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Drawing Cute with Katie Cook: 200+ Lessons for Drawing Super Adorable Stuff

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Fun fact: A lot of animals are shaped like potatoes.
Another fun fact: Potatoes are easy to draw.
Another another fun fact: If you can draw a potato, you can draw animals.

Master of cute Katie Cook teaches you how to draw everything adorable in her first tutorial book with quick and easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons. All you need is a pencil and paper...or a napkin or a wall, depending on how confident you are in your drawing ability. Learn how to turn curvy blobs, shapes and squiggles into more than 200 different things, including fuzzy animals, cute food and inanimate objects like yarns balls, luggage and a toaster. Add nubbins, swishy bits, and little smiley faces to anything and everything to transform it into something really, really cute.

How to draw lots of cats: fluffy cats, non-fluffy cats, cats in boxes, Polaroids of cats on refrigerators*
How to draw food like ketchup delivery sticks, spicy dragon claws and tiny broccoli trees
Perfect for doodling during class or in meetings
For fans of drawing turkeys from hand outlines (gobble, gobble) or Ed Emberley's super simple drawing instruction books that use shapes, letters and even thumbprints as starting points, Drawing Cute with Katie Cook is a must-own adorable drawing manual, complete with Doctor Who references, fun facts and bad puns.

"If you know how to draw a potato, the art world is an open door." --Katie Cook

* Don't worry, there are lots of dog drawings, too!

128 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2018

43 people want to read

About the author

Katie Cook

232 books174 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

I graduated from the College for Creative Studies in 2004 with a BFA in illustration, my love of cartooning and comics has led me to where i am today.

I've done licensed work for DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic, Fraggle Rock and more. I love being a nerd, so being able to draw nerdy things for a living is the best thing ever.

I'm married to the best guy ever. Ryan keeps me grounded.

I have a daughter, Grayson, who is my booger-y little destroyer of worlds.

I like my cats... a LOT.
...Our dog isn't too bad.

I live in a state shaped like a mitten.

The constant support of my family, pets, friends, and even complete strangers, is what drives me to succeed in art. Thank you everyone, because of you, I am what I am.

Which means... I'm all your fault.

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Valerity (Val).
1,089 reviews2,770 followers
February 9, 2018
This is a super easy way for kids or adults to learn how to draw all kinds of really cute and cartooned out things using a basic shape like a potato and simple fun directions for success. Guru of cuteness and cartoons Katie Cook shows you how to make over 200 things using simple shapes.

Chapter 1 is all kinds of Animals - pets, sea life, woodland creatures, bugs, jungle animals and others. This chapter is my favorite, making really adorable critters that you’ll want to at least try, and maybe even become good at because they really are cute and it’s such a neat skill to have.

Chapter 2 is Food – desserts, drinks, fruits & vegetables, meals and others.

Chapter 3 is Hobbies & Sports – art, musical instruments, sports, outdoor activities, and gaming.

Chapter 4 is Holidays and Seasons – winter, spring, summer, fall. Another favorite chapter, so cute.

Chapter 5 is Handy Dandy Objects – electronics, household items, useful tools. That is how the sections are set up.

An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, Katie Cook, and IMPACT for my honest review. Publication date is Feb 14, 2018
Profile Image for Justkeepreading.
1,871 reviews5 followers
December 20, 2017
I’ve always wanted to get better at drawing and this step by step book. Helps you draw amazingly cute art. Easily. At least it looks easy. I can’t wait to find out for myself. I’m going to start with the cute animals first. Who knew so many things could be drawn from a potato shape. Love it.
Profile Image for Nostalgia Reader.
863 reviews68 followers
February 15, 2018
I’ve known Katie’s work since I first stumbled across her webcomic Gronk many years ago, and fell in love with her cute style. So I grabbed this galley when I saw it, because her’s is a style that seems so complex, but is really quite simple.

This is not a traditional step-by-step how-to-draw book, that wants you to meticulously sketch out every circle and oval perfectly with guidelines and result with a life-like drawing when finished. Rather, Katie’s style is cute and bloopy, and she instructs you how to start with bloopy shapes (potatoes, circles, ice cream cones) and keep adding elements to them until they turn out into bloopy cute creatures. If you’re a yarn crafter, think amigurumi-style doodles!

She provides much more commentary than actual instruction; the text that goes with about half of the steps are not actually telling you what your drawing, but are cute little observations. You definitely need to pay attention to the visual steps, as the written ones won’t really give your much help (i.e. it doesn’t say, “now draw the penguin’s wings” it says “draw the flip flaps!”). This was annoying at first, but it also didn’t detract from the steps themselves, as those are quite helpful and it’s very obvious what’s added in each step.

Unlike with the hyper-realistic how to draw books, I was actually able to replicate many of these drawings, by copying the steps, although cute faces (and faces in general) elude me (eye spacing and shape are baffling).

This would be a fun gift for artsy kids, as they will probably respond very positively to the cute language and pictures within.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!

(Cross posted on my blog.)
Profile Image for Anni.
558 reviews91 followers
January 4, 2018
As a new grandmother, I am looking forward to being able to write and illustrate stories for my grand-daughter as she gets older, so this is just the sort of easy-learning guide I was looking for. . The drawings are fun and easy to copy, even for a complete beginner, whilst the amusing commentary by the artist supplies all the encouragement you will need to try out your creativity.
Profile Image for Martha Avans.
325 reviews1 follower
December 24, 2017
Nice little book.... the drawings are perfectly cute. love the step by steps. Can't wait to play around with them more. Hoping to do more drawing in 2018
Profile Image for Jessica Oxford.
33 reviews6 followers
December 23, 2018
Something that you guys probably do not know about me is that I am not an artist. I've tried for ages to teach myself to draw. My brother & sister can both draw. Most of my husband's family can draw. Heck, even a couple of my own kids draw amazing stuff for their ages. Meanwhile, poor little ole' me can't manage to even draw a stick figure that looks right. I would love to be able to just pick up a pencil & illustrate the kids book I have whirling around in my mind but apparently it's just not in the cards... or at least that's what I thought up until finding Draw Cute with Katie Cook.

Don't get me wrong- there are tons of other books out there that attempt to teach you to draw. However, I found Katie Cook's book to be something special. Something that I could actually do well on. Each drawing came out better as my confidence rose. And not only were there many pictures that I found to simple enough to draw- they were all adorable!

This book features adorable animals, food items, hobbies, holiday stuff, & so much more. I mean- who doesn't want to learn to draw a Narwhal?? A kiwi, the bird included?? or my favorite animal: a sloth!! Throughout the book, the author also takes time to add witty comments & funny descriptions to add in the drawing process.

I can honestly say that I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in drawing cartoonish items. Whether you are already a skilled artist or just starting out, this book brings SO much to the table. Like I said, I have never been able to draw as much as a stick figure & this book changed that for me.
Profile Image for Debbie.
3,607 reviews84 followers
January 13, 2018
"Drawing Cute with Katie Cook" is a humorous art instruction book for drawing cute, cartoon-like animals and objects. Her text is more about jokes than instruction, but the drawings pretty much speak for themselves. Each page had step-by-step instructions for 2 different animals or objects, with 4 steps shown for each. The end product was simple enough that 3 drawing steps and a final, colored-in product is enough for even kids to follow successfully. Initial efforts ought to look decent, and results after practice should look even better. She covers:

ANIMALS: chicken, cow, duck, horse, llama, pig, sheep, chinchilla, mixed breed dog, pug, poodle, fluffy dog, goldfish, hamster, hedgehog, cat, fluffy cat, cat in box, bird, jellyfish, octopus, turtle, whale, seal, otter, shark, alligator, crab, frog, walrus, dolphin, clam, narwhal, manta ray, seahorse, penguin, snake, fox, owl, bear, beaver, moose, squirrel, bunny, deer, snail, spider, bee, butterfly, firefly, ladybug, lion, tiger, red panda, sloth, hippo, elephant, giraffe, camel, platypus, dragon.

FOOD: cake, cookie, cupcake, donut, ice cream, pie, chocolates, tea, milkshake, tiki drink, teapot, coffee to go, milk, lemonade, pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, pear, cherry grapes, apple, avocado, mushroom, potato, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, bok choy, broccoli, soup, sandwich, dumpling, sushi, fries, hamburger, lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, bacon and eggs, burrito, taco, banana, cheese, cinnamon roll, hot dog, kiwi, muffin, pancake, peas, popcorn, toast, popsicle, cotton candy.

SPORTS & HOBBIES: yarn, thread, paints, crayons, puzzle, book, ballet shoes, yoga mat, ice skates, basketball & hoop, golf ball, football, hockey stick & puck, skateboard, tennis racket & ball, fishing rod & fish, kayak, surfboard, race car, badminton racket & shuttlecock, hopscotch, croquet mallet & ball, darts & dartboard, guitar, violin, tent, magnifying glass & caterpillar, old style movie projector, video game controller, watering can, whistle,.

HOLIDAYS & SEASONS: snowman, mittens, wreath, holly, Christmas tree, menorah, reindeer, snow globe, gingerbread man, elf, clouds, umbrella, candy hearts, rose, daisy, tulip, chick hatching, birdbath, Easter basket, cactus, sun, grill, hot air balloon, bucket & shovel sand toys, sandcastle, palm tree, sunscreen bottle, sunglasses, mum flower, Jack-O'-Lantern, campfire, bat, acorn, candy corn, ghost, turkey.

OBJECTS: robot, alarm clock, smart phone, headphones, laptop, binoculars, calculator, camera, old style TV, walkman, boombox, record player, polaroid camera, telescope, lamp, file folder, pot, mixer, blender, knife & fork & spoon, toaster, refrigerator, clothes washer, detergent bottle, kite, airplane, mailbox, bathtub, coffee maker, luggage, hammer. And Katie Cook (upper body).

I received a free ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Profile Image for Storywraps.
1,968 reviews38 followers
January 12, 2018
Kids are going to love to get their hands on this book and then get their hands busy creating amazing, fun drawings using pens, pencils (both regular and coloured), crayons, erasers, markers and loads and loads of paper. According to Katie this is ...

"What You Need

A positive attitude and a sense of humor (cannot be bought)
Paper, I guess. Walls Probably are not a good idea unless you are SUPER COMMITTED.
Pencils
An eraser because we all make mistakes.
A good ol' black ink pen or marker
Something to colour with... dealer's choice"

Katie Cook has designed this step-by-step guide book to inspire, encourage, and bring hope to uncreative, but hopeful, artists (or so they start out thinking). "Drawing Cute by Katie Cook" is just bursting with super creative ideas and techniques to get kids engaged in artistic endeavors and to get their imaginations humming with possibilities.

She is the master of cute and kids will fall in love with adorable sweet animals and stuff relating to: food , sports, holidays and seasons and handy dandy every day stuff that she expertly features. She seems to make her drawings come alive by personifying them so they actually look animated and ready to be your friend.

This entertaining how-to guide includes witty quips, fun facts and puns from Katie that will make you groan and smile lots too.


"If you know how to draw a potato, the art world is an open door." Katie tells her readers. "

"Don't worry, there are lots of dog drawings, too!"

Kids will find these drawings easy to clone and give them confidence to branch out and design their very own successful pictures. This book is a perfect catalyst to ignite the creativity of any beginner artist and is sure to be a hit with every age group that just wants to doodle, experiment and explore the beautiful world of drawings. This is a truly awesome book that I highly, highly recommend. Go ahead and unleash your hidden talent and let the drawings begin...........
Profile Image for Amy Bradley.
630 reviews8 followers
February 28, 2018
Super adorable how to draw book, starts with animals and then moving through food, hobbies, and all kinds of things. Definite nostalgia for me to “how to draw” books that were at school book fairs in my childhood, but the sheer cuteness of these critters makes me feel not so weird to be an adult following step by step instructions on how to draw a cat or a chicken. (The chicken was far more successful than the cat: do yourself a favor and have an eraser handy when initially drawing to avoid the frustration of not being able to find an eraser when you want to just fix that one line.)

I have no idea if this is marketed to kids, but I found it enjoyable as a 30 something woman with so-so drawing with a non-digital tool skills when I haven’t been drawing on a regular basis in general who likes cute things. Definitely would recommend. It may not help in terms of someone immediately wanting to develop their own artistic style - but is helpful in terms of breaking down a complex animal or object into simple shapes and building to the final beastie one step at a time. And drawing tons of things is a step on the way to developing your own style, generally. The animals I found the most interesting part of the book personally, but seeing everyday objects broken into simple shapes was neat.
Profile Image for Angela Holtz.
491 reviews7 followers
January 25, 2018
http://lilacwolfandstuff.blogspot.com...

**Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy to peruse**

Super cute ideas, with lots of how to and an occasional bit of trivia. I feel like this is aimed toward children.

I think it's crazy adorable, and loaded with cute things to draw, I felt like there was a lot of room to make it even easier.

She could go backwards just a step and start with shapes and introduce erasers. When I draw, I pencil it first, go over the final product in ink and then erase and color.

I'm not a great artist, I can't draw a bean, but I can draw 2 ovals. That's what I'm saying. But I did draw my one kid a cat, and the other an octopus which was wrong because it only had 7 legs - lol.
Profile Image for Y.S. Stephen.
Author 3 books4 followers
February 9, 2018
Drawing Cute With Katie Cook is a demonstration on how to draw animals in a simple and cute way, just like the author.

WHO WOULD ENJOY READING IT?
Budding illustrators of any age with interest in similar art styles like the author might pick up one or two things here.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT
The simplicity of it all. The author goes a great length to make the reader feel at ease with the process.

.......
Drawing Cute With Katie Cook by Katie Cook is available to buy from on all major online bookstores. Many thanks to Impact Books for review copy.

Check out more reviews on... www.ysstephen.com
Profile Image for Patrycja.
962 reviews14 followers
July 24, 2018
This book is adorable, just like the title says.
Katie teaches in fun way how to draw all kind of cute things. From cute animals, to smiley food, to objects and sport equipment. Whatever you want to draw, you can draw it cuter. "Fun fact: A lot of animals are shaped like potatoes, and potatoes are easy to draw." The lessons are super easy and the short author's commentary makes you laugh, but also encourages and makes you believe, you can draw it too.

This book is for children and adults alike.
I have already tried to draw some animals and food, and it came out really adorable. If I may say myself.
This book is great, creative learning tool.
Profile Image for Piper Gee.
161 reviews6 followers
January 6, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review Drawing Cute with Katie Cook.

I have read and reviewed a lot of doodling books recently and am glad I got another one! I didn't draw all 200+ doodles. Mainly because I didn't really like the look of many of them. However I did enjoy drawing around 90 in my doodling sketchbook. Still pretty good, I think.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes doodling, is interested in learning to draw, or planner addicts. Especially if you like the art style on the cover.
246 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2018
This book is adorable! The drawings are cute and simple. Each is done in 4 steps: not too slow, but also not "Step 1: Draw a circle. Step 2: Draw the rest of the owl." It is something I really enjoyed drawing out of, and something that's simple enough for kids to use too! I gave a couple to some 6 six year olds to try and they turned out so cute!

If you love cute animals or things with cute faces, and want to learn to draw them, this is the perfect book! It delivers on exactly what it promises: cute and simple drawings that start with a potato-like shape.
Profile Image for Irene.
72 reviews5 followers
January 14, 2018
This book is PACKED full of step by step guides to drawing sooooo many cute things.

Great for kids old or young, with simple step by step pictures and easy to understand word descriptions, breaking down the steps needed to make a "bean" into a fox ... or a cat ... or a spider.

Definitely recommend for budding artists.
Profile Image for Jennifer M.
286 reviews20 followers
December 29, 2017
I recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
This is a cute step by step drawing book. She shows you how to draw food, animals and inanimate objects. One of the cutest from each category: bok choy, giraffe and alarm clock.
Profile Image for T.J. Burns.
Author 83 books44 followers
January 13, 2018
My 10-year-old daughter was home sick from school all week, so I thought to myself: Perfect opportunity to get out and review this book. My daughter has been drawing non-stop for days and the results are... amazing!!!

I will write a comprehensive review and post pictures shortly.
194 reviews
January 7, 2018
I love this book! It has easy to follow directions for each item to draw. It is broken down into categories of Animals, Food Stuff, Hobbies & Sports, Holidays & Seasons, & Handy Dandy Objects. Thank you so much Katie, for creating a book of so many items that are easy to replicate! I really appreciate that you made it a simple step-by-step process for those of us, who do not understand the basics of drawing, but would love to draw!
Profile Image for J. d'Merricksson.
Author 12 books50 followers
January 8, 2018
A purrrfectly adorable introduction to doodling and drawing!

From animals like cats, dogs, otters, and narwhal, to foods like pizza, ice cream, and hot dogs, and random objects like lamps and file folders, illustrator Katie Cook walks you through drawing 200+ different expressions of cuteness, in *squee* worthy anime style. There are five chapters, labelled 'Animals’, 'Food Stuff’s, ‘Hobbies and Games’, 'Seasons’, and 'Handy Objects’, each stuffed with step by step drawings. Throughout the book are humourous little comments, asides, and pop culture references.

I took a spin at drawing some of the pictures, mostly animals. I found the step by step easy to follow. Now… my brain translating to paper is a different story 😆 I'd say 90% turned out as they should, though. This book is perfect for children and adults alike, who wish to explore and practise drawing. I absolutely adore Cook’s style!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and F+W Media for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Ryan.
5,626 reviews34 followers
January 29, 2018
This is exactly what it sounds like. A big book to help anyone draw cute animals, food, etc. It is a little more fast pace then many drawing books, but it works well.
Profile Image for Carey’s Reviews.
615 reviews27 followers
January 29, 2018
4 Stars! This book takes the reader step by step with easy to do instructions! Perfect book for anyone who can’t draw- like me!! I loved how the author broke it down for me! The things she teaches how to draw are cute, pretty simple & perfect for kids or adults that need help drawing! She added some cute & funny instructions too! (Ears are now known as ‘flap flaps’ at my house! Ha!)
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
Profile Image for Rain.
632 reviews18 followers
February 9, 2018
The only negative comment I have about this book is that the formatting for my copy was off, making it difficult to view.

That out of the way, this is a perfect reference for all ages and all ranges of talent wanting to better themselves at cute cartoons. It acts as a model, allowing the reader draw inspiration and give their own creative spin. In keeping with the title, the text is ridiculously cute, allowing the reader to have fun rather than feel burden by the need to be perfect.
I loved this book. It was cute. It was funny. And it was helpful.
174 reviews3 followers
February 12, 2018
This book is, as the title suggests, really cute! If you can draw a potato, the author says, you can draw cute animals. It’s true. I was surprised at the number of things you can draw with a few very simple shapes.

This is mostly a book for kids, but adults will enjoy it too, particularly if you are one of those adults who would like to learn how to draw but think you are hopelessly inept when it comes to pen and paper. The drawings literally start out with circles, or squares. Easy to draw shapes. You can do it.

The author has a very funny sense of humor and sprinkles amusing stuff all through the book. For example, French fries are “ketchup delivery sticks” and bird wings are “flap flaps.” Chili peppers are spicy dragon claws.

You start out with lessons on drawing animals. Each one can be drawn in 4 steps. The diagrams show you how. And the pointers are not only helpful, but funny too. There are Pro Tips too, on some sections. These are fun. It’s not a serious drawing book. It’s meant to be enjoyable. It’s a fun and easy way to draw by seeing the examples shown and trying it yourself. The next section is on how to draw food. Cute food. So, all the food items are smiling of course. You also get to draw sports and recreation items. I loved the soccer ball section. Haha. I think you will get a kick out of that one. Or the magnifying glass with the caterpillar! Funny stuff.

There’s a whole section on drawing holiday items too. Then there are seasonal items like sunscreen and beach toys, mittens, birds, cactus, and so much more. Then there are the everyday objects, which include just about everything else that wasn’t in the previous chapters. Here you find robots, phones, even a Walkman, Polaroid, and a record player. Your kids might ask you what these are.

The book does show you have to draw and it looks so easy. These are simple cartoons that even a newbie can draw. Just practice what the author shows in the steps and it’s that easy. If you worry about drawings being perfect, this book will help you overcome that and just draw some cute, funny cartoon characters. It’s a great way to practice.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to draw or just wants to see how to make cute cartoon characters out of anything from food to toasters to animals.
Profile Image for Sharon Tyler.
2,815 reviews39 followers
April 26, 2018
Drawing Cute with Katie Cook: 200+ Lessons for Drawing Super Adorable Stuff by Katie Cook teaches readers how to draw everything adorable in her first tutorial book. These are quick, easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons with some silliness on the side. All you need is a pencil and paper, or a napkin or a wall depending on how confident you are in your drawing ability. Readers will be shown how to turn curvy blobs, shapes, and squiggles into more than 200 different things. Some subject included are fuzzy animals, cute food, and inanimate objects like yarns balls, luggage and a toaster. Add details like nubbins, floof, and smiley faces to anything and everything to transform it into something really, really cute.

Drawing Cute with Katie Cook: 200+ Lessons for Drawing Super Adorable Stuff is a fun read, even if you are not terribly interested in becoming better at drawing adorable critters and such. Cook includes plenty of cuteness and humor along side the drawing tutorials. I love that she simplifies each of the drawings into things like basic shapes, but often in terms of produce, i.e. eggplant, potatoes, and seeds. I think this is the perfect instruction book for those that want to draw and doodle adorable things, but do not have a ton of faith in their own artistic skills. The instructions are well written, in a relaxed and fun way, that should set even the most trepidatious sketcher's heart at ease and allow them to have some fun with the process. As a bonus, fans of puns, fun facts, and Doctor Who will find little references and jokes to make the read even more fun.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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