"Start Here: Draw" by Moira Clinch is a great intro to drawing for the absolute beginning or for those with a fear of drawing. I like how the author encourages the reader to start by experimenting with straight lines and curves and then move on to different patterns. This should be helpful for people who want to experiment with drawing for crafting or as a creative outlet. Those who are more artistic already may want something a bit less structured, but this book should be good for a wide readership.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC.

As a kid, I was really into sketching, but my adult years were mainly limited to doodles — and the occasional cartoon of whoever was speaking at an event I was covering.

I wanted to get back to that, and this was pretty fun! Step by step guides, a gradual progression. Recommend!

I both liked and didn't like this book. I loved that it started fairly simple so that it was approachable, but I also felt like it ramped up a bit too far in the later sections. Some of the more complex shading and drawings was more than I felt like I could do, even after a lot of practice. It almost felt like it was two books in one. I would be happy to borrow this one from the library, might not be one I would purchase.

I liked this book but didn't love it.

I'm not sure why: I think I just didn't like the style of the artwork and I felt like the instructions/guided steps for doing the different sorts of drawings weren't as detailed as I would have liked. I am a novice at drawing (and not particularly good at it yet!), so more detailed, step by step instructions (showing more examples of intermediate steps) would have worked better for me.

I give this book 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

This is a surprisingly engaging and easy to follow books. Unfortunately too many drawing manual tend to either show the reader a complete drawings and encourage them to repeat those (yes, but how?! if I know I wouldn't need a drawing manual), or start really slow and then somehow make a jump all the way to insanely complex thing. Here on the other hand the author starts with the elemental steps which at the same time are fun enough to be infinitely preferable to drawing circles for days on end. And the progression seems really nice and gradual as well - I haven't finished the book's exercises yet but I think this will be the 1st 'teach yourself drawing' book I will eventually make my way through to the very end. And if I don't learn how to draw I will at least be better at doodling.

This is certainly a treat for the eyes, full of colorful and whimsical drawings. I would have liked more step-by-step directions, but I saw this as a starting point for inspiration, with plenty of examples of the different types of drawing tools and media you can use. If I was using this to help me draw, I would look at the florals and patterns sections, which seemed to be the easiest to follow. I can definitely see this as a nice addition to any budding artist's bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry for an advance reader's copy.

I love this book. This book goes through and teaching you about different aspects of drawing like the tools used and the different kinds of strokes used. It then shows you how to make simple pictures using all these things. As a beginning drawler, even as an adult it's great to show that drawling starts small and builds into something beautiful. The book encourages you to continue on even if you are struggling because it takes practice.

What a fantastic and detailed guide on how to draw. This book encompasses numerous different styles of drawing, which allows each person to develop the style that suits them best.

This book would be great as a gift but would also be brilliant for those who want to develop existing skills or even start a new hobby.

Beginner? Here's a book of total FUN! If you copy Clinch's illustrations and instructions, you're on the way to illustrating buildings, animals, and anything else you see.

It's the most basic "how to sketch what you see" or imagine. Good pictures, informative text.

Very helpful if you're teaching or leading and want to put more than a stick-figure on the board, too.

Clinch takes a well-structured approach, breaking down fundamental drawing concepts into manageable steps. The book covers essential skills like drawing basic shapes and lines and creating perspective. It then progresses to more complex topics like shading and layering. The exercises are not quite step-by-step instructions but are well-illustrated and easy to follow, making it achievable and a good starting point for any project. More advanced beginners may find that specific techniques and mediums are glossed over. Start to Draw is an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to embark on their artistic journey.

Reader and beginner artist friendly reference book with cute drawings, various tips and methods, and great insights.

As someone who doesn't have good drawing abilities and wants to improve, stumbling upon this was a real game-changer. The step-by-step instructions are not only easy to follow but also incredibly engaging, making the learning experience both fun and rewarding.

This is a wonderful book that really works to help stimulate creativity. There are so many varied and fun ideas that all work to make the creative process less daunting. I can't wait to use a physical copy.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a lovely book with loads of information and gorgeous drawings. I’m a total amateur and I’m trying to learn the basics of good drawing technique and this is an excellent place to start. Ms Clinch covers everything you need to know to begin producing decent drawings, including a full list of resources. Unlike some art books I’ve seen, she isn’t insisting we all buy the most expensive stuff.

The book starts gradually with line and shape and colour and guides you into painting in various mediums. I’m still at the graphite and charcoal stage but there’s lots of reassuring information in here to get even the least confident artist up and running.

A good starting point for a beginner but even an intermediate artist might learn something useful.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

This is a non-fiction art book, and I, the long-suffering wanna-be stick-figure artist, thought I should try working with this one.

It’s divided into 4 sections:
•Start here
•Get a Sketchbook
•Practice makes perfect
•Make it your own

The Author used a wide range of topics to help learn drawing.
For example you get flowers, peas, and pasta as topics but also dogs or patterns.

And while this isn’t a step-by-step tutorial-style book… she gives you enough information and techniques to start your drawing adventure, or to rekindle your interest. While the exercises are more loosely given, you will find many of them in this book to work on your art.

3.9 stars for this book, which will be rounded up to a full 4-star rating!

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈.

Start Here: Draw is a refreshing adventure in the world of drawing and creativity. In a simple and gradual way, the books goes through diverse techniques that you can apply to sketch in a easy way since types of media and small lines, until how to apply it on your day to day life, passing through the importance of practice and get the habit of drawing. I believe that this book encourage all the one who are afraid of trying, showing some simples tactics on how to be creative with your own means. I truly recommend this book to the beginners until more advanced drawers (even the last ones should remind how simple things can be beautiful too).

Starting with simple lines and shapes, then progressing to more complex drawings, this book provides a great starting point for those interested in drawing. I appreciated the early exercises that used simple shapes to create really cute drawings, giving me a sense of accomplishment shortly after starting the book. This book would be suitable for both children and adults seeking direction in their artistic endeavors. With sections covering challenging skills such as drawing faces and mastering perspective, it offers a comprehensive learning experience. I plan to acquire a physical copy for my art shelf, turning to it whenever I need inspiration for my next drawing project.

TLDR: this is a great book if you want to learn how to draw but it seems scary. Check it out!

Light-hearted, helpful, and non-threatening: this is the trifecta you want if you're looking for a book to help ease you into the waters of sketching and drawing, especially if you want to do it intuitively and from your heart. This book delivers on all three. I've read/owned a lot of (too many? never!) similar books about "how to draw" from many different perspectives. This one is charming and will stick around on my shelf.
The author starts off slow, helping us see that just a few lines can make a drawing. There's a clever exercise involving graph paper that helps the aspiring artist think about animals (and objects) as pixel blocks, which is nowadays a very accessible idea for nearly everyone. But the book doesn't stop at basic concepts. It keeps going into sketching from real life, shading, perspective, and a lot of other meaty topics that will be interesting for people who have gone beyond the 101 basics. The author even gets into things like texture and patterns. In fact, the author is bubbling over with creative ideas - near the end, there's suggestions for doing art on shoes, on pebbles, on recipe cards. I love this energy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

This was a really cool book about getting started drawing. Short, simple, and not overwhelming but fun and doable. Highly recommended. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw better and this is a good book that helps to do just that! It starts off simply and definitely gets into more advanced drawing. I think it’s a great starting point and I look forward to practicing!

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review