A step-by-step drawing book is made backwards: the artist draws the finished character first, then breaks it into a few steps, each adding a small group of lines in the order a child would draw them. In FirstArtBooks How to Draw books, every step also shows the complete drawing as a light gray outline, so kids can see the layout and spacing while they add the black lines. The pages are then laid out, checked and printed.
Step 1: Pick a theme kids love
Every book starts with a theme: dinosaurs, robots, cute animals, monsters, Halloween. A good theme has lots of characters that look different from each other, so a book can hold dozens of drawings without repeating itself. Most FirstArtBooks titles have around 50 drawings. Browse the How to Draw series to see the themes.
Step 2: Design simple, friendly characters
Characters for kids need to be built from shapes children can draw: circles, ovals, rectangles and simple curves. Big heads, big eyes and simple bodies make cartoons easy and fun. Details that are too small or too tricky get simplified. See drawing with shapes for why this matters.
Step 3: Break the drawing into steps
This is the hard part. The artist decides the order a child would draw the lines: usually the big shapes first (head, body), then the parts that attach (legs, ears, tail), then the face and small details last. Each step adds just a few lines. Too many lines in one step overwhelms kids; too few makes the lesson drag. See why step-by-step drawing works.
Step 4: Add the gray guide
On every step, the complete finished drawing appears as a light gray outline, and all the lines a child should have drawn so far are black. That gray guide is what makes the lessons so friendly: kids can always see how big each part should be and where it goes. Read more in how a How to Draw page works.
Step 5: Make the other formats
The same characters can be taught different ways:
- Trace Then Color (ages 3+): the finished drawing as a dotted outline to trace, then color. See tracing for kids.
- Draw by Grid (ages 5+, best from 7): the drawing on a grid, copied square by square. See what is grid drawing?
Step 6: Lay out and print
The pages are arranged with the cover, title page and lessons, then printed as paperbacks. FirstArtBooks paperbacks are printed on demand through Amazon, which means each copy is printed when it’s ordered.
Try it yourself
Kids can make their own mini lesson: draw a simple character, then redraw it in three or four steps on one page, adding a few lines each time. Teaching someone else to draw is a brilliant way to learn. It’s also a great activity for drawing with grandparents or making a picture book.
Tip: Show kids the same character in all three formats. Talking about why each one is easier or harder helps them pick the right book. See which drawing book series is right for my child?
The book that helps
Cute Cartoon Animals comes in all three formats, so you can see the same drawings taught three different ways.
How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Animals
Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon Animals
Draw by Grid: Cute Cartoon AnimalsAs an Amazon Associate, FirstArtBooks earns from qualifying purchases.
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Questions
How are step-by-step drawing books made?
The artist draws the finished character first, then breaks it into steps in the order a child would draw, adding a few lines per step, with big shapes first and details last.
What is the gray outline in How to Draw books?
On every step, the complete finished drawing is shown as a light gray outline so kids can see the layout and spacing. The lines to draw so far are black.
How many drawings are in a FirstArtBooks book?
Most books have around 50 drawings.