of offering feedback much easier for them.
diamartist
2019-10-05 23:30
Sweet, thank you so much for the clarification. I can rest easy now knowing that I'm doing the right amount of work for where I currently am.
kaiki_rou
2019-12-19 15:50
I would very much like to believe that full submissions will get more critiques, and I'd love to submit my work all at once, but it seems after skimming the subreddit's posts as well as the Full Submissions flair, there's more comments on partial submissions or single exercises. Is the Discord any better, or should I support the Patreon while said Drawabox website forum is being created?
Uncomfortable
2019-12-19 16:47
So I'd definitely recommend sharing your work wherever - on the subreddit, on the discord, etc. as there's really no harm in doing that. Ultimately the responses you get will depend on time of day, who's online, how many other people are posting at the time, etc. It's pretty inconsistent.
I think asking me "should I support the Patreon" isn't likely to yield you an unbiased answer, given that you're basically asking "should I give you money". Should you? Of course! People doing that is what keeps Drawabox around.
In the context of critiques, it is also the only real way to get a guarantee that you'll receive useful feedback. We are constantly trying to nurture the community, improve the reliability of free feedback, and encourage people to help each other out (and also not to offer erroneous advice that demonstrates a misunderstanding of the material) but it won't compare to the guarantees one receives from a paid service.
That said, the Drawabox Community Platform will be out in under two weeks (aiming for a new years release), so it's not exactly a far-off thing anymore. It will be more direct in the separation of partial and complete submissions, while taking other steps to have submissions that have not received enough feedback or confirmation to keep recirculating.
Hushed-Woodland
2019-11-13 21:34
Been procrastinating starting this and been subbed for roughly a year, but the more I get frustrated with my lack of improvement despite drawing more seriously/ consistently for 4\~ years the more I'm motivated to do this.
Thanks for making this a thing, It's time I get started haha.
mtrigueroart
2019-11-25 16:19
Ive been drawing for a few years, just from imagination and using photographs as references for a while. I have almost no clue in regards to technique. Someone on Instagram refereed me to Drawbox and even though I started doing the lessons yesterday I feel this is going to have a massive influence in my drawing. Thanks everyone!
@marcos_triguero on instagram if you want to check my work :)
UmbraofDeath
2019-12-10 21:10
Just a quick question, I have a drawing tablet that I've been meaning to use again and I'd like to know if it is still suggested to use pen and paper or if digital as a medium is fine as well?
Uncomfortable
2019-12-10 21:14
Pen is highly encouraged for the drawabox exercises, for the reasons explained in this article, though where lesson 0 explains the importance of spending half your time drawing for fun, you're welcome to use digital.
Tommy-_-
2019-12-13 19:07
Hi all, Im looking to teach myself how to draw as a hobby. Do any of you guys have any good YouTube series recommendations where somebody walks you through? Thank you!
Uncomfortable
2019-12-13 19:17
You may want to ask this on /r/learnart or /r/learntodraw, though you'll be hard pressed to find a youtube series that really starts from the beginning. Keep in mind that most free resources out there have to focus on the things that are actually entertaining, and so they'll glaze over the basics (which can be pretty dry). That's why I created this subreddit, and drawabox as a whole in the first place - though our youtube videos, while I intend to expand them further in the coming month, are intended as complementary to the written content, not standalone.
jmido8
2019-12-16 03:58
Hey guys, i'v only just started but have a question about lesson 1: Using your arm. He says in the video that your pen grip doesn't matter too much but I have a really odd pen grip that I can't even find a name for. I'v been writing/drawing like this for my entire life (30yr now). I can hold my pen the standard way but it's not near as comfortable or staple since I barely ever do it except to avoid people's comments in public situations.
What are your thoughts on this style of pen grip and drawing? Will I be fine to continue this way or should I just start trying to relearn how to hold the pencil/pen?
Thanks!
My pen grip:
For those that can't view the image. I fist my hand with the pen between my ring finger and middle finger.
Uncomfortable
2019-12-16 04:01
You probably would have been better off posting this directly to the subreddit (since no one sees this but me), but for what it's worth, I've seen plenty of crazy grips from artists over the years, including at least one who drew the way you do. If it's comfortable for you and allows you to apply variable amounts of pressure to the tip, then it's fine.
jmido8
2019-12-16 04:08
Thanks for your opinion. I'm able to loosen and tighten my grip as well as apply various pressures. I'v just always been self-conscious that it's not optimal and at some point i'll hit a wall or something I can't improve at because the grip doesn't work for it.
I'll try reposting it on the artfundamentals later if i don't get anymore advice. Appreciate the help!
DrabRyn
2020-01-06 06:12
Ive just found this subreddit and havent even looked at the lessons yet. Still, I have a pencil grip that I only relatively recently learned was wrong. Its physically difficult for me to hold the pencil the right way. My fingers dont have the movement many other peoples do in general. Im autistic and I know a lot of autistic people have difficulty with fine motor skills and it can impact writing ability (Id initially not realised I may be one of the autistic people this impacts because its to a mild degree). I also have fused vertibrae in my neck that cause very mild issues and I think the fused vertebrae might even contribute to my limited finger control. It took me a while to realise these things might be connected to the way I hold my pen. I tried relearning how I hold my pen but, in addition to it just being a hard to break habit, I think I might just be less physically capable of holding the pen other ways. I can hold the pen normally but it feels uncomfortable, especially over extended periods. So I decided to stick to what felt comfortable for me.
Guess Im just sharing so you know that sometimes your pen grip can be related to things you cant really change about yourself. It might not simply be a bad habit. Maybe theres a practical reason you started holding the pencil that way in the first place. I dont have any more advice than that, sorry, but the advice you already got seems pretty good.
sureshchandawal98
2019-12-31 06:34
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ifuckinghateu99
2020-01-21 02:18
help! i dont know why its hard posting my progress here in reddit. im new to reddit and it oftentimes show "unable to post image" or "youre doing too much" yada yada and it takes a couple of minutes before it rejects my posts! id have to post it again then it would, again, reject it. i dont really know if making a discord account will be worth it since the only reason for signingbin is for drawabox.
Uncomfortable
2020-01-21 02:37
While I haven't heard of those particular issues (reddit may just be experiencing heavy server load today, I've had a few minor lag spikes myself), reddit honestly is not a particularly effective platform for this community anymore. As such, I've been working on building a dedicated platform into the website itself that is more tailored to our particular needs.
That platform is scheduled to launch at the beginning of February, so you won't have to worry about reddit for too much longer.
For the time being though, as we are primarily doing things on reddit until then (unless, as you mentioned, you want to use discord which may well be worthwhile at is a large, active community there), I'd recommend hosting your images on imgur.com and submitting a single link to your hosted album to the subreddit.
ifuckinghateu99
2020-01-23 01:41
thank you! looking forward to that platform! really great work on building this community. ive just started using discord. while it is hard for me to figure out all the things i can do with the app, the fast feedback is really useful!
Mgllo
2020-01-27 04:02
It might ve the way your phone saves the picture you take. Send the image via WhatsApp or Messenger and download it through the app.
Uncomfortable
2019-08-04 04:23
What did you prefer about it?