Art Starts with a Line: A Creative and Interactive Guide to the Art of Line Drawing

by Erin McManness

Line drawing utilizes both fine and bold lines to create sophisticated artwork that can stand alone or be incorporated into patterns, logos, stationery, branding, journals, scrapbooks, and more. Art Starts with a Line is approachable for artists of any skill level, no prior drawing experience needed! This form of art requires minimal tools, making it both affordable and portable.
 
Following a brief introduction to tools and materials, as well as some easy exercises and techniques for warming up to basic drawing tools, you will explore a variety of subject matter. You'll draw plants and flowers, architecture and cityscapes, animals, and everything in between. These projects aren't restricted to black and white either! You'll find techniques for adding color with colored pencil, marker, pen, even digitally.
 
Art Starts with a Line presents everything you'll need to know to learn how to successfully create line drawings of all types. Whether your goal is to create a custom logo for a client, or to simply decorate your planner, it's all here.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Crafts, Drawing, Reference, Creative, How To

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2018

Reviews

[Adela Bec · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to start by saying the author of this book seems like a talented artist. I am not sure if she is not as good at teaching or I am simply very bad at this. I managed to get as far as banners, corner artwork, banners and simple things that would look good in a bullet journal. When the book got to more complicated drawings, such as animals, nature, buildings, everyday life objects etc., I felt the book started to lack in explanatory steps. It was showing simple guiding shapes that got very complex already in the 2 out of 3 steps provided. The descriptions didn't help very much either, but they rather gave a few hints such as where to start from or what aspects to pay particular attention to. I feel like I could accomplish more if I actually had the book in my hands and a lot more time to devote to learning how to draw in the different categories, but alas - my e-book galley is expiring and I have to say goodbye to it. I think the book was trying to teach too many different types of line drawing in a limited space and for me - that's where it failed: not focusing enough on actually teaching. Simply showing a few tricks and guiding points is not all it is needed for most people who would seek guidance in a book such as this. Thank you Net Galley for the e-arc copy.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is dedicated to line drawing. Starting with basic borders, step-by-step instructions guide you to more detailled borders, and in the next chapters to drawing letters, plants, animals, architecture and city scapes. Practice pages invite you to start drawing right away and give the forms and lines your unique touch.

After introducing tools, materials and basic techniques, and how to work digitally, the five chapters about Borders and Banners, Lettering, Botanicals, Architecture and Animals follow with basic examples to practice that become more advanced towards the end of each chapter.

I'd recommend this guide to anyone who would like to add a little swirl to their journal, or bullet journal, but this is definitely not limited to journaling alone, you might use these techniques and ideas for scrap booking, hand made gift cards and so much more.

[Tiffany W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS BOOK! Neat, easy to start, and easy to understand, this book is for both illustrators and for beginners. All drawing starts with lines, so whoever wishes to draw nicely and neatly should know how to use lines to form a picture, and this book provides some basic practices starting with banners, borders, and lettering.
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Overall: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Appealing: 5/5
Page Design: 5/5

[Elle❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I've never read a book about drawing before - which is another love of mine, so I thought I'd give this one a try! The cover was pretty and I was interested in seeing more of McManness style of illustrations inside.

It was a fun, interactive book full of helpful tips, tricks, and opportunities to try out the different techniques for yourself. I'm going to need to get a physical copy of this book so I can put it to good
use!

Looking to journey into drawing? 10/10 would recommend this book to you.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems like a good place to start if you want to jump into drawing. I especially like how there is space next to the examples to try on your own. Being able to compare the original next to yours is definitely helpful when you are learning. It is also nice to see the different mediums and have some tips for each. The step by step guide for every day objects and the animals are super helpful too...I would have put the buildings in the last section since they seem to be a bit harder.

I received a digital copy of this book in return for a review, all opinions are my own.

[Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually loved this book so much that I bought it to have a great reference book for developing my drawing skills. It's a step by step tutorial to show you how to look at things and how to put them on paper but not only it has also some introduction to photoshop so that you could make them digital. I really recommend it!

[Lanae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay this one is tough for me. I gave it three stars because it doesn’t offer anything new or special. If you’ve read other books that cover the topics it covers, you’ll feel a sense of dejavu. Pretty sure I seen that same teardrop / heart border in every book that has a reason for showing borders, always described the same way. It’s boring now.

That said, if you’re just starting out and want a little on lettering and a little on borders and a little on color and a little on general drawing but haven’t seen other books on the subject, this is probably an okay place to start.

Some of the instructional sections are more detailed with more tips than others. The buildings section was particularly weak with most of the projects instructions just telling you to sketch the scene, clean it up, add details, color if desired, done. Too obvious and too little details for those who are starting out and don’t really even know how to start drawing such things.

Overall: a good overview for beginners but light on details and unique content.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic, but nice artwork style, and it breaks the steps down fairly well. This would be a good gift for a young teen, or for an adult who’s never drawn before and wants to add pictures to their bullet journal or make custom stationery. I don’t think this would be of any use to an artist, or anyone with any art experience at all.

Most of the steps consist of ‘sketch the basic shapes from your reference picture, add detail, go over outlines in pen, add colour if you like’. Which is fine, but gets a bit dull after 50 pages of very similar objects. I found the borders and lettering section the most useful - it’s very basic, but I’m not an artist so I didn’t mind that.

Overall this was sweet and a pleasure to browse. I’d imagine anyone with experience in art or design would find it far too simple (does anyone really need a step by step guide for a very simple line drawing of an umbrella?), but for a casual dabbler who likes things laid out simply and doesn’t mind feeling a tiny bit patronised, or a young teen looking to learn some basics, it’s a pleasant book to browse.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

ART STARTS WITH A LINE is a fun fresh beautiful guide to line drawing. It teaches you how to create line drawings with fine or bold strokes that can stand alone or be mixed into patterns, logos, stationery, and more. Appropriate for artists of all skill levels!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#ArtStartsWithAline #NetGalley

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has simple designs that will make even first-time doodlers look good! It is divided into 5 parts (Borders, Banners, and Letters; Botanicals; Architecture and City Life; Animals & Insects; and Everyday Life) and each is a small treasure trove of illustrations.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider myself a creative person, with varying levels of comfort when it comes to writing, working with yarn or clay, even sewing and quilting, but drawing eludes me. I have long joked that my skills stunted at the level that a four-year-old child is impressed by, and it's not hyperbole to admit my 7-year-old daughter has already surpassed me in artistic ability.

I was drawn to Art Starts with a Line in hopes Erin McManness could teach me some new techniques to improve upon my infantile ability. The author is a professional illustrator and, after resources including recommended materials and basic techniques and digital tools, she spends the majority of her book divided into five sections:

1) Borders, Banners, and Letters;
2) Botanicals;
3) Architecture and City Life;
4) Animals and Insects; and
5) Everyday Life

Each section has some step-by-step examples, as well as some more advanced drawings for added challenge.

I started a bullet journal last year, so I was initially drawn to the section with ideas on banners and borders. However, I found myself pulling out a notebook and a pen (should have been a pencil, but the pen is good quality and was nearby) to attempt several of the drawings. My succulent and heel were sorry looking, but I fared much better on my bird, cat, dandelion, dog, beetle, and tree, much better than I could do previously. If I spend time practicing (and started with a pencil so I could later erase guide lines), I know I would see further improvement.

If you are, like me, hoping to gain skill, this could be a good beginning resource, assuming you have no other similar books on hand.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art Starts with a Line by Erin McMannes

This is a book I want for my library. As I looked at some of the feathering and borders I was reminded of visiting my grandfather and doing similar artistic things with the 90 year old mother-in-law living with him at the time. Yep, definitely want to find and buy this book!

The book includes information on tools and materials suggested for projects, shading and stippling, borders and banners, lettering, botanicals, architecture, signage, animals and insects, everyday life and then how to use the ideas presented in planners or illustrations or whatever your heart desires.

I loved the idea that lines are what one uses to create images and look forward to using some of the ideas soon for fun or perhaps with my watercolor painting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing – Walter Foster ~ This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Ri · Rating 4 out of 5]

eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A straightforward, well-thought out resource for artists and readers of all skill levels. I love that anyone can pick up this book and learn from it. I specially loved that McManness has a section on traditional and digital tools with brief information on what each tool is used for. The book also includes practice areas that provide readers with the space to apply what they learned from a specific section. From lettering to drawing daily objects, animals, and buildings, Art Starts with a Line offers something for everyone!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I find all of the instructions are easy to follow except for the ARCHITECTURE & CITY LIFE section. I find the last step (use pen to finish the illustration) in that section rather repetitive and useless. The jump from the first step to the second step is too drastic.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It really brought my bullet journal decorations up to the next level. I will definitely use it as a reference.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free copy of the book. The fact that I got it for free does not influence my review in any way.

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. First, the description says that following this book requires very few tools, then the artist proceeds to show all the many, many different tools they use (and there was even a section with tools you "might also want to consider" - thank god, it contained just a sketchbook; but then again, I'd say a sketchbook is a neccessity, to a "might want"). Then it starts describing all these different (yet very simple) techniques, but doesn't ask you to practice them enough, there's only enough space to practice each once or twice, which I don't feel is nearly enough. Kinda felt like a kids' activity book? Finally, I got bored and skipped ahead - only to find myself looking at a drawing of a pig which wasn't just an egg with a snout and upside-down checks for legs, but something more complex and semi-realistic looking. How are beginners supposed to get there without the practice? They'll get discouraged because their attempts don't look nearly as good.

You don't become a good artist by reading a book, lads, and this book doesn't put enough emphasis on that. Buy 128 pages of white paper and practice your lines, it'll be a better investment.

[Andreea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Art starts with a line indeed, but in order for this book to appeals to readers with no skill you also need to teach them more than observe the object and draw the shapes, and I mean this in the kindest way.

I am convinced that the author is a great artist, but I think her book lacks in delivering the messages. The book felt uneven. Divided into five sections, some sections are bigger than others, some have very easy illustrations to make like some of the flowers and the banners, but some of them were really complicated (like the buildings) and the step by step instructions were not really helpful for a beginner.

What I loved the most was the step by step of how to use Adobe Photoshop to color your illustrations, but other than that I think the book was too advanced and that wouldn't be a bad thing if it wasn't targeted to any artist no matter their skill level.

[Arden Belrose ♛ Phantom Paper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous starter's guide on line drawing! The book is broken down into several categories, like Leaves, Buildings, Flowers, Supplies Needed, etc., and includes a section where she takes you step-by-step through the process of transferring your hand-drawn art to the digital format. There are also pages where you can try your own hand at drawing line art.

Of course, in art, you have to practice freely and copiously to warm up to it. This guide is like how maths is best learnt, you learn the methods and the limits of your tools and the rest is up to your prerogative. That way, you can apply those techniques on any scenarios and inject your own flair, as there are no cookie-cutter ways to art!


This book was provided to me for free, with thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.

[M0rningstar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Useful for approach to simplifying ornamentation (borders/banners/letters), botanicals, and buildings. The animal drawings are poor and everyday objects section too easy.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Art Starts with a Line through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Art Starts with a Line is a fun art book that, as the title indicates, teaches us the basics of line drawing. This book is perfect for both the experienced and novices alike, as it covers all levels, providing plenty of guidance and projects for all.
I love how detailed this book was. It really does mean it when it says that it focuses on line drawing – that’s the only focus. But it’s easy to forget that there’s quite a lot you can do with ‘just a simple line.’
The biggest part of any art book, and also the most overlooked, are the suggested tools by the artist. I know many would not agree with me here, but its how I feel about it. Know how much or little I can get away with using really removes any lingering anxiety about the issue. By using a pen similar to what the artist in the book suggests, it makes it easier to tell your progress (as opposed to wondering if the difference could be attributed to the tool itself). Once a style is better undersood it is then easier for the new artist to experiment and find the tools they like best. Art Starts with a Line did a wonderful job of listing out the preferred tools and materials, from the most basic to the colors. They also covered digital work, which I very much appreciated (this isn’t a given in art books, so it’s always nice to see when it happens).
Included in this book are instructions for borders, banners, letters, botanicals, architecture, animals and insects, and everyday life. Obviously it’s all much more than that, and there’s countless small line drawings filling the pages of this book.
I personally loved the artist’s preference for bright little lines in their works. It resulted with an almost happy tone, and I found myself very fond of the style in general being used.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not an artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I love reading books which give me some inspiration that one day I may be! This book caught my eye as I loved the cover, which was wonderfully illustrated.

This book is divided into five sections, each section showing you how to draw different objects within that theme. It also shows you the basic drawing techniques, and what tools you will need for this. There are some instructions on how to add colour to your drawings. Personally, I would find this part really hard as I’m okay at drawing lines or outlines, but not good at working out the shading when adding colour. When I came to this part in the book it did make me feel that the book became a bit advanced for me, and was maybe more suited to someone with more artistic experience.

The examples in the book look beautiful and there are clear instructions accompanying them. My favourite section was the borders, banners and letters section. I could definitely have attempted some of this, as a lot of it was just detailed doodling (and surely everyone can doodle!) There are practice pages in the book, but personally I would prefer to practice on plain paper rather than ruin the book.

It is a beautiful book, and very detailed with good clear instructions and pictures. A lot of it looked quite advanced, so for me as a complete novice I think most of what I would attempt would look nothing like the examples! But for someone who has a flair for art and drawing, this book would most definitely be a worthy add to their bookshelf.

[Jatin Zadoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book taught me so many things from drawing simple things we use every day to Borders and Banners to buildings to animals.

Another thing I loved about the book was how after every chapter, there was space for drawing the things mentioned in the chapter.

This book taught me so many things.

1. Advanced Shading
2. Adding Details
3. Lettering
4. Converting to Digital Art.
5. How to see Shapes and Forms

From drawing a simple banner to drawing a building to drawing a coffee shop to drawing a house to drawing animals, learned a lot in the last 20 days.

Thank you Erin McMannes Mam for creating this book. Loved it.

Looking forward to learning more and drawing more.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this on a whim. I have always enjoyed doodling / drawing and was looking for something for inspiration. This offers quick and creative lessons / exercises from line borders to banners and simple lettering embellishments. Later chapters offer more detailed/ advanced exercises like buildings, flowers and animals. I have not completed all the ideas in the book, there is room to practice on the pages, which are a heavier stock. I don't draw in my books and instead use a separate pad. She suggests various ways to change up your artwork such as scanning and printing it out. An interesting approach to drawing. Fun for beginners and experienced artists alike.

[Kim narvaez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners!

What a great little book. I have just recently started to learn how to draw (at 53 years old, mind you) and I found this book to be one that I would likely refer to often, as it covers the basics of things that I find myself wanting to draw. The chapter on tools is particularly informative for me, as all those different types of drawing pencils confuse me! I highly recommend for the beginner. It is surely a book I will pick up again and again.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book is a treasure for artists and craft persons.
The instructions are clear. The illustrations are plentiful and best of all there is space available to practice within the book.
Instructions and ideas for drawing flowers, buildings, and small household items make this book useful as a reference for future drawing projects.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was a bit simplistic, but it was an excellent kickstarter, forcing me to accept beginning with a simple line. As an artist, I would definitely recommend for beginners and inexperienced artists, and for experienced artists, I would say it never hurts to step off your big bad self and go back to the nuts and bolts.

[Aida Rafan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for beginner in watercolour painting

This is a tutorial book teaching you to draw basic stroke in common drawing. I love part where it shows how to draw flower and leave in easy way. I think it should be useful for those want to learn watercolour painting with simple flower and leaves.

[Debra Lowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book/workbook. I used some of the simple line art and translated it across the various media. I did some of the florals in colored pencil and then again in ink, for example. There are a lot of ideas to get spark your creativity and then enough information to get you started in some of the most popular medium basic techniques.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick tutorials that would probably look good for bullet journals or other journaling. the tutorials seem to be for people who are beginners at art since they're simple. i rented it because i thought it would improve my lineart or provide tips for more dynamic lines, but it doesn't mention anything like that. this book is not for me but someone else would probably find it useful.

[Catherine Quillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed her illustrations and she gave suggestions on tools, sketch books etc. However , her step by step drawing ideas are really geared to the beginner - that should have been in the book description.