DrawTheDraw

What it is

DrawTheDraw is an offline desktop app for gesture and drawing practice using your own reference folders. Add a folder, start a timed session, draw, and review what you made afterward. No account, no cloud sync. Your session data and saved drawings stay on your machine.

I made it because I wanted something that opens fast and stays focused on practice. It is for people who already keep folders of reference images and want repeatable sessions without opening a full painting app. DrawTheDraw sits between a simple reference slideshow and a full art program: enough structure to keep you moving, built-in drawing tools, and a way to look back at old attempts.

Gesture mode also works as a timed reference viewer if you prefer drawing in another drawing app or with traditional tools.

How you use it

• Add one or more folders of reference images
• Choose Gesture mode for timed viewing or Draw mode for side-by-side drawing
• Set the time per image and number of images for the session
• Use the built-in canvas with three brush types: Ink, Pencil, and Airbrush
• Review saved drawings with the original references after the session
• Re-run the same seed and compare drawings for the same reference over time

Improve with repetition

You can use DrawTheDraw for general timed practice across many references, but I built it mainly for repetition. Run the same seed again, draw the same references again, and use the review/slideshow flow to see how your handling changes over time.

What's in v0.1

• Gesture sessions and drawing sessions
• Built-in drawing canvas with Ink, Pencil, and Airbrush
• Per-brush size, opacity, and flow settings
• Session review with saved drawings and reference images
• 100% local data storage, including saved drawings

Beta note

This is the first public beta release. I have tested it, but not across a wide range of machines or workflows yet. Expect rough edges. If something breaks, please leave a comment on this itch.io page.

Demo vs Full

Demo (free): One folder, one session slot, and up to 3 images per session. Unlimited redo for the demo seed.

Full (beta): No demo limits on folders, sessions, or images. This is early beta pricing. Buying now includes future updates and the full release on this itch.io page. Try the free demo first, then buy the full version if the workflow fits your practice.

Platforms

Windows and Linux.

Linux support:

• 64-bit Linux only (x86_64)
• Tested on Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 22.04
• Minimum required glibc: 2.31
• Portable build, no separate Python install required

Demo and full builds have the same Linux runtime requirements.

Portable install / remove

Windows: The Windows build is a portable zip. Extract it and run the included .exe. It is not code-signed yet, so Windows or your browser may show a SmartScreen or "Unknown publisher" warning on first launch. If you downloaded the zip from this itch.io page and want to continue, click "More info" and then "Run anyway". If you are unsure about the file, cancel and delete it instead.

To remove DrawTheDraw, delete the extracted app folder. If you also want to erase your local data, delete %APPDATA%\DrawTheDraw.

Linux: The Linux build is also portable. Extract the archive and run the included app. To remove it, delete the extracted folder. To erase local data too, delete ~/.local/share/DrawTheDraw.

The local data folder contains your session database, saved drawings, and cached reference copies used for review.