“I would rather teach drawing that my pupils may learn to love nature,
than teach them looking at nature that they may learn to draw.”
- John Ruskin -

The Big Draw
The Campaign for Drawing was launched in 2000 by the Guild of St George, a small charity founded by John Ruskin, whose writings on art, architecture, natural history, social and economic issues helped to shape Victorian cultural life. In 1871, he set up the Guild to promote and assist the liberal education of artisans. The Guild initiated the Campaign to celebrate Ruskin’s centenary by promoting his belief that drawing is a key to understanding and knowledge.

The Elements of Drawing (PDF)
John Ruskin originally published this little volume in the winter of 1856/57. It promptly sold out and went into multiple printings. It is surprisingly still relevant today. Ruskin gives the reader many exercises beginning with a dip pen and ink and later moving to pencil and then watercolor (which in the 19th century was classified under drawing).

Ruskin Collection
The Ruskin Collection, also known as the Guild of St George Collection, was originally formed by the influential Victorian artist, writer and critic John Ruskin as an educational resource for the people of Sheffield. It was first displayed in the Museum of St George at Walkley in 1875.

The Ruskin Collection is a unique snapshot of the 19th century that remains relevant to the modern world, illustrating the enduring legacy of Ruskin’s ideas.