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What is Draw Like a Boss?
The Draw Like a Boss books offer a unique, step by step approach to drawing. This is a teaching course inspired by Adventure Time, Monkey Island and Zelda that excels at teaching people to draw, no matter what skill level of age group (although being over 11 years old is probably preferable).
The books take a different path towards teaching students to draw in that all the elements of learning to draw are explained with characters, items and territories to represent them. Chapters are divided into levels, each represented by a different type of door. This highly visual approach makes difficult concepts easily digestible adding a great deal of colour to the learning experience.
Draw Like a Boss tells the tale of Guido who traverses the land of Drawcraft with the intent to learn all he can about draftsmanship. As he progresses through the various set of challenges, he gathers a greater competency in Drawing.
In the second book, Ginny (pictured with her doggo on the left there) also explores the natural world taking inspiration from trees and mountains.
Through both narratives the reader discovers the techniques along with the two protagonists as they progress
There are six levels of difficulty in the books. Beginning with the 'Silk Curtain' that poses obstacles that you can breeze through... All the way to a demon door level of difficulty that is a much harder challenge to overcome. You are guided every step by knowledgeable companions so fear not!
Here are four examples of Demon Door level of demonstration!
The top two examples are from Volume 1 and the bottom two are from Volume 2. These demonstrations are nearer the end of the books, when we start dabbling with fancy techniques. The way Dlab truly shines is in its ability to boil down tricky concepts and make them accessible to the student, no matter what level they are at.
The image above left shows the important stepping stones of Volume One's 279 page curriculum, what we'll call 'The Tetraktys Method'. This is a course that goes from blank page and setting up, all the way to fully rendered portraits.
The images below show two major milestones in the curriculum, developing line and shape. Essential methods for those with ambitions to push their drawings to the next level.
Dlab's goal is to impart a methodology that works. One that builds upon a tried and tested formula. It's about having fun while you're learning and the narrative that runs throughout the series brings colour and character to this world of learning.
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Although whimsical and silly in parts, the content is by no means dumbed-down or simple. We begin chapter one with a blank page and from there we start to develop foundational skills of drawing. From that basis we then work our way gradually to more complex ideas found in the academic drawing curriculum.
What people say
I think it's really wonderful. I got real excited when I first flipped through it, reading it over made me feel like it was a prime gift to give to a kid these days because of how y'all approached the lessons like playing a game... I think it's a really wise approach, the way y'all put it together. Thanks so much : )
- Pendleton Ward, Creator of Adventure Time
Love the Monkey feels!
- Tim Schafer, Co-creator of Monkey Island, sent via Twitter
It has been so awesome that something that felt so far out of reach (learning to draw) feels not only possible, it feels inevitable each time I sit down and practice. As I have been adventuring through the book, I found myself becoming passionate about something I felt so far beyond my reach.
- Jeremy Tuck via Twitter
I’m gobsmacked, literally the most amazing book ever. I’m massively proud of what you have created - I’m a huge fan of the art style and attention to the layout in the book. I just love it. Wow, :D I’m learning so much
- Anthony via Kickstarter
Throughout my time as an Art student, I felt dissatisfied with the way the curriculum was structured. After finishing University, I returned to my roots and used those feelings I had captured and kept with me from reading adventure stories and playing video games to bring about the style of Draw Like a Boss.
I wanted drawing, and the learning of how to do it, to be told as a story with characters, terrain and environments that reflected struggles an art student usually encounters. In 2013, the project went live on Kickstarter as a self-publishing book and the project has gone from strength to strength ever since.
It all started on Kickstarter
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