User:Gonzologist/The Elements of Drawing

The Elements of Drawing by John Ruskin is probably the best "How to" book ever written on how to draw. It presents a series of exercises based on the techniques used to train draughtsmen back in the days when etchings were created by engraving lines directly on to metal plates. Those guys had to be good, you cannot rub out your mistakes.

The exercises definitely work, and I cannot recommend them highly enough, but what is more remarkable is that they are presented in the context of a coherent philosophy of art and design and its place in the world. Do not forget that Ruskin was one of the best draughtsmen and watercolourists of his day, if not ever.

If you really want to learn about art, and become a skilled draughtsman or painter, do not waste your time or money in further education, buy this book and spend half an hour a day doing the exercises. After about a year you will be astonished at your progress. Instead of a useless piece of paper and a massive debt you will have a marketable skill which can be transferred to any electronic medium such as computer graphics, web design etc.