The Elements of Drawing, in Three Letters to Beginners is a set of instructional essays by John Ruskin, addressed to those new to drawing. It offers patient guidance on observing nature and training the eye and hand, rather than presenting drawing as mere technique. The work is worth reading for its clear, reflective prose and its wider thoughts on art and attention.
For teachers and schools: paste the code into your site or blog.
Cover illustration generated by AI.
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Transcriber's
note:
One typographical error has been corrected. It appears in the text like this, and the explanation will appear when the mouse pointer is moved over the marked passage.
Error #1: Page 58: 'Thus, the outline a and the outline d.' 'd' replaced by 'b.'
Library Edition
THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF
JOHN RUSKIN ELEMENTS OF DRAWING AND PERSPECTIVE THE TWO PATHS UNTO THIS LAST MUNERA PULVERIS SESAME AND LILIES ETHICS OF THE DUST NATIONAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NEW YORK CHICAGO THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING IN
THREE LETTERS TO BEGINNERS.
CONTENTS.
ǙĵƄŧ
Pǡŧżĵŕŧ
ix
LETTER I.
Oƿ FƗǡǪǵ PǡĵŕǵƗŕŧ
1
LETTER II.
SƫŧǵŕƒƗƿƄ żǡLjƽ NĵǵǼǡŧ
65
LETTER III.
Oƿ CLjƯLjǡ ĵƿŠ CLjƽǙLjǪƗǵƗLjƿ
106
APPENDIX I.
IƯƯǼǪǵǡĵǵƗ΄ŧ NLjǵŧǪ
183
APPENDIX II.
TƒƗƿƄǪ ǵLj œŧ SǵǼŠƗŧŠ
188
["The Elements of Drawing" was written during the winter of 1856. The First Edition was published in 1857; the Second followed in the same year, with some additions and slight alterations. The Third Edition consisted of sixth thousand, 1859; seventh thousand, 1860; and eighth thousand, 1861.
The work was partly reproduced in "Our Sketching Club," by the Rev. R. St. John
Tyrwhitt, M.A., 1874; with new editions in 1875, 1882, and 1886.
Mr. Ruskin meant, during his tenure of the Slade Professorship at Oxford, to recast his teaching, and to write a systematic manual for the use of his Drawing School, under
Readnara
