Drawabox Lesson 1: The Levels of the Ghosting Method

This video is accompanying material for the text available here: drawabox.com/lesson/1/ghosted...
Students often have a habit of thinking they need to meet some particular standard before they move forward. That's not how this course works... not exactly, anyway. The homework that is assigned exists only to produce a body of work that allows others to assess whether you understand what you should be aiming for - not whether you can achieve it right now.
You can find the free lessons at drawabox.com - if you're new to Drawabox altogether, you can start over at drawabox.com/lesson/0
Other Links:
Drawabox Discord Server: / discord
Patreon: / uncomfortable

[@Panma98]

Just want to thank you for doing this for free!

[@Almightservant]

I'm almost sixty and just began to taking drawing as a brain workout and pleasure. Finding your videos has been a blessing. They are so didactic and are helping me a lot. Greetings from Brazil.

[@Uncomfortable]

I'm glad to hear that you're finding the lessons to be helpful! Thank you for your kind words.

[@marcovirtual]

Após um ano, como está sendo a experiência pra você? Estou iniciando agora.

[@StephenLim]

The lift of the pen is a great tip. I would overshoot a little bit because I would try to pause at the dot.

[@Ciretako]

I'm not quite nailing Level 1 right now. I'm finding I'm creating a lot of wobbly lines, and I think what's producing wobbles is that my elbow is tending to unconsciously "correct for" the movements that I'm making with my shoulder - my conscious effort to move my forearm with my shoulder ends up fighting against an unconscious effort to hold my forearm still with my elbow. I might try just locking my elbow in place by holding my arm straight out as a short-cut to fixing that, but I feel like sooner or later I'm going to really need to do more to build up my body's sense of, uh, not fighting against my shoulder movements with my elbows.

[@Ciretako]

Update: It still takes just a bit of ‘fight’ for me to keep my arm held straight out, so I guess I’m not really neglecting that skill now. 😅

[@markhealey1849]

The best instruction I've ever heard for a straight line between two points is to put your pen on the 1st point, look at the second and draw it from the shoulder. Don't focus on drawing the line itself so much as getting the tip of the pen from point A to point B.

[@andrewm4815]

the lifting the pen advice was great, I got like a 60% improvement after trying it out

[@Vinomino]

I'm glad that I am doing this at a time, where drawabox is that fleshed out that it has full voiceovers and tutorial videos! I'm very thankful :>

[@coolman000099]

same

[@dannyboy5514]

These updated videos are great!

[@MoFace]

Started my first attempt of the drawabox course last night! Your videos are excellent supplement to the text on the site, and I'm learning so much already! Thank you for this free resource!

[@user-ns3nj1jr8h]

i remembered that one guy in the subreddit who did this for like 20 pages before moving to the other lesson trying to perfect it

[@draw9768]

just a awesome content, thanks for share!

[@cwinchcarwash2629]

are your fingers allowed to move much when drawing from your shoulder? Especially when it comes to purposely curved lines, does that all have to be done by the shoulder, or can those finder movements be done by the figers, while mainly being driven by the shoulder?

[@Uncomfortable]

When drawing from your shoulder, your fingers and wrist really shouldn't be moving at all.

[@cwinchcarwash2629]

@@Uncomfortable Alright, thank you! :D

[@kosmicgr]

I've been having an undershooting problem. How do I go about fixing that? Should I overshoot instead, so that I can figure out when to stop? Or is there another way?

[@ramoncorti2718]

Undershooting usually happens when people are focusing more on trying to accurately hit the mark than trying to do confident lines. My recommendation would be to not worry so much about accuracy right now, so you can put you focusing on making confident lines. So yeah, overshoot it and remember that accuracy will come with time and practice and what you need to focus on right now is confidence!

[@Uncomfortable]

Undershooting largely happens because we're afraid of overshooting - so yes, leaning into drawing confidently and allowing yourself to overshoot initially will help. From there, the advice about lifting your pen and then practicing that motion (because it can be a little odd at first) will help you refine your control.

[@valala2987]

I have an overshooting problem. If we combine our forces no one can stop us >:D

[@chrischannel9808]

@@valala2987 😂😂

[@ryanclemons1]

Guys I come from the year 2026 all is pain and horror KosmicGR must never join with Steve do you hear me if the.....oh god Kosmic Steve found me don't let it.........

[@lilysophie8643]

Thank you for these classes. I'm really excited to put your lessons into practice! What kind of pen do you use? What brand is it?

[@Uncomfortable]

You can read about all the different fineliner brands you can choose from here: drawabox.com/lesson/0/5/pens The pen I'm using in this video is one that we sold directly to our students, in an effort to make good quality pens of a single size available to students more cheaply (as opposed to having to buy them in big packs with multiple sizes, or paying an arm and a leg for them individually). We sold them in batches periodically, rather than all at once, and actually stopped a while back with plans to look at manufacturing our own custom, reusable pens. More recently though, we did decide to send out for another big batch of pens, which *should* be arriving in the next couple days. We're hoping to launch them on Black Friday, (they'll be $17.00 for a pack of 10), but we're still waiting on their scheduled arrival tomorrow. Long story short, if you're interested in these pens specifically, you'll see them being sold directly on the Drawabox website in a few days, if all goes according to plan. If however you're looking for pens of comparable quality, I basically compared them to my favourite pen - the Staedtler Pigment Liner - when we were figuring out which one we wanted to import and sell. The quality between Staedtler's and the ones we import are quite close (though Staedtlers tend to be a lot pricier).

[@lilysophie8643]

@@Uncomfortable Thank you so much!

[@estbrkjowad1901]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@MedusoJuegos]

Im level -1, woobly lines, overshooting and undershooting and my lines on a completely different zip code than the points, lol.

[@mauriciodelfin1265]

Great video as always! Right now I'm at level two of ghosted lines, and I hope to use the method you give to solve it in my warm-ups. It's great how concisely you explain things!

[@GOLD-gr8hg]

hey I'm curious what type of lamp or lighting you use or would recommend?

[@mariadayanaralopez4686]

Thank you for this resource,I can imagine the hardwork poured in here. Just want to ask,my fine liner often acts up,the ink's not flowing consistently. Am I doing something wrong?? Thank you if someone would answer, I am doing some homeworks now.

[@Uncomfortable]

This can definitely occur if you have a habit of pressing too hard on your pen tip as you draw. It can damage the tip, which impedes ink flow. Make sure that you're only applying enough pressure to make contact with the page, and not much more than that. Also, holding the pen at a higher angle will generally help the ink flow better.

[@mariadayanaralopez4686]

@@Uncomfortable thank you for your time,really appreciate the reply. I'll check myself every now and then if I'm pressing too hard. I guess I feel pressure while doing the homeworks. Again,thanks for the advice and for doing this resource,it's very helpful

[@yikesitswikes2022]

Uncomfortable: *updates Drawabox* Everyone: "Awaken my Masters!" Uncomfortable: "Yare Yare..." *Imagine Uncomfortable replying to a JoJos reference

[@samuraijack2857]

I imagined that I can't imagine Uncomfortable replying to a JoJo reference.

[@readtears7246]

I usually write without tripod handgrip like you do. So, can i use my usual handgrip to draw the line? Or maybe i have to use the tripod handgrip?

[@Uncomfortable]

I talk about how to hold your pen in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXq1aa1-abd2nLc Short answer, hold your pen the way you write. This doesn't apply to pencils, charcoal, and paintbrushes, but for pens the use of the tool follows the same priorities as when you're writing.

[@BassamAlsharki]

i have found that varying the speed of ghosting helps

[@sikawatthanaviratananich496]

Thanks

[@eath9132]

Needed to hear thisss :') so happy I came back to the videos this wasn't there beforee My line quality baddd

[@Uncomfortable]

Always be sure to check both the videos and the written material - the concept of there being "levels" to one's execution of this exercise was in the written material going back several years now, so there are inevitably going to be things mentioned there that were either added after the latest round of videos (since they're much harder to update/rerecord), or that simply never made it into the videos.

[@eath9132]

@@Uncomfortable 😭ohnoo i was so careless I didnt do justice with the lessonssss Thankyou for telling I'll make sure to read CAREFULLY SSSKSKSKJSKS

[@burnticarus]

When drawing to the end point after ghosting, where should we be looking? Do we follow pen with our eyes or try to focus on end point?

[@Uncomfortable]

Focusing on the end point, or unfocusing your eyes entirely is preferable. Following the pen would make it more likely that you're gonna try to steer it as you draw, when instead you really want to be trusting in your muscle memory and just committing to the motion you've ghosted through already.

[@mikekeim]

Thank you both for the question and the response on this one - I was struggling with the "where should I look?" question too. Appreciate the good advice on this and am now working on unfocusing and building/trusting muscle memory.@@Uncomfortable

[@swishy-]

Surprisingly enough, playing a shooter like Overwatch at a top level has made my lines easier to draw using my whole arm because that's how I aim in shooters lol

[@primeape6431]

does this work when youre using digital tablet ? I'm using graphics tab that doesnt have display

[@Uncomfortable]

This course is intended to be done traditionally, on ink and paper for the reasons explained here: drawabox.com/article/ink . While the technique itself does still work on non-display tablets (I used an Intuos Pro Medium for a long time and didn't buy a cintiq until I was already employed for a while as a concept artist), but another big factor are the habits these kinds of techniques and exercises instill in students - to think before we draw, to plan things out, and to prepare beforehand rather than jumping right into each mark we draw.

[@v-buckschan111]

Can I keep purposefully overshooting the line? I find that extending my whole line past the endpoint gives off more accuracy and a cleaner straight line. I don't know if I should keep it like a stylistic choice to convey liveliness and energy or is it harmful to my art education?

[@Uncomfortable]

Assuming you've cleared Level 1 (your line is smooth and consistent), you should be striving to have your line stop at your target point, while still maintaining that smoothness. The smooth/consistent trajectory is a higher priority, but you should not be purposely avoiding having your line end where it's meant to. Style isn't really a consideration here, and it's arguably not really a stylistic choice of your reasoning for it is that you aren't able to keep the line smooth while also stopping at a specific point - it's just following the path of least resistance. It's of course perfectly fine to not be able to stop on a dime right now, but again - you should not be intentionally changing the nature of the task in order to make it more accomplishable with your current skills. That's how we stagnate, rather than developing those skills we currently lack.

[@v-buckschan111]

@@Uncomfortable You got it sir! I'll get back to the basics and focus on the line control, and you're right I need to focus on the draftsmanship and structure before anything else.

[@Aninda_Creation]

How much time or days should i put on each videos exercises?

[@Uncomfortable]

I'm assuming you've only seen some of the scattered videos on the youtube channel - instead, students are meant to go through the lessons on the website, going off to the videos when they come up. You can start here: drawabox.com/lesson/0 When the exercises themselves actually come up, it is with a specific number of assigned pages. You complete those to the best of your current ability, after going through the written/video instructions, then continue on (regardless of how it turned out). There's no specific amount of time you're expected to commit - just however long you need to do the best of your *current* ability. Once you're done the whole lesson's assigned work, you submit it for feedback, and whoever critiques your submission uses it as a body of work by which to judge and assess what you do and don't understand. If there are any required revisions, they'll be assigned at that point, along with an explanation of what was done incorrectly. That way you're not going to end up sitting there grinding away at the same exercise without external help.

[@HarshCreatives]

Hello Sir, thank you so much for these great classes. I have already done your classes once before and I am doing them again. I just wanted to ask if I SHOULD WAIT FOR ALL NEW CLASSES TO COME or should I just CONTINUE with the old once? And please tell which Lessons video are you remaking? Thanks again. Hope to here from you soon.

[@Uncomfortable]

I am revising all of the content - it's a long process that is starting from these early parts of Lesson 1, and will stretch to the end of Lesson 7. That said, the updates are for the most part just presenting the material a little differently, making it more succinct and hopefully easier to understand. The actual content and concepts covered aren't changing much, however, so you should just move forward with what is present instead of waiting.

[@HarshCreatives]

@@Uncomfortable Ok sir, thanks again for your awesome lessons.

[@Well_away]

What if I've done it before but I quit and go back now Should I repeat all the task from the beginning ? Or start where I left off?😅

[@Uncomfortable]

That depends on how long it's been, how far in you got, and whether or not you at least kept up with the exercises you'd learned, or if you just dropped it altogether. If you didn't get through that much, then you may as well just start over from the beginning - it wouldn't be that long before you got back to where you were before. If it's been a particularly long time, then you should also go back to the beginning just to make sure you've got everything down solidly and don't build upon a shaky foundation. If you're not worried about that though, then it's really up to your best judgment.

[@Well_away]

@@Uncomfortable You actually replied teacher!🤩 This time I'll really finish it till the end and I'll make sure to pay you back someday Thank you teacher!

[@SUPRIzEi]

I can't even get level 1 at all, I really try to be confident but most of the time I don't get either dots and all my lines have a shake to them

[@Uncomfortable]

Mechanically speaking - by which I mean, by looking at the simple mechanical way in which the body works - if your lines are wobbly, it's because you're hesitating when you draw them. That usually comes from the mental block we all experience where we *want* our lines to be accurate, we want them to start and stop where we designate, and we're terrified of the idea of them not falling there. After all, if we're working on an actual drawing, and every line is a centimeter off from where it was supposed to be, it's going to look like a pretty big mess, right? But that's the thing - the work we're doing here, everything we do in this course from the ghosted lines to the complex constructions we produce at Lesson 7 - it's all just exercises. It's practice. The result itself isn't worth anything - what matters is the mileage we got from doing it, and what we were able to learn about how to adjust our approach going forward to do better. When it comes to smooth flow and accuracy in our linework, it comes down to this. Flow is achieved entirely through the manner in which the stroke is executed. Execute it confidently, without hesitation, it'll be smooth and maintain a consistent trajectory. Doesn't mean it'll necessarily be straight, but it's not going to be erratic. It might set off on a slight curve you didn't intend for, but it's going to maintain that curve because your brain wasn't able to interfere and change its trajectory (which is exactly what we're trying to avoid by executing confidently). Accuracy however is a matter of practice, mileage, and skill. It will improve with practice the more you do it, but beyond taking our time and investing that time into the planning and preparation phases of the ghosting method, altering your approach is not going to make it better without making that line wobbly. So to put it simply - what you can do now is actively choose to execute your marks confidently, without hesitation, accepting that it *won't* be accurate, but that the moment your pen touches the page any opportunity to avoid a mistake has passed. All you can do is commit to the stroke and do better next time, and the time after that. One thing I'd recommend you do right now, is grab a piece of paper, and just put marks on it as quickly and confidently as you can. Don't worry about where they're going to start, where they're going to end, where you want them to fall... just put strokes on the page. You'll notice that in drawing them quickly and confidently, they will by definition flow smoothly and consistently. The purpose of this is to show yourself that you *can* do what is asked of you right now - that is, make marks that are smooth and confident. Will they be accurate? Nope. As I mentioned above, using the ghosting method (and investing your time in the planning and preparation phases) will help with this, but your linework still won't be accurate. But that's okay, because if as you're saying you're at Level 0, then your *only* priority is to execute marks that are smooth and confident. Once you've got that, *then* we can start worrying about the longer term practice needed to improve your accuracy.

[@idle.observer]

I am a little confused. In the Lesson 1 exercises it says 1 page for ghosted lines. And we have 3 levels. Should I use 1 page for each level? What this means "Take it one level at a time - don't worry too much about the goals for level 3 if you're not yet nailing level 1." one level at a time? How many times we have to practice this?

[@Uncomfortable]

The levels represent the variety of challenges a student faces when tackling this exercise - meaning, where a student is at currently with the exercise. One student may be comfortable getting their lines to pass through their start and end points, while another student may still be struggling to get their line to pass through the end point reliably. No matter what level you're at, you're still going to be putting your *all* into completing the exercise to the best of your current ability. You complete the assigned quantity of pages here then continue on (as explained in Lesson 0). When you're done the lesson, you'll get your feedback, and when it marks the lesson as complete, that simply confirms that you appear to understand what you should be *aiming for* with each exercise, and so you'll continue to practice it in your warmups and will gradually progress through these "levels" of proficiency. You are not by any means expected to be able to hit each one individually right now, just focus on completing the assigned quantity of pages as best you can.

[@idle.observer]

@@Uncomfortable I get it now. Thank you for the explanation. I'm starting to practicing then.

[@tagus1]

ty

[@CaffeineForCode]

For the left-handed people, should we be overly concerned about pushing or pulling the pen?

[@Uncomfortable]

I've heard people raise the question for pushing/pulling the pen (regardless of handedness), and while I've seen arguments in favour of both, it's never really come up as a concern in my experience. Personally, I always "push" because that's what's comfortable for me, but I don't see any issue with pulling if that feels more natural to you. I would however recommend giving each a fair shake before deciding.

[@olyanlot9294]

Hi I left drawing box last year because the pain in my hand

[@jyoon6700]

idk why this is in my recommended but i deadass thought this was a tutorial on how to suddenly stop messaging someone after talking to them for a long time

[@Uncomfortable]

HAH! That's actually pretty damn funny. Avoid your ex's in 3 easy steps, from Drawabox!

[@professorcatosaur]

My lines keep getting curved even after ghosting:(

[@Uncomfortable]

That's one of the common issues I address in the ghosting video, as well as on the written instructions as well: drawabox.com/lesson/1/9/arc Basically you can correct your brain's tendency to arc things by purposely arcing them in the opposite direction. With practice, this will rewire your brain's tendencies, and after a while you won't have to do it consciously.

[@professorcatosaur]

@@Uncomfortable thank you do much for responding!

[@nicksyoutubeaccount]

Level 3 could have been tighter. Doesn't exactly start at the first dot. But I get the point.

[@mindlessrover2001]

What about really short lines? I feel like they always come out really sloppy when I have to draw a really small line from the shoulder.

[@Uncomfortable]

I talk about this here: drawabox.com/lesson/1/2/leastresistance Long story short, yeah - if it's gotta flow smoothly, draw it from your shoulder. It'll come out sloppy right now because you need the practice in the use of your shoulder, but it will improve over time. Don't just go for the path of least resistance because it's what's easiest right now.

[@mr.warfstache6943]

where is the lesson 8????

[@mr.warfstache6943]

I can't. I also type drawabox.com/lesson/8 and it gives me nothing.

[@mr.warfstache6943]

@dcfddvg xdcv thanks

[@mittu3346]

the ghosting method is what my dad uses on me

[@richmondarellano6078]

Last level, leave without making a noise in a relationship (ghosting)

[@harambe3363]

Watxhing this as a professional is so weird lol

[@PebblepantsTV]

777 likes and 7 dislikes wtf

[@ivogody]

Just stop texting her. That is the best method

[@rdtrmb.8782]

Architects are taught to have wavy lines and overshoots not like this video.