How Drawabox Has COMPLETELY Changed My Art (And Why It Will Change Yours Too)

Are you a new artist searching online for ways to get better at art?

If so, then you must have probably come across the name ‘Drawabox’.

You might have heard a range of reviews from all the good, ‘I literally learnt so much from Drawabox!’ to all the bad as well, ‘Drawabox is super boring and is way too hard’.

With all these mixed reviews, you must be super curious.

What is Drawabox? Is it suitable for beginners? Can you join Drawabox if you don’t know anything about drawing?

I’ll answer all these questions and more.

So, sit back and get ready to learn everything you would need to know about Drawabox.

What Is Drawabox?

Drawabox is a free website and resource for all artists, and it aims to help you start your art journey in a structured way.

Uncomfortable is the creator of Drawabox.

The website initially started out as /r/Art/Fundamentals on Reddit, and then it soon evolved into a full-fledged course. It was meant to give newbie artists valuable information on getting better.

Drawabox is not going to replace proper in-class instruction, but it’s also not going to cost you an arm and a leg. It’s here to get you started, to get your feet wet, and to help you develop some structure where you previously may have had none.

by Uncomfortable

But, thanks to him, we now have the option to learn a lot of the fundamentals that are entirely free!

Drawabox Learning Structure

Drawabox is primarily a learning path.

There are lessons that start at 0, and you can continue until lesson 7.

These lessons are broken into 2 parts.

The first half is the basics, starting with boxes, lines, and organic forms.

The second half is the construction phase. In this phase, you use all the basics you’ve learned from the first half and then progress with more complicated topics.

The Lessons

I’m going to be honest. The first half of the Drawabox curriculum is challenging.

In fact, it’s very hard.

But don’t be scared. The sooner you accept that fact and move on, the faster you’ll improve, as you’ll anticipate it from the start.

The Basic Lessons

The first half, the basics stage, consists of Lessons 0, 1 and 2.

Lesson 0 is a basic intro to the whole site. Uncomfortable tells you exactly what materials you would need and how to approach the site.

It’s super important to carefully review the instructions as following them will help you improve a LOT.

Lesson 1 onwards, you’ve got regular learning to do. You’re expected to complete all the assignments quite diligently.

Each assignment builds on the last, so remember not to leave anything out.

Uncomfortable teaches you throughout the entire process. Some of the topics are:

• Perspective
• Structure
• Line Weight
• Organic Forms
• Form Intersections

And, of course, he teaches you how to draw a box!

The Box Challenge

The 250 Box Challenge is the pinnacle of the site. And for good reason.

It is tough for all beginners to complete, as you’ve never previously undergone this type of commitment before.

It takes quite a bit of patience to draw 250 boxes.

But once you do, you’ll be so surprised.

Your drawings will really improve by a LOT.

After I had completed it, I know for a fact that I began seeing and thinking about objects in 3D MUCH more.

This had a direct impact on my art skills.

And I’m so sure you will see it too.

Undertaking this challenge will force you to really think about structure and construction. This may sound scary, but I promise you that this is an essential step.

If you have any hope of becoming an artist, you have to learn the basics one way or another.

And it’s better to just tackle the challenge headfirst.

Other Challenges

Other than the 250 Box Challenge, there are several other challenges you can go through as well.

One of them is the 250 Cylinder Challenge.

Just like the 250 Box Challenge, it will challenge you immensely. Maybe not as much as the Box Challenge, but you will feel the pain.

This might sound like torture to some people, but please don’t worry. You’re just going to invest your sweat and tears into this.

But you will come out SO much better than before.

Many people say this stage is really dull and I kinda agree. It definitely seemed super boring to me at the time, as well.

But now that I look back, I am SO glad I had the dedication to complete it.

So don’t be scared and just do it!

What You NEED To Complete

You may find it boring but you should ideally complete Drawabox till at least Lesson 3.

It will guarantee that you’ve learned a LOT about the foundations needed for any art job. And it will also test your resilience and willpower.

You’ll be trained to handle an intense task. This will also give you a good idea of your future art journey.

The Pen Approach

Uncomfortable purposely makes you attempt all the lessons in pen ONLY.

Which is amazing.

Whether you aim to be a digital artist or plan to use traditional, starting with a pen is crucial.

And that’s mainly because drawing in pen will give you training that is second to none.

Drawing with a pen will allow you to:

• See your errors clearly
• Force you to accept and rectify your mistakes
• Help you better your line quality
• It will instil a lot of confidence in your drawing skills
• Draw much better than before, as you will make each mark with intent

So, remember to push through the lessons, even when you don’t want to, as they are really beneficial.

If you can’t finish Drawabox completely, finish until Lesson 3. And that includes the 250 Box Challenge and the 250 Cylinder Challenge.

Those are really crucial to be sure to complete them. They will surely take your construction skills to new heights.

More About Drawabox

What Can You Learn From Drawabox?

Perspective and structure.

The fundamentals of drawing that you find boring are what you will learn from Drawabox.

You may not like that idea at all. You may hate perspective completely. You may want to learn something else, like anatomy or color theory.

Granted, those are essential fundamentals to learn as well, but let me ask you something.

Do you want to draw for a living? Is drawing going to be a part of your future plans?

If the answer is even remotely yes, you NEED to learn perspective. There’s no getting around it.

And while Drawabox is a fantastic resource, it won’t teach you everything. It won’t teach you about applying perspective in figures or drawing a complex environment shot. But what it can do is get you one step closer to achieving your dream.

So, to answer the question, Drawabox will teach you how to draw a box in any angle.

It will allow you to see and analyze objects in their 3D form. You’ll also be able to draw MUCH more accurately.

Who Is Drawabox For?

Well, it’s for anyone who has a serious interest in drawing.

It’s for all art learners who want to make a living out of drawing.

It’s for all those digital artists who are convincing themselves they don’t need to learn traditional art.

It’s also for artists who are not improving enough and have stagnated in their growth.

But it’s NOT for artists that already know a LOT about perspective. You may find this way too easy if you already know a lot about the basics.

However, it’s worth a try.

I did learn something new, although I was already quite familiar with perspective.

So, consider giving it a try.

Drawbacks Of Drawabox

It won’t teach you everything.

You won’t learn anything like figure drawing or composition.

Perspective, structure and forms. That’s what you will learn.

However, even those are taught at a more fundamental level.

You will need to learn more about them to understand those concepts completely.

Furthermore, the latter lessons are arbitrary. I find supplementary material much MORE in-depth than Drawabox.

But, you have to consider its advantages.

Drawabox is literally a FREE resource. And Uncomfortable is also willing to give you feedback on your work for a fee.

And even if you’re not willing to pay a fee, you can submit your work to the community, and they might even critique your work.

You can’t really beat that.

What To Do After Drawabox?

As I’ve mentioned, Drawabox won’t be able to teach you ALL the fundamentals you need.

And you would require some more material on the subjects they teach as well.

Additional Material

To learn more about perspective, I recommend reading How to Draw by Scott Robertson.

Uncomfortable himself recommends the book. It truly is a splendid resource that’s going to change your perspective on drawing (see what I did there 🙂 )

If you’re a COMPLETE beginner to perspective, though, I recommend you read Perspective Made Easy by Ernest Norling. Read it BEFORE Drawabox, though. It will definitely come in handy.

More Premium Material

If you want something more premium and detailed than Drawabox, then I would recommend joining Artwod.

Artwod is a membership-based website that is REALLY amazing.

Antonio Stappaerts is the founder, and he really teaches you the fundamentals SUPER well.

You can also get feedback on your work from him (depending on the membership level you choose).

If you can afford it, I highly recommend it.

Afterword

Whatever you choose to do now is entirely up to you.

Whether you choose to complete Drawabox or not, just remember that you will have to learn these fundamentals sooner or later.

It’s preferable to do it now.

And Drawabox is not going to even cost you a penny.

It’s only going to cost you time and effort. But you will be richer in your art skills after this.

So, I really recommend you give it a try.

All the best, and happy learning!