The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration

I thought the book was decent,, with some good advice for artists trying to get started with the drawing aspect of cartooning. It wasn't the best experience as an ebook, but that's expected. I was hoping for a bit more advice about composition and coming up with ideas, but this just wasn't that kind of book. I still think it would be useful to some people, it just wasn't for me.

This book shows aspiring cartoonists how to build characters by using the building blocks of facial expression, poses, etc., in a stepwise manner and with many examples. Even though the instructions start at a very basic level, and build from there, a reader without some basic drawing proficiency will probably quickly be left behind. It's great to see all the steps, but if you have trouble executing them, they won't help you. For an audience with sufficient skills, this book looks like it would be a useful introduction to conveying expression in cartoon characters. For the rest of us, it's more of a spectator sport.

This brief booklet is for novice artists and teaches by examples the basic of cartooning and illustration.

One star is off because it should be a little less "brief", anyway the book is worth its price.

This is a great book for budding artists who want to have a go at cartooning. There is enough in there for a beginner to have a go. The focus is on expressions and people, and the style reminds of the old American cartoons. There is plenty of places and prompts to get you started and for you to try some pictures yourself. A good book for getting started, the instructions are easy to follow and the explanations are easily understood. Thanks

A decent resource for starting out in cartooning. My 8yo daughter looked through it, but she hasn't had time to delve into yet. It'd probably be better as a print book, the pdf was hard to navigate.

I was a little disappointed with the first 1/3 or so of the book. There was a lot of what I consider to be filler in instructional art book. Pages and pages or try your own here (useless in digital copies) and here’s samples of what we did. Useful for those who already draw in that style, not so useful if you need tips to get you to that level of an artist. I was about to put it down but I stuck with it and oh hello, pretty decent instructional pages. You’ll even learn to draw Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. It’s not my favorite art book ever, but it is a pretty decent book for those who already draw at a basic level and want tips for mastering a cartoon’y style.

The Little Book Cartooning & Illustration is a fun, easy to read and understand book. I read it and found a lot of useful techniques and advice. We enjoyed drawing little silly things too!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book I could only review in ebook format whereas the book is clearly designed as a print book, having prepared pages for you to practice the very lessons which are taught here. nut 'lesson' makes it sound much more formal than it really is, and much less fun!

The book begins with some simple rules for drawing and then tells you how and when to break them! Can't argue with that! The first topic is heads and faces, and all that go with them: eyes, ears, noses, expressions. After this it moves on to drawing hands and feet and then whole bodies, and adding color. It goes on to discuss animals and inanimate objects, scenes and gags, and caricatures; in short, everything you'll need to get started - assuming you're willing to take the bit between your teeth, say 'the heck with detractors', and actually get started creating your own images!

The written advice is short, simple, and broken into easy-to-follow steps, and the steps are accompanied by drawings illustrating how the drawing will progress. I found this book illuminating and instructive, and I commend it as a worthy read for anyone interested in cartooning or art in general for that matter.

Hmm...this is a book I can see buying for someone young that wants to start cartooning although it doesn’t really say how to make a cartoon strip it deals more with the basics with some step by step illustrations and practice pages. Maybe a beginner book for cartoonist wannabes.

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

3-4 Stars

Anyone who loves drawing will enjoy this book. No matter if your a beginner or expert. My dad was an artist and he passed that love down to me. I love cartoon drawing because it doesnt have to be a normal person you draw, you can make the characters whatever you want. Too big eyes, tiny waist, clown shoes, etc etc so many options and no mistakes. The artists in this book were amazing and I definitely saw a few things that made me dying to try their tricks.

I can't draw at all, so this book was fun and educational. I sat for hours and played with this book, seeing how well I could copy and put to use what I had learned. I still need to practice, BUT, I'm on my way! Without this, I'd still be dreaming of drawing cartoon characters! Loved it!

A great book to introduce the priniples and techniques of cartooning, comic illustration, and character design, a skill that is much harder than it looks. Tools and materials are introduced first, followed by an emphasis on keeping a daily sketchbook to practice and develop skills. I laughed (in a good way) at illustrations in the sections on Rules and Breakung the Rules. The rule is that the foundational shape of a face is an oval. Breaking the rules means exaggerating and distorting facial features in order to depict expression, character and mood. The contrast of comical faces set into a serious proper oval, perfectly highlights the concept of breaking the rules. Later sections show how to break out of the oval shape to sync the head shape to match a character's emotions and expressions. Also covered are the three technical phases of devlopment from sketch to inking to color. Highly recommended!

Very well done guide for beginner cartoonists. Easy steps that look like a lot of fun. Great examples to work with and space to do the practice in the book. Definite positive addition to any artist's collection!

This is the perfect "how to" book for someone new to cartooning.
There are over 50 tips and techniques mentioned in this book on how to master the art of cartooning and illustration. The techniques in this book are easy to follow and there are blank pages where you can practice. This book will teach you not only how to draw characters and inanimate objects, but also how to color them. I recommend to art lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Walter Foster Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Various pencils, papers, markers templates and digital tools were introduced by the author to get the novice sketcher up and running. It was an easy inexpensive way to start.

To kick things off, illustrations were drawn that advanced in a step-by-step manner for all of the cartoons. At the end of each, worksheets were provided for practice. The sequence from rough draft to finished drawing in color was clearly demonstrated.

Beginning by first drawing an oval, I enjoyed trying my hand at creating a simple face with only the most minor details. Nowhere near the level of the sample, it’s imaginable that that with some careful practice there would likely be an increase in craftsmanship.

As the tutorial continued, the initial drawings were further enhanced with basic expressions. Soon, defined tell-tale emotions such as happiness or anger were cleverly drawn upon faces. Finally, adding color to the drawing brought it all to life.

Creativity knows no bounds. When it comes to cartooning, the sky's the limit. Experience with an added dash of creativity will yield magnificent results. Having it all, this book is divided into four parts that complement the world of cartoonists.

An invaluable resource, this is the go-to book for cartoon drawing. I would highly recommend it to any beginner or aspiring artist interested in further enhancing their ability to masterfully draw cartoons.

I send my thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Walter Foster for this digital edition in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book is a great resource for learning how to draw cartoons and illustrations. It starts as a basic drawing and shows the artist how to develop that to something truly special.

If you are considering trying the art of cartooning, this book is for you. It provides a step-by-step way to begin and enhance cartoons. It allows the novice artist to try the technique while also providing the intermediate or advance artist an opportunity to develop their work and heighten it to another level.


I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. That in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

Brilliant. Plenty of ideas, tips and tricks for the budding cartoonist. Clearly set out and plenty of space given to have a go yourself. I especially liked the section on caricature. Maybe another book there? I hope so.

Basic step by step illustrations on drawing , sketching, cartooning. Blank pages are available for practicing. Book is divided into Learning the basics, animals and inanimate objects, scened & gags and Caricatures.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I would like to thank Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster for providing me with a free – temporary – electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley. As I am auto-approved with this publisher, it is my choice and any reviews given are obligation free.

My name is Janis and I am a doodler. I feel I’ve already established that with previous books I’ve review, right? Well I’ve always wanted to be able to do cartoon drawings too and have never seemed to get it quite right… no matter how many comics and graphic novels I read, no matter how many cartoons I watch! :-D

So I really enjoyed ‘The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration’ as it had some great step by step hints and tips that really have encouraged me to try again. I did do some cartoon faces, but as I used a very light pencil they’re not showing up that well in any photos I have taken of them. So, please sceptics of my reviews who say I can’t truly review a book I’ve not tried – I DID try this one, I just can’t show the results. Oh, and please feel free to visit when I am trying the next murder mystery I’m reading. ;-)

‘The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration’ is just that, a quick little book that gives you the step by step basics of generic cartooning. I also liked how it gave step by steps on how to turn a drawing from realistic to cartoonish… is that a word? I feel this is a great book for young and old artists wanting to try – or perfect – their cartooning skills.

In the layout and formatting side of things I do have a minor quibble… but it is VERY minor. I really didn’t like the way it kept swapping from portrait to landscape and back again. I am sure, if I had been reading a paperback version of this book it wouldn’t have been as annoying… but I’d still have been frustrated. If I’m using a book to learn a skill that uses my hands I don’t like having to keep moving the position of the book to keep learning. Okay, so this may just be a fault with me, the reader, and not the actual book so relax everyone!

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. As said, this book would be a great little guide to get artists – both young and old – to give cartooning a go. Some who feel they can already draw fairly decent cartoons may also benefit from having a quick read through as we should never be too old or too experienced to learn something new.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Yes I would. If I am serious about illustrating some of my own writing with cartoon figures, I can see ‘The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration’ being a very helpful book to have on hand… despite the layout quibble.

In summary: A good “little book” to add to your collection if you’re interested in doing some cartooning.

Having only recently dived into the art world this was a beautiful reference which has greatly increased my knowledge in the branch of illustration.

This little book of cartooning has a lot of examples and step-by-step instructions mainly to create facial expressions and people, with the last part of the book dedicated to animals, objects and how to create 1 and 2 panel gags. It is a friendly guide without much theory and plenty of practice pages to draw on, which makes it suitable for kids.

Judging by all the authors involved, I was expecting a guide with more personal techniques and tips based on their work experience, but soon enough I realized it wasn't meant to be an in-depth guide for those seriously studying cartooning. However, it is great for kids and teenagers! it has all those practice pages, enough tips to draw your first characters and even Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga's step-by-step caricatures. It has been made simple enough that you (or your kid) won't struggle or feel overwhelmed and will be eager to try these techniques out.

As usual, I tried a couple of their examples. I must admit it was satisfying to complete something that looks nice, even if it's from the book examples and not from my imagination. *I read it as an eARC*

The publisher was kind enough to provide me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own and honest.

I am a beginner artist.... very beginner. I often require a LOT of hand holding and step-by-step instructions. This book gives a very basic overview of the techniques and some step-by-step guides but in my opinion there are not enough. It provides a guide for very specific characters but does not give enough inspiration for creating your own. It is definitely a good starting point for getting the basics and the feel for the art but I just wish it had more for me to use to create my own.

The Little Book of Cartooning and Illustration by these various authors was so fun to look through and pick one and try it out. I felt they gave quite a variety to choose from and with all sorts of expressions and feels. It was truly fun to choose different ones. Some I had to try more than once to get the right look, but that can happen with any drawing book. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. I had a digital copy of the book so the extra pages to practice on didn’t affect me at all.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on B&N

Thank you, NetGalley for the preview of this novel.

The Little Book of Cartooning and Illustration is a good book for all aspiring artists/ cartoonists with easy step by step instructions.