Learn to Draw for Free: DrawABox Review

I've had the opportunity to learn how to draw through some amazing online art courses (Watts Atelier Online, Proko, Society of Visual Storytellers, Ctrl+Paint, Drawabox). Each of these resources has a specific area of expertise and I have had great success with all of them! No one course will teach you everything.
Drawabox focuses on teaching the fundamentals of drawing from a construction-based approach. The exercise-based curriculum teaches you to understand basic perspective and how to translate 3-dimensional objects onto a 2-dimensional surface. It is not easy, but the results are absolutely worth the effort!
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01:44 - What is Drawabox?
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WHY DRAWABOX IS AWESOME
02:50 - Exercise-based
03:25 - X-ray vision
04:02 - Ever-evolving content
04:52 - Timely & consistent reviews
05:44 - Clear understanding of expectations
07:04 - Cost
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A FEW WORDS OF WARNING
07:52 - Embrace ugly drawings
09:29 - Avoid analytical rabbit holes
10:35 - Beware of the grind
11:29 - Follow the rules
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11:57 - The cons
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MUSIC: Bongo Madness by Quincas Moreira

[@Uncomfortable]

Thanks so much for this *awesome* review! It really warms my heart to come across so many points where I start gesturing animatedly at the screen, trying to keep from shouting "SHE GETS IT!" while still at work. It really is hard to drill students on the idea that the work they do here is not about making pretty artwork, but rather every single drawing serving as an exercise to build one's spatial awareness and develop exactly what we see in your more recent drawings - a strong grasp of how 3D forms relate to one another and how they can be manipulated and combined to create more complex objects. I definitely agree with the main con you had at the end, of the website being split up across so many platforms. It's kind of the nature of how it all started (it was initially just the subreddit, the website and patreon came afterwards), and I've steadily been trying to consolidate things. One of my upcoming major goals is definitely to build a proper community platform into the website itself to get critiques on the website proper, but that's definitely going to take a lot of time and planning. Anyway, thanks again for such a thorough analysis, and for all the kind words. I'm going to go ahead and share this review across all our social media!

[@beccarand]

When I started working on my animal sketchbook, I was sort of shocked at how intuitive it felt. The anxiety I've felt in the past was just... gone. It felt vaguely miraculous, and then I put the pieces together. Thanks for all your work on this resource-it was enormously helpful for me.

[@nouhotdagnogo3582]

I got to say thank you both, great review and great resources. I had a similar experience with DAB, but unfortunately i stopped during the animal lesson, one day i will come back to finish it :) the lessons learned back then still translate in my drawing and painting skills.

[@beccarand]

So true-even if you only get half way through, all of that info is still pretty cemented in your brain. I should have mentioned that in the review!

[@krazyjazper1574]

Hi! I've never had the chance to thank you, so this might be it. Thank You so much for making draw a box! I can still remember 2 years ago when a professional artist recommended your website to me. I went through all the lessons, no matter how challenging they were. I've only realized now that the way I draw and analyze objects in 3D was because of you. My drawings improved, and now I'm more confident than ever. Everytime I look at objects and animals irl, I start to see imaginary circles, boxes, and shapes lol!

[@Uncomfortable]

@@krazyjazper1574 I'm glad to hear that my lessons helped!

[@smellypotatoes2292]

DRAW A BOX EXERCISES ARE BEAUTIFUL, NOT UGLY. I mean the satisfaction you get on improving through the exercise is just WOW.

[@beccarand]

I suppose they have a certain charm :)

[@wilsonclaire3352]

Awww you really like them huh? I like them too.

[@ThatPash]

Agreed

[@Groinattack1]

It's good watching these older reviews as a new student working through the course. The current 50/50 rule (50% learning, 50% draw for fun) was obviously an important addition to the course.

[@beccarand]

I can't say this with 100% certainty but I'm pretty sure that rule exists because of me hahaha

[@canalcerrado2433]

Drawing is like studying Greek and piano- you can't speak or play in your conscious, which is clumsy. You must get it into your subconscious, which is graceful. But that takes time.--Robert Beverly Hale

[@beccarand]

The man, the legend.

[@Tornacuum]

"I hate when I don't understand things" This is what almost made me stop Drawabox. I can't stand drawing things and not understanding how this works. Thank you so much for this review.

[@beccarand]

Stick with it! The longer I study, the more I learn how little "thinking" you can do when you're drawing. My approach now is intuition THEN correction.

[@Tornacuum]

@@beccarand I will, thank you very much for your kind advice and encouragment : )

[@cynthiarollins3949]

I have just started drawing again…been a doodler all my life. Thanks so much for this advice…I’m inspired to keep trying at age 62🥰

[@FABIOh1976]

Good Luck. Hope you are enjoying your drawing or other hobby.

[@anneolaug]

For someone who loves sketches and particularly rough sketches, I do not understand when you say ugly drawings. They are beautiful to me. Thanks for this review. It is news to me. I was looking at an old book about learning how to draw, from the 1800s, and this sounds related. So glad I learned about this!

[@jonathansteele1801]

as someone who is about to dive headfirst into DAB with no prior art experience or talent, this was a comforting review! im ready to do the hard work and follow the process to the letter. can't wait.

[@olc7222]

as someone in the same situation as you, I must ask: Did you finish it? If so, how'd it go?

[@BlockyButtcheeks]

I’d also like to know, any updates?

[@commandingmargin]

Currently on Lesson 7, and I would definitely agree with this review. It's made a huge difference for me and my drawing. Like you, I don't really think that a lot of the drawings I do for the exercises are particularly nice. But I took a break last fall (after finishing lesson 5) to work through Inktober and the Anatomy lessons on Proko, and it's quite clear how it's made an impact on me. Love your channel and your drawings.

[@beccarand]

Ah we are on a similar path. :) I am going to hop back on the Proko anatomy pretty soon-got a little burnt out on it a few months ago. I struggle a lot with balancing "fun drawing" with "learning", so I end up sort of binging on one or the other. Thanks for your support!

[@_Nyxus_]

I'm the same way as both of you. I binge so much on one or the other, then get nothing out of it but being burnt out or depressed cause it's either too much or my perfectionist brain kills me. But hearing this review and how similar Rebecca is to myself, it gives me a lot of hope! I'll keep trying like the both of you did.

[@loiso5421]

@@beccarand Hello! thanks for the review. I have the same problem with balancing "fun" and "learning." (Mostly because I want to draw people and things that mean a lot to me, so I really don't want them to look ugly 😅. I'm learning to let go of that with drawabox) It's been two years since this comment so I was wondering if were you able to figure out a way to balance the two. Do you have any tips for avoiding burnout and boredom while learning?

[@Humiliated1234]

So how are you guys doing 3 years later?

[@FannyMMOs]

This is so lovely, I've started and dropped the course twice already, as the master procrastinator that I am, but I really don't want to waste my life like that and you just gave me a new spark of motivation. It's easier when you believe in the results, and your results are absolutely amazing. I also wish I had known about your channel before, you're such a charismatic and positive person. :D

[@beccarand]

Thank you-brings a big smile to my face! You can do it!

[@scottlemien5964]

I started and stopped this a couple of years ago, but you encouraged me to get back to it. Thanks!

[@beccarand]

You can do it!

[@katl6614]

Hi! Did you finish the course, and what was your experience.

[@scottlemien5964]

@@katl6614 I did not. It is still on my to-do list, but I got through the first set of critiques and was okayed to advance when I stopped about a hundred boxes into my next challenge or so.

[@ronkempke6673]

Thank you so much for taking time to record your thoughtful review of this program.

[@freethesky10blue89]

Becca Rand This is a superb review, one of the best I've ever come across for anything. You've just anticipated all the questions I had and done it all with humility and common sense.

[@EskChan19]

I definitely agree with the 'good enough' statement. The thing is that picking something up is easier than mastering it. There's the so called 80/20 rule. It says that 20% of your effort make up about 80% of your results. Basically, if you look at a skill you want to pick up, and you put in 20 hours to 80% master it, you'd need to put in 100 hours to master it completely. And most of the time it's not worth it. In the 80 hours you need to put in to get the last 20%, you could have 80% mastered 4 different skills. If you want to be 100% perfect at lesson 1 of Drawabox, then others who only go the 80% will already be done with the whole curriculum by the time you reach lesson 3.

[@kimeojin6447]

I want to cry and laugh at the same time, I've done a little bit of Drawabox before but stopped after I thought 'oooh this is dumb'. Now I returned because I realized that I did nothing worthwhile in those months after I stopped.. This video speaks so directly into my mind and I can sympathize so much with it. Thank you for the video, the way you explain things is so concise and accurate!

[@beccarand]

YES! I am so happy this is helpful. You can do it!

[@terryann0329]

This review solidified my commitment to Drawabox for my beginning. Thank you for taking the time I learned a lot from your perspective.

[@donatorana4486]

If you can draw traditionally, i assure you 100% you are going to know how to draw digitally.

[@beccarand]

Hasn't worked that way for me, but I know some people are able to transition to digital with more ease!

[@Prince_-vu4wu]

for me i did better on digital than traditional, just felt more right for me personally and i improve a lot faster on it at least from my own experience

[@kiroscene6835]

Yeah, I disagree with the original statement. I've been drawing since I was 12 and am 35 now. I cannot draw digitally to save my life and I've been trying since I was 21. I just do it traditionally and scan my images in.

[@rr.studios]

CtrlPaint.com helps me with the transition...

[@maxxking9490]

have been traditional for years. Digital, for literally 10 years, is still a nightmare to me and I have put in hours hahahaha.

[@prarthanapramod3861]

This was a perfect review for me personally. I always have trouble with the structure of drawings and I am sure that this website will help me improve that. Watching this video and seeing you carefully list out the pros and cons really helped me get a clear idea of what I am actually getting into. Thank you for the amazing review!!

[@pentachronic]

Thanks for the honesty and clarity. Much appreciated.

[@katieh6893]

I just started the DrawABox lessons, like, two days ago and saw your review posted in the subreddit. I may or may not be watching through all of your videos now. Seriously my new fave. Love your channel so much. It's a sub from me!

[@beccarand]

Aw thank you! Sorry you joined at the exact moment I went radio silent hahaha. More to come! Hope you're liking DAB.

[@Nexuitz]

5:55 as someone doing bodybuilding, i can say, i do exactly that XD 3 times a week, do my workout routine until muscle failure.

[@cookiessprite]

I love DrawABox, it's so easy to pick up the exercises during a free moment. I've not been doing it long but the biggest thing I noticed immediately was how much my confidence improved, which led to instantly better strokes on the page, and almost immediately I started seeing that 'x-ray' vision thing.

[@watchvids7802]

You are so good at presenting information/ your thought process, while also keeping it funny and relatable! 👌 Uncomfortable is kinda lucky you have stumbled upon his course~

[@lunarhealer6667]

WOW! This lit a fire under me!! Thanks for this great review.

[@EmmyMW]

I just wanna say thanks for posting this review:) I've done the drawabox on and off for awhile but never stuck to it, and seeing this just gave me the motivation to try it again and really try to do the lessons and homework as outlined.

[@beccarand]

You can do it! It has been so helpful for me, really changed how I draw.

[@ShaanHKhan]

thank you for your reviews. I just started it today and reviews like yours really help with motivation and any concerns etc. excited to see how it will help me learn to draw

[@jeanthomas7523]

Thank you very much for your video! I appreciated how you structured it, giving an overview of the program, things to watch out for, things to definitely do, and some critique. I feel like I got a lot of great information from this :) Thanks again for sharing!

[@beccarand]

Yay! I am so glad, this is exactly why I make videos. :)

[@DennisCNolasco]

Thanks for the honest review Becca. I think I may give DrawABox a shot after I finish with my current art curriculum.

[@thatguy928]

Thanks for the insight! Great video!

[@Matt_Hil]

Thank you so much for this Becca, it was really helpful and a great review. I am going to be starting the lessons tomorrow. :)

[@renzrivas6261]

This very useful especially for someone like me that's a bit skeptical for the program, thank you very much.

[@edbianchi8839]

Very clear, honest and good review, appreciate your time. thank you

[@kerwinfernandes9583]

Hey Becca, those were some great tips and advice.Thanks for making this video, God bless you and your family always! 🙂🙏

[@beccarand]

You are so welcome!

[@nicksyoutubeaccount]

The drawings of the birds before and after DAB is great. Really shows how useful DAB is.

[@nicks931]

Nice critique but I don't believe you touched on one important "rule". 50% lesson balanced with 50% fun. Also, the program is easily followed digitally too. As long as you follow the "no erase ink only" guidelines. I'm working through it both ways. Thanks for the video. The program deserves exposure.

[@piashatiel5842]

THANK YOU for talking about the perfectionist/analytical tendencies. As soon as you started talking about it, I was like "Oh yeah, that is sooo me." XD But really, thank you for making this video. I've tried DAB before but already struggled with the lessons about ellipses and boxes. I'm going to try once more.

[@chaplainjessup4325]

Thanks for your thoughtful review! I was looking at the DAB curriculum and trying to decide if it was for me. Your review convinced me to give it a shot!

[@beccarand]

Do it! I promise the results are worth the effort. It takes some long-term focus and commitment, but if you're patient it pays off.

[@linearchitect]

Thanks for reviewing. 👍

[@abrahemsamander3967]

Your before pictures look better than what I can do know. I’ve known about this program for a few years I think and you’ve convinced me to give it a try. Great job on the video, wish me luck!

[@beccarand]

Yay! So happy to hear. It's worth the hard work.

[@abrahemsamander3967]

Thank you I’ll do my best.

[@aspenbluu2086]

This. Is what is real ans this. Is what i needed to hear. Bless your heart

[@Uglysub5]

Thank you very much for the review.

[@AlxD03]

I would've regretted it if I did not find your channel. DrawABox really help me set up my confidence and foundations for drawing Thank you so much!!

[@AlxD03]

LMao

[@MilenioOscuroComics]

Fantastic review! Thank you!!

[@marco.nascimento]

Awesome review!! Thanks

[@mdowney14]

This is a great video! It really helped and motivated me! Thank you.

[@beccarand]

I'm so glad!

[@rajatshukla2605]

Just when I was thinking of quiting drawabox. Seeing your progress has inspired me to continue. Thank you

[@beccarand]

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

[@patrickpickett7155]

I started using ink. Then I got a pen tablet (huion hs611), and I decided to re-do the exercises (I'm only up to boxes) digitally, and oh boy has it made a difference, I basically had to re-learn, but it has helped my hand eye coordination a ton, along with allowing me to get more used to digital drawing. Note, this has just been my experience (sample size of one and all that) but I am glad I tried it :)

[@quonkylops]

Do you think it would help with complete beginners to drawing?

[@szymonsteczek2180]

@@quonkylops +1! I wanted to ask the same question :D

[@patrickpickett7155]

@@quonkylops i am also pretty new to drawing, i think that its easier (for me) to draw more precisely on pen and paper. However i would like to do digital drawing and re doing the exercises has improved my digital drawing skills (but not to the level of pen and paper). So if you are learning from scratch i would say pen and paper helps develop skills and an understanding of the concepts as it is a bit easier (less complicated) than digital, but if you would like to increase your confidence using digital, the exercises really help. Again this is just my experience and it may be different for pen on screen tablets or other people, but i would say if you have a means of drawing digitally try the exercises and see if you improve, if you don't just start with a pen and paper. The skills will transfer and you can start learning immediately I hope that helped :)

[@quonkylops]

@@patrickpickett7155 ahh thank you! Trying to get my life together by learning a new thing:)

[@quonkylops]

@@szymonsteczek2180 they answered!!

[@dragonicbladex7574]

Awesome and informative ^-^

[@ninjakiwigames5418]

I just found out about drawbox few days ago. I already see myself doing the ghosting method more and more even outside the practice. One thing I really like is when I make a line and it looks like it was drawn with a ruler, but really it was just the ghosting method.

[@jungoogie]

Your older art isn't ugly by any stretch, Becca💖. I honestly enjoyed the before pictures just as much. Very human and an expression of you at the time of making those art pieces. To those going into drawing art, don't ever feel you have to compare yourself against others. Self esteem should never be outward looking and put into the hands of others. Self worth starts inside. Draw a line on paper and make it "ugly". Now make another ugly line. And another. Now you've taken the first step towards your own expression. YOUR art. OWN THAT EXPRESSION. That's your ugly beauty. Much love to you for just being willing to express a part of yourself onto paper. That's courageous. Don't ever feel that those "imperfect" lines aren't good enough. Because "perfect" is a slippery slope that can blur that genuine spark that makes you who you are.

[@jennasosa7740]

I love this review! Well thought out. Very helpful. Again, so glad I found your channel on KZbin! So helpful, real & encouraging! I appreciate your perspective, many great teachers...learn something from them all! ♥️🙏🏼 I'm interested to know, if you could start over...do you wish you would've began with a particular resource first in your journey?

[@beccarand]

Definitely start with DAB! You'll get way more mileage if you do end up wanting to do Proko or Watts afterwards. DAB is one of the few programs I have done that I believe is truly for beginners.

[@SpencerRaybourne]

How nice of you.

[@kristiyanlalevschann]

I've decided 3 and a half years ago when I was 26 that I wanna draw manga and so I jumped in straight to drawing complicated drawings, having little background self taught experience when I was a kid. Eventually as I kept drawing I naturally wanted to improve so I start a manga comic project only to stop halfway in order to learn the basics and fundamentals. This continues until today as well. The reason is that I never really found a solid field where I can be told "This is not good", "you need to improve here", "this is good enough. Move on to the next step" and so I amelessly alone hoped I am doing the right thing. I am so hopeful this can help me improve my art so that one day I may share at least a single manga story that would I spire people to pursue their dreams through thin k and think just like I am. Thank you for this brilliantly presented information @becca rand

[@nbarragan12]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I started the Drawabox course a couple days ago and I like what I see so far. I hope I can see my progress a couple months from now.

[@beccarand]

You can do it! I promise it's worth the effort.

[@nbarragan12]

Rebecca Rand thank you! I’m struggling to find motivation this week. Your comment helps 😊❤️

[@aminkhan5924]

So did you finished the drawbox course?? How was it? I'm thinking to started taking the course 😁

[@nbarragan12]

@@aminkhan5924 unfortunately, I haven't. I gave up drawing, but not because of the course. I just needed to focus on other things. Actually the course kept me motivated for a while. Regardless, the course is amazing and you really can feel the progress if you are patient enough. But it can be tedious at times, but that's good. That's when you are progressing more. If you want to do it, go for it. And don't forget to share and get some feedback. That is probably what will make you even better. That's how you actually improve.

[@aminkhan5924]

@@nbarragan12 thank you so much I'll start this course right now! 😁😁

[@JTMC93]

I have found DrawABox tends to lean more towards what you use to get better at drawing after you have some form of artwork you can make and be satisfied with to help break up the more crunchy, to borrow a tabletop gaming term, lessons of the program. For example, maybe you can make painted landscapes and/or flat cartoon characters that you are satisfied with and can then use DAB to improve and expand what you can do. Though a good piece of advice I received was: Learn and Study in the medium that works best for you. Practice and Apply what you learn in all mediums you want to use. And digital is simply a type of medium. I compare it to paint where the programs are the type of paint. So while Painting traditionally has Watercolor, Acrylics, Oils, etc. Digital has Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro, Krita, etc. Part of learning the digital medium that seems to hamper people is getting used to the tools and their feel. Kind of like how Oil Paint and Graphite feel different to use.

[@vapsman88]

Great review. I am just starting with the DAB program. I am not a beginner but I think it would be helpful to go back to fundamentals. Thanks for sharing.

[@beccarand]

I feel like I could go through DAB 100 times and still get something out of it!

[@Chatterphone]

Drawabox is MAGNIFICENT!

[@0darkwings0]

Thank you for a great review :) I have a few questions if you don't mind answering, how much time it took you to finish all 7 lessons? and how much time did you devote every day and how many days did you practice every week? Thank you in advance :)

[@pat.k4823]

Hey ho!!! Follow the wihte rebbit!!! Nice clean basic construction! !! Heavey concept art + amazing finish !! Good artist!! Love you vid's !!! Big respect ms. rand, drawing is livestyle! !👍 ✌ 😊

[@beccarand]

Thanks Pat :)

[@strongindependentblackwoma1887]

I will try to complete the exercises again lol, i dropped it in the rotated box part, it was so hard, but during that time i was reading books about perspective so now i think will be able to do it!

[@beccarand]

You got this! (Also yeah that one was rough haha)

[@julia3983able]

Wow! The improvements are amazing 🤩 I’m curious, did you get feedback from the reddit community or Uncomfortable himself for all of your Drawabox exercises?

[@FirstNameLastName-il8ev]

For the last part, im a digital artist, but i like to practice things traditionally, because i feel like i rely on the digital tools too much for a learning process. These tools are GREAT for when im trying to draw something nice looking, but halt my learning abilities when its for practice.

[@Jane-qg7ol]

I love drawabox 💛

[@lordallien]

doing it digitally. only have plans to do this course by myself and feedback with the small amount of people I talk to. If I get good because of it then the rule sucks, if I don't shame on me. I mainly just want to get good at drawing things so I can animate. also want to get away from the idea of "I can't draw that" when asked to draw something.

[@ravt2733]

Hey Becca, at some point in this video, when you were explaining the process that goes on during the exercises, indirectly you referred about the material to do them with the use of ink (assuming its a ballpen) on a paper, due to the reason you would be unable to erase mistakes made on it. I've been practicing, for sometime now, my exercises on a wacom tablet, would that be a problem regarding those drawabox exercises?

[@nikhilkumar3897]

fail faster, learn faster! WOW!

[@jauxro]

5:08 "If you could recognize a mistake, you wouldn't have made it in the first place." Is this true for most people? I'm on the 250 box challenge and all my mistakes so far occur because I was inattentive in some way. I tend to painstakingly focus on one or two elements at a time and then drop the ball on something else, which then becomes obvious when I self-check. Checking takes me a long time, to the point where I struggle to draw two boxes in one hour. I doubt this is conducive to intuitive box-drawing, but I figure *not* checking amounts to willingly doing it wrong... I had more to write but now I'm just sad and convinced that I have ADHD.

[@beccarand]

Yes, I hear you. What I meant was that you wouldn't see the root of your mistake. For me, the importance of the critique is that it helps you see what led to the mistake. For example, let's say you draw a portrait. When you're done, you realize the proportions are wrong. Unless you understand WHY they're wrong, you're going to have a hard time fixing it next time. It's reasonably easy to say "Oh, the nose is too far from the mouth", but it's harder to understand "Oh, the nose is misplaced because the foreshortening causes it to appear closer to the eyes than it would in a straight-on picture." The point of checking your boxes is not to make sure everyone is correct, it's to see what mistakes you are making consistently and work on resolving that specific issue. Hang in there! It's tough and I relate to your desire to get everything perfect. I'd suggest drawing 20-30 boxes and then checking them all. That will give you more information.

[@jauxro]

@@beccarand Thank you for your reply - I tend not to think about things in those terms, exactly.

[@futabanana4375]

Thank you for this great video! I also watched your previous videos when you just decided to learn DAB. Currently I am in a situation similar to yours at that time: I am following Proko's figure drawing lessons, and I think I have some difficulty with the Robo bean. I don't know if I should continue watching Proko's videos (on mannequinization, proportion, balance, etc.), or should jump to DAB like you. Or do you think it's good to learn them at the same time? May I have your advice? Thank you very much!

[@beccarand]

If you plan to do both, I would definitely start with DAB. It will make Proko so much easier and you will get a lot more out of it.

[@futabanana4375]

@@beccarand Your words and experience give me motivation to start DAB. Thank you so much! And I enjoy your other great videos as well!

[@Rachaelshaw7]

Hi 🌟 Do you think watts fosters the repeat-repeat-repeat-till-perfect dogma, or do you think it was solely your approach? I'm thinking of doing DAB, then proko anatomy.. then maybe watts? Not sure.. What would you suggest? Thank you big time for sharing your journey with us 💗💗

[@mateodo8669]

very useful

[@shwormy]

when do you recommend I take drawabox? I am very very new to drawing, and I'm not sure if I should try getting normal drawings on paper before I get into fundamentals.

[@FABIOh1976]

I'm considering DAB and your video gave me important considerations.

[@kspellsong2]

My son has been talking for a while now about Drawabox and how I should look it up. I'm impressed... but during your review, I laughed out loud when you got that pained look on your face that everyone gets when they are "quoting their parental units." 'Rules are dumb." Thanks for taking the time to do the review, you nailed a couple of issues I have and I look forward to the challenge.

[@beccarand]

You got this!

[@kspellsong2]

@@beccarand Thanks!

[@geniosquarepants8399]

you got me at its the karate kid. im in. ;)

[@aaronbell5994]

I ground Draw a Box, and I hated the vehicles lesson, too 😂(Was happy to do it, was hard)

[@thedrDraw]

Hi Rebecca! great stuff, I'm wondering you say it took you around 4 months, how many exercises did you do per day/week?

[@beccarand]

Hmm... not sure exactly. I cover it all on my channel if you want to look and see how long I spent on an individual section. You could absolutely do it more quickly, I am just very slow!

[@am-ir2bx]

I can't find this in the faq and 1 person asked it with only 1 answer but does DAB teach how to draw faces? If they don't what other methods are recommended?

[@pekwalker]

Where can I find a Gray Head like the one you have in the background?

[@VirtualKenji]

Great review! I'm about to start it now, and will go the route you went with the paid critiques. How long did it take you to finish the course from start to finish with the paid critiques? You mentioned 4 months, but that sounds super fast! Just wondering if I should be thinking of years instead of months for the course. Thanks again for the informative review!

[@beccarand]

It felt like an eternity 🤣. I covered all the lessons individually, so this might help give you a timeframe: kzbin.info/aero/PLfa98d7UGi3Up-weAYJ2Eg6N3BdbSzCGW It will take a couple months if you do a few hours a day. I can't imagine it taking years, though I had to take a break at one point because I was losing steam. You can do it! Just pace yourself-it's a marathon.

[@yasserrek9681]

This reminds me a lot of peterhanstyle's drawings and videos on how to practice art.

[@beccarand]

Yes, same approach!

[@KreativeHogwartsLegacyGUIDES]

thank you so much for this review. i will probably do the free version now. i also watch scott robinsons tutorials, theyre amazing for drawing cars. but i also want to know, you did the watt atelier head or something right? I keep looking for anatomy and face or head tutorials, and i found a really good book to buy for anatomy, but for the head itself, everyone says loomis is the best. i dont know, whenever i see a loomis tutorial on youtube, it looks like a badly drawn head. i wish i could find really good loomis tutorials the way its so easy to find scott robinsons videos everywhere. anyway, i want to know what is the best place to figure out how to draw heads in different persepectives. where do i start? whats the best tutorial for it? or book. i just subbed. wish i found this channel earlier tbh.

[@beccarand]

I think the Watts Atelier lessons are really great for head drawing, though they are much pricier. The lessons are very linear and easy to follow. If you go waaaaay back in my channel, I have a bunch of videos about it. You should also check out the Asaro head if you haven't seen it yet. That was really helpful for me. I haven't done the Proko head drawing lessons yet, but I bet they are good too.

[@benjaminjarvis7483]

Hi, if you are looking for an excellent tutorial about the Loomis method for the head i would recommend the videos of Salem Shanouha aka Rain Walker. They 2 versions the fist do not have voice kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-uonR9Zt1qY5I and the second have voice over (because a lot of poeple ask for voice) kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJbPZoyGetx3laM .

[@jassykat]

Please! Do a review about the Figure drawing fundamentals from proko

[@beccarand]

I'll put that on the list!

[@___xyz___]

0:52 AH!! Veeery mixed feelings about this remark!

[@CertainExposures]

Nice work! This is the type of thorough review that people find useful and actually need and it takes a while to create. I think I’m going to delete my old account and just start commenting from here. _rules are stupid_ lol

[@beccarand]

it took forever-thank you for appreciating my efforts! Haha, don't worry, I know all your aliases lol

[@CertainExposures]

Rebecca Rand ok sweet lol

[@hellmonk11]

Thank you :)

[@beccarand]

You are welcome!

[@sendalunar2974]

Could I learn drawabox with an iPad? Or is it meant to be used with ink and paper? Cheers thank you!

[@jana2380]

Hi Becca? Is it ok to share what I learn from drawabox on youtube? Or is reviewing their curriculum copyright? I have no idea

[@stonedronin123]

I've just started DAB. On the lesson two right now. Thank you for this review. Did you go through all the challenges?

[@beccarand]

No, I did not have the stamina lol. Maybe someday!

[@FFriday]

@@beccarand Didnt you said you finished DAB?

[@kennynyc15153]

the karate kid! Yeeet! subscribed :)~

[@bearclaire]

How long did it take you to complete drawabox

[@aleksandersayko5435]

Do you guys know any pages like this but for learning to draw anatomy?

[@mahaamed6247]

hii there, i started DrawaBox recently and it is so encouraging to see someone who finished the program's work, how much time did you spend every day doing DrawaBox? did you set aside specific amount of time or did it vary?

[@beccarand]

Agree with Garett! I usually worked about 2 hours a day but the amount of time I spent on the individual exercises varied a lot.

[@SylversVolpe]

Hey Becca, I was wondering if you would give a second opinion on the particular can of worms of 'practicing in traditional art, if you only intend to work in digital art'. It's just that I am very interested in trying on this course, but I really don't feel like doing it entirely with ink and paper, when I am primarily practicing for the digital art skill. Do you think it's worth going through it with pen and tablet anyway, or does that defeat the purpose?

[@beccarand]

I will say that while I have mixed feelings about it, I've found personally that the vast, vast majority of the stuff that you learn through DAB translates directly from traditional to digital. So I don't think that it's a waste of time at all to do it traditionally even if you want to work digitally. However, if you do the exercises digitally, you're not eligible to get a critique, and for me this would be a big loss. I learned so much from the critiques. My 2 cents.

[@SylversVolpe]

@@beccarand Hmm I see. I'll take that into consideration. Thank you for responding so promptly!

[@shawlishawli]

About how much time per day/week would you put into DAB lessons and homework? How did you split your time between DAB work and your own projects? Thanks for the video :)

[@beccarand]

Most of the time I carve out 2 hours a day for studying. I am very bad about doing my own projects consistently, so I end up doing them more "marathon-style". I'm working on getting a better balance so that I make time for both instead of alternating.

[@ep6600]

The only requirement I hate is the one about fineliners. Those things are way too expensive. A black liquid ink pen worked much better for me

[@zethstar3475]

you say theyre ugly but im putting all of em on my wall atleast until i complete the whole thing so i can remind myself of how far ive gone

[@seangentry2943]

I'm on lesson 1 right now and it's honestly like psychological torture. I can't stand trying to draw boxes (let alone the rotated boxes page) when I can't even draw a 2D plane and actually get the corners to connect. I don't feel like the recommended page counts for the earlier exercises are anywhere near enough to be ready to do boxes when you get to them. Maybe that's just me. I'm considering quitting because it seems like the complexity of the exercises escalates about 10x as fast as my abilities are improving.

[@beccarand]

If you don't have any drawing experience, it will definitely be a steeper learning curve at the beginning. The thing I love about DAB is that you don't have to decide whether it's time to move on. The reviewers will let you know if you need to put in more time. It's not a question of innate skill at all, it's just a question of dexterity. I have been drawing for a while, so my dexterity is pretty good. On the other hand, I had never drawn cars, so when I got to that point, I ended up submitting several times before I passed. It was brutal. Nothing is fun if you feel rushed and you compare your progress to others'. You gotta go at your own pace!

[@goodbrainbadbrain2282]

Hi Becca. I have a question for you. If you could have done draw a box before Watts, would you have? Please let me know, as I am trying to decide which to tackle first. I am a 52 yr old beginning Draftsman. My hope is that I can work super hard and get to do Illustration and other art. I understand that it will take me time to get there. I loved your early videos and seeing how far you have come :). So thank you for all you have done! It has inspired this ole fella :)

[@beccarand]

Hi Sean! I would start with DAB. I wish I had, I think I would have gotten a lot more out of Watts if I had had a better understanding of fundamentals. Good luck out there! Happy to answer any other questions if they come up. :)

[@goodbrainbadbrain2282]

@@beccarand Thank you so much! I will try that. I have already signed up for Watts, but since I am on my own schedule and don't have a time line for turning in my assignments. I see no rush. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on. I am really thinking about doing a "draw as I go" like you did, just not on YT. Maybe a Facebook page. Although the thought of putting my art out there at the beginning sure does feel daunting. Although after watching your vids, it sure inspired me. Thanks again!

[@beccarand]

You will be amazed at your improvement! I am so happy I documented the process because otherwise I would never have believed how far I've come. You don't have to do it publicly, of course, but I think documenting your work is really motivating.

[@goodbrainbadbrain2282]

@@beccarand Thank you so much Becca! I watched your videos from beginning to where you are now and it is night and day! Such amazing progress. I am going to take your advice, I am going to do DAB and Watts together with more focus on DAB until I finish. Since I am already paying for Watts, I will just stick to the Drawing Fundamentals until I finish DAB ( I hope to finish lol) I am waiting on my drafting table I bought and am so excited to begin! My table only raises to 45 degrees, but I have a desktop french easel too. So I should be good to go I hope. I would love to stay in contact with you throughout my journey. I don't know if you still have access to the forums or not. Can't have too many Draftsmen/women as friends :)

[@heartnetwork2261]

what camera did you use? it's so good

[@beccarand]

It's a Panasonic G7 paired with the world's finest Arizona sunlight 😂

[@varunsingh2052]

This is a great video. And the fact that you explain the importance of seeing things differently as an artist as in seeing through the object by having full knowledge of its structure is great. I'm currently learning figure drawing from Michael Hampton's figure drawing book which is supposed to be fir beginners also I'm starting DAB would it be good to continue both at the same time?

[@beccarand]

I just bought Michael Hampton's book a few weeks ago! It's amazing. I think you would probably get more out of the book if you completed DAB before (or at least went through the first section of DAB). The book is very focused on structure/building with shapes, so if you have a grasp of how that works, you will see and understand more.

[@varunsingh2052]

@@beccarand thanks for replying and I'm glad to say that I completed lesson 1 of DAB and have just started the 250 Boxes challenge. It's great to get an advice from someone who is more experienced in a field. Thanks again 👍