The Elements of Drawing in Three Letters to Beginners

Ruskin, John

ISBN 10: 0403003075 / ISBN 13: 9780403003075

Published by Scholarly Press, Inc,. St. Clair Shores, Michigan, 1972

About this Item

Former library copy. Reprint of the 1893 Edition. 8vo. Orange cloth, title and attributions pasted to spine. Crown softening. Corners lightly bumped. Gentle rubs to extremities. Slight tilt towards front board. Library sticker, stamp and ink identifiers on front pastedown/endpaper. Library stamp on copyright page. (xxxvi)380pp. Textual interior with illustrations by author is clear, unmarred. Beginnings of binding split on p.380 remains sturdy. Library stamp and sticker on fep. and rear pastedown.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1715303966718

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Elements of Drawing in Three Letters to Beginners
• Publisher: Scholarly Press, Inc,. St. Clair Shores, Michigan
• Publication Date: 1972
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0403003075
• ISBN 13: 9780403003075
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art

About this title

Synopsis

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

From the Back Cover

Can drawing—sound, honest representation of the world as the eye sees it, not tricks with the pencil or a few "effects"—be learned from a book? One of the most gifted draftsmen, who is also one of the greatest art critics and theorists of all time, answers that question with a decided "Yes." He is John Ruskin, the author of this book, a classic in art education as well as a highly effective text for the student and amateur today.
The work is in three parts, cast in the form of letters to a student, successively covering "First Practice," "Sketching from Nature," and "Colour and Composition." Starting with the bare fundamentals (what kind of drawing pen to buy; shading a square evenly), and using the extremely practical method of exercises which the student performs from the very first, Ruskin instructs, advises, guides, counsels, and anticipates problems with sensitivity. The exercises become more difficult, developing greater and greater skills until Ruskin feels his reader is ready for watercolors and finally composition, which he treats in detail as to the laws of principality, repetition, continuity, curvature, radiation, contrast, interchange, consistency, and harmony. All along the way, Ruskin explains, in plain, clear language, the artistic and craftsmanlike reasons behind his practical advice—underlying which, of course, is Ruskin's brilliant philosophy of honest, naturally observed art which has so much affected our aesthetic.
Three full-page plates and 48 woodcuts and diagrams (the latter from drawings by the author) show the student what the text describes. An appendix devotes many pages to the art works which may be studied with profit.
Unabridged republication of the text from the Library edition of The Works of John Ruskin, 1904.