The Friday Fillip: Learning to Draw From Ruskin

John Ruskin, the “leading English art critic of the Victorian era,” didn’t simply opine and judge; he drew and painted as well. The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has put online his collection of drawings meant to help students of art learn to draw according to his principles. The drawings, often coloured with water colours, are made available in a way that lets you zoom in to investigate and appreciate the details of his technique.

But I thought that rather than this somewhat passive involvement with Ruskin, you might prefer some classes on how to draw, using Ruskin’s drawings. The Ashmolean has made available eight video lessons by Stephen Farthing, a former Ruskin Master of Drawing at Oxford: 1. Tip of the pencil; 2. The edge of the pencil; 3. Toned paper; 4. Drawing with a brush; 5. Measured drawing; 6. With colour; 7. Field notes; and 8. Creativity.

The lessons are brief: they won’t turn you from dauber to da Vinci all by themselves. But they might help you see things that wouldn’t otherwise be noticed. And, I find, it’s always intriguing to watch experts and specialists do their thing, even in areas I’m ignorant about.