Art Starts in the Heart

This book is great for aspiring artists. I liked that instruction was given for creating digital artwork as well. The thought provoking prompts at the end of the book are really helpful for finding future inspiration. Thanks for the advanced review copy.

This is a very simple and easy to understand how to art book. It farts out very basic and goes on to more advanced styles and techniques. I think I could learn a lot from this book and potentially increases my art abilities.

I read a lot of art how-to books, as I love creating art but don't really consider myself very good at it. This one is the type I call "and then a miracle occurs" kind. The author tells you what supplies you need, walks you step-by-step through a handful of very specific art projects (draw Freida Kahlo, a little dog named Pattie, a floral quote, etc.) and then the rest of the book is composed of pages of prompts where you're supposed to magically do art to her specifications (draw a letter to your past and future selves, draw your favorite things about fall, draw the pet you would have wanted as a child...). I still don't know how to draw these things, or at least well. People who already like their art will no doubt enjoy this greatly, but those who aren't happy with their skills may want something with more meat in the tutorial part of it.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

Art Starts in the Heart starts as your basic art learning book: there are basics about technique, supplies, and color. It also contains a walk through of letter with practice space as well as step by step projects. In each section is goes into extra depth giving tips on digital techniques as how to make your work visual appealing (like the number of objects in said picture). But what make this book stand out is that iit then becomes a creativity journal! Erin McManness gives you space to create based on prompting. I loved working through these seeing myself, my world and my art in a different light.
I would absolutely recommend this book to my creative friends.

I love this beautiful little book! It has just the right amount of instruction so that new artists won't feel overwhelmed. The author also respects the reader's own personal creativity—this is very much a do-your-own-thing kind of experience, with many fun drawing prompts at the end of the book. Her enthusiasm shines thoughout and now I'm itching to pick up a pencil. I started planning a trip to the art supply by page 9. Highly recommended.

This is a lovely art book aimed at getting you started and offering prompts to kick start your imagination and creativity.  I like the authors style and I think it would be appealing to a wide range of people looking to be more creative especially those who journal and do scrapbooking.  I loved the digital art section as it is difficult to know where to start and this gives you a step by step guide for a simple project.  I liked all the prompts and fill pages at the end and this book would definitely make a great gift book too.

I love books like this. As a child I was really into drawing and loved it. I was pretty good too. It's been years though since I've drew so when I saw this book I thought it would be a great refresher and I was right. It felt so good to start doing it again and I loved this book and hope to find more like it. I recommend it to anyone who's just learning to draw or needs refreshed like me. It focuses on simple line art drawing and was so fun and inspiring

What a great art book ! There were some very basic directions up to medium level.  I learned quite a bit.

Art Starts in the Heart by Erin McManness
Creative projects and inspirational ideas for learning to make expressive, mindful art

Interesting and informative – I found this book filled with ideas that will assist me in creating more interesting illustrations and art work in the future. I learned how to take a finished project and digitally create a line drawing, learned a bit more about how to create pleasing designs and how to create interesting art prints. I came up with some new  ideas to use in creating borders and/or frames along with ways to use lettering in art. I found the prompts intriguing and worth visiting one at a time over a period of days. 

I can see this book used by artists, teachers of art, illustrators, mothers trying to entertain their children, grandmothers (like me) who create snail mail postcards and letters to send to their grandchildren and by many others. 

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I recommend it to others? Definitely...getting ready to send the information to my artistic sister right now

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC – This is my honest review. 

5 Stars

I signed up to review this one because my daughter is very into drawing, and she is also very good at it (Mommy brag). So I figured this may make a good Christmas gift for her.  

It is a visually pleasing book. With bright colors, and fun graphics. There is a chapter for suggested tools and materials. Then chapters devoted to drawing techniques using the various tools suggested. There is even a small space for you to practice. My favorite chapter was Digital Techniques as I think it gave some good instructions for moving your art from paper to digital. I also really liked the Creative Prompts section. 

I think this would make a great gift for any art lover.

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  			
			
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.			

Learn to draw using simple line art to create your own inspired, meaningful illustrations!

Following an introduction to basic tools and materials, including pencils, pens, inks, watercolour, and markers, artists will discover helpful tips and techniques for drawing, layout and composition, hand lettering, and working with colour. Easy step-by-step projects help you create your own personalized artwork and illustrations, from floral and nature motifs to portraits, scenes, and favourite things. The final section of the book offers creative prompts to spark your imagination, illustrated frames for personal art expression, and a guide for creating a vision board to illustrate a manifestation of goals and dreams.

With relatable and captivating prompts to inspire you on your artistic journey, plus an abundance of drawing tips, techniques, and tutorials, Art Starts in the Heart is your ideal resource for learning to create expressive, purposeful artwork inspired by your goals, dreams, and the most important moments in your life.

Packed with engaging instruction, tips, and beautiful step-by-step artwork, the Art Starts series presents approachable and heartwarming guides to line drawing designed to both inspire and teach beginning artists how to create meaningful artwork using simple lines and mindful prompts.

This book is very basic - the author leads you through some instructions on how to draw a few things and then ... leaves you hanging. Unless you are already an AWESOME drawer, you won't get a lot out of it: It doesn't actually teach you the basics of drawing and its mechanics of how to draw.  I can paint but I cannot do watercolours as I cannot draw the outlines...this book would be of no help to me. (Sometimes being #honest) sucks for the book that I am reviewing!

It gets a middle of the road ( #MOTR ) 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
	
As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "Social Influencer Millennials" on Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it ✏✏✏

Great Book! It reallys is one part book and inspiration and one part guided art journal. The pages where it has you just doing basic strokes I could do without because I own so many of these books, but there were some really cute ones too. Enough that after i browsed the digital ARC (thanks netgalley!) I jumped right over to Amazon and pre-ordered. Cant wait to do some of the activities.

This is a thoughtful and creative workbook. inspirational designs for pulling together cute sayings and thoughtful gifts.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I recommend it for the aspiring young artist in your life. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and the author for the preview of this eBook.

I had previously enjoyed Art Starts with a Line by Erin McManness, which was very wonderful. Its companion, Art Starts in the Heart, is equally useful with easy to follow instructions.

Another lovely art book from Quarto. I am a fan of simple, folk art type illustrations, so I fell in love with this one right away. The instructions are so simplified that even if you think you can't draw, you'll find yourself feeling like an artist soon! 

This book covers so many things thoroughly, for example, giving recommendations for specific types of supplies, then showing the effects you can achieve with them. It covers everything from the most basic, pencils, to gouache, acrylic, watercolors, etc. 

There is a section of design techniques and layouts, framing and border designs, and so much more. I love the prompts where you take the suggestions and then draw the illustrations right in the book. All you'd have to do is grab a few supplies and the book, and you're ready to create art!

It's a fun book suitable for all levels of artistic experience, because even the best need to get back to basics at times to refocus and start looking at things with fresh eyes.

This is a beautiful book that showcases the author's process for illustration and could be useful for inspiration and  pointers if the reader is already advanced. It is not a book that a beginner could benefit much from because it assumes quite a few areas of knowledge and skill. But if you have experience with illustration techniques, manual and computer, it can be a lovely source of inspiration. 

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Be creative from you heart out
Erin McManners presents "Art Starts in the Heart. Creative projects and inspirational ideas for learning to make expressive, mindful art", published by Quarto Publishing Group - Walter.  It is the companion to her book "Art Start with a Line". Mc Manners' goal with this book is to help artists to refine their drawing techniques and hand lettering, complete projects for their portfolios, as well as exploring and clarifying goals, dreams, and moments in their life, but ultimately the goal is to enjoy and have fun while making art.
The first part of the book contains chapters that help artists to start their work (e.g., Suggested Tools & Materials, Drawing Techniques, Working in Color). The next part touches the topics "Creating a pleasant design", "Composition Tips & Tricks", "Creating a Beautiful Layout", and "Framing Devises", which will help the artists in the realization of their projects. The final part of the book contains the "Step-by-Step Art Prints" and "Inspiration for the Journey" which help the artists to put the previous information into practice.
This was the first book by McManners which I read. I appreciated her instruction for creating digital art that was included. The illustrations of the book are colorful and impressive. Although the illustrations are not totally step-by-step, they are sufficient for an advanced hobby artists to recreate the design. McManners uses various materials (pencils, watercolor, gouache, acrylic) which can be an encouragement to try different means. It is important to not that the book only touches the topics of lettering, drawing, and painting. There are far more artistic ways to express one's heart. I would not recommend the book for beginners who have no knowledge about the approaches which are presented, but it is a helpful book for other artists. Areas for practice are included, but a downloadable PDF would be even more helpful for those who want to do the suggested exercises and do not want to work in the book. It would also be helpful if the book would be spiral-bound or have a flat-laying binding. The actual binding makes it difficult to work directly in the book like the author suggests.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ArtStartsInTheHeart	#NetGalley

Art starts in the Heart feeds the imagination, and let's the reader know that art inspires both self and others. It is well organized, with lovely illustrations, and a fabulous list of materials and tools to use, as well as technique. It even includes space to practice some of the techniques on its pages to make this book truly your own. As a seasoned artist who drew much from my instructors as well as book, this book is like having an instructor at your fingertips to help you hone your skills, and pick up some new ones along the way. This would make a great gift for artists, both experienced, and students. I truly love having good supplies recommended along the way. From letters to framework, to pets and flowers. Great jumping off point. 
It is simple, not cluttered, and the focus seems to be more on using various techniques and your own imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster, and Erin McManness for an ARC of ‘Art Starts in the Heart. This unbiased review is written in exchange for the opportunity to preview this book.

There is the phrase armchair traveler...I would like to highly recommend this title to both those who want to create art and those who want to look through a pleasing book, even without doing the projects, i.e.  armchair artists.. 

This book is full of everything a budding artist needs.  There are sections on tools and materials, lettering, creating beautiful projects and thinking about the messages that can be conveyed through art. 

As the author states:

This book will help you:

Refine your own set of drawing technniques and hand lettering

Complete five art print projcts...

Explore and clarify the goals, dreams and moments in your life most importatnt o you through creative prompts

Expand your visual vocabulary by drawing ne things and taking risks

Enjoy the art making process and have fun.

I think that this book does all of that well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the pubosher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great resource for those who like to create, but need to look deeper within themselves. It’s inspiring and helps the artist look deeper within the self in order to enhance their art creations. Highly recommend.

Art Starts in the Heart is a tutorial guide with prompts and practice pages for creating art and illustrations with some projects included. Released 8th Oct 2019 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback format.

I really love art tutorial books which are accessible and usable by anyone, no matter what their level of artistic ability and experience. This is an appealing guide, written well, with encouraging and enjoyable prompts. The introductory chapters include some drawing and letting tutorials, an abbreviated survey of tools and supplies, as well as some layout instructions.

Probably 5-10% of the book (including most of the later chapters) is given over to practice areas and prompts. There is a lot of step by step instruction included in the earlier chapters of the book however. The style of the art is simple, upbeat, and naive/folksy. I find it very appealing. It would be perfectly suited to making note cards, place cards, journaling, envelopes/stationery and similar projects.

Four stars.

An excellent overview of art techniques and theory. Includes supply lists, lettering practice pages, step-by-step creation with single or mixed media, composition, and more. Colorful and approachable.

Had I not read the summary for this book, I would have probably given it 4 stars overall because the good parts are good, but 3 stars is actually generous considering it is supposed to help people ”learn to draw using simple line art” and provide ”Easy step-by-step projects help you create your own personalized artwork and illustrations, from floral and nature motifs to portraits, scenes, and favorite things.”. 

The step-by-step portrait of Frida Kahlo listed a very vague ”watercolors” under the materials needed section, and then instructed the BEGINNER to simply ”mix the watercolor in a separate dish to achieve the right shade” for the skin tone. The author helpfully pointed out that she would be mixing a peach shade (using her secret color combination) for Frida’s portrait, and then told the reader to observe if the subject for their portrait had a cool or warm skin tone. How in the world is a beginner to even understand the concept of cool vs warm skin tones, let alone know how to magically create a peach tone from mysterious colors even if they are painting Kahlo too? This is the sort of thing that can frustrate a beginning or even more experienced artist and let their inner critic convince them that they have no talent for art and to give up completely. 

Not only that, but the author stated that the same techniques are used for both gouache and acrylic paints simply because they ”are both water-based, fast-drying, and opaque”. This is entirely false. There are plenty of transparent acrylics, and most importantly, gouache is water soluble, allowing previous layers to react with the fresh layers, which can create all kinds of unexpected results,, unlike acrylic paint which dries to an inert state. Even the brushes need to be treated differently since acrylic paint will ruin a good brush if it dries before being washed thoroughly. 

This book, however, did provide an interesting section on composition, as well as lots of great prompts. Therefore I would recommend it for people interested in mindful sketching/doodling, as well as potentially brave beginners provided they promise to never attempt to follow along the portrait section, which in reality, should never be included in a general drawing book for beginners anyway.

I was given a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

I really enjoyed this art book.  The instructions were simplified and easy to understand.  The pictures were simple too, so I felt no need to make complicated pictures.  I had fun do little drawings and pictures.  The book helped to build confidence in my abilities as an artist.

Nicely builds from darwing flowers to wreath to the wonderful Frida Kahlo flower head painting. The guides before starting the fleshing out of painting ar einteresting. you learn lots of tios of how to maintain the composition - not going with even, avoiding tangents. Some exercises to customise the paintigns to you - your dreams, favorite things and so on.

A charmingly illustrated book for those interested in starting to draw and paint. I was surprised to see it include digital art, as I would think this topic warrants a whole book in itself. However it had some great ideas and small tutorials for illustrative-style projects, birds, flowers, portraits etc. It would be a lovely gift for someone wishing to start drawing or painting.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

An excellent book to get your creative juices flowing! This book teaches you the basics of drawing, including the different materials you can use, and includes helpful exercises to get you started.

Erin McManness has created a delightful Folk Art style Book, which helps even the worst of Artists or Budding Artists such as myself how to follow the instincts within our own individual Hearts to draw or attempt to Draw or Paint what ever it tells us too, as this will bring relaxation & a total sense of well being even if thew only thing we draw are stick people ! we can bring enjoyment to others by illustrating a letter or envelope , thus sharing   things which we old dear within our hearts.

Lovely book with a lot of great prompts to inspire your art work. I would recommend this to creative souls and artists.

If you're past the basic "draw this in this way" stage, but still have some room for improvement (and don't we all?), this is a fun book to work through.   Not only is the author's artwork inspiring, but the whole book is full of prompts and information to get your pen/brush moving.

It focuses on three mediums: watercolor, marker, and gouache/acrylic, and while the main thrust is on working by hand, there's some great info here on how to scan and edit your work digitally for finished illustrations, too.  There's a bit on lettering, some great stuff on composition (and WHY certain elements work/don't work, which is super helpful).

The last half of the book is largely illustrated prompts that aren't the ones you see everywhere.  (Which is nice.)  They're introspective, have creative restraints (for growth), and can act as a kind of vision board for your artwork and your life, in general.  

I really, really liked this book, and have a feeling I'll be coming back to it again, both for digital conversion help, and to work through some of these prompts in my own sketchbooks.

This book is beautifully illustrated. There are tons of helpful hints and a brief overview of shading techniques. There are valuable tips on lettering and the use of various art supplies. My only raised brow was the list of suggested art supplies because they tend to run expensive. This is fine for professionals, as the author is, but for novices or hobbyists, the supplies listed are a bit much. Still, they're only suggestions. I enjoyed the beautiful pages in the book and the sample drawings illustrating shading techniques, etc. Well done!

If you are already familiar with illustration, or if you are still trying to find your style, this is an excellent book! I loved the practical suggestions, and the space to create your own artwork using the techniques McManness shares. I especially enjoyed the part about creating a vision board. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book, so I can start working on it myself!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I received a copy of this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a pretty great craft book that starts with easier projects and continues on to more advanced projects.

Vine Customer Review of Free Product

The book shows some basics for doing art in many different techniques. Because of how many there are, there is only a little bit of attention paid to each. It shows several examples of getting different effects, like sketch, color with medium color, then shade with darker color. There is a bit of step by step little things like frames and such. Lettering, too, but only a few letters are shown. Even digital art is here, using Photoshop on Mac.
Nevertheless, I liked a lot of the designs and I think I did learn something from the book, too. The last big part of the book is pages and pages of prompts, like there is a frame and you fill it, or add words, or add a flower and such. The book is inexpensive enough to just go ahead and draw and paint in it.

This book is absolutely beautiful from start to finish! It is full of creative images and guides you through the process of creating expressive, meaningful art from drawing tools to techniques, colour to balance and composition. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in creativity!