The Elements of Drawing online sessions 2025

29^th March 2025, 7^th April 2025, 16^th May 2025, 14^th June 2025

A series of informal, free, guided sessions online, led by artists, exploring John Ruskin's The Elements of Drawing.

Join us as we embark on a guided journey through John Ruskin's book The Elements of Drawing, first published in 1857. Each session will be led by an artist, and be focused on the practical exercises that Ruskin sets throughout. No prior artistic experience is needed, but we encourage all participants to make the time to continue drawing between sessions. See further down the page for how the text and exercises are being divided up between the sessions.

SESSION THREE - with Arjun Shivaji Jain, is at 1pm (BST) on Friday 16th May.

SESSION FOUR - with Kateri Ewing, is at 3pm (BST) on Saturday 14th June.

Dates for further sessions will be announced soon.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

We suggest that attendees have the following materials to hand:

1. Ordinary A4 plain white printer-paper or similar (5 sheets perhaps) or a drawing notebook if you have one

2. Black 0.5 mm roller ball or felt tip pen (ref. eu.winsornewton.com/collections/fineliners/products/fineliner-black)

3. A4 tracing paper (2 sheets perhaps)

4. A sharp pencil (or two!)

5. An eraser

Sessions will usually run for somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes.

Please register for the free sessions via email at communications@guildofstgeorge.org.uk.

RECORDINGS OF PREVIOUS SESSIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

READING THE TEXT OF THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING

The complete text of The Elements of Drawing can be found online HERE, and you can find a facsimile of George Allen's edition of 1904 HERE.

If you would like to read Ruskin's text before a session, we propose to divide the book for the sessions as follows:

Session 1. Exercises 1&2 of On First Practice

2. Exercises 3&4 of On First Practice

3. Exercises 5&6 of On First Practice

4. Exercises 7&8 of On First Practice

5. Exercises 9&10 of On First Practice

6. Sketching from Nature I

7. Sketching from Nature II

8. The Laws of Principality and Repetition from On Colour and Composition

9. The Laws of Continuity and Curvature from On Colour and Composition

10. The Laws of Radiation and Contrast from On Colour and Composition

11. The Laws of Interchange and Consistency from On Colour and Composition

12. The Law of Harmony from On Colour and Composition, and Literary Recommendations