The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 50

Courses of Study Lectures [1882]

School of Art

The work carried on in the school has for its object the systematic study of practical Art and the knowledge of its scientific principles, with a view to developing the application of Art to the common uses of life, and to the requirements of Trade and Manufactures.

The instruction includes the following subjects:—
  • Freehand, Geometry, and Perspective.
  • Light and shade. Painting in oil and water-colours.
  • Botany and Anatomy as applied to Art.
  • Design. Modelling.
  • Building Construction. Machine Construction.
  • Drawing on Wood. Lithography.

The Annual Session consists of three Terms, each lasting thirteen weeks, commencing severally in January, May, and September.

Morning classes meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 to 1. Fees:—£1 10s. per Term; £4 per Annual Session.

Evening classes meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 7 to 9. Fees:—15s. per Term; £2 per Annual Session.

All fees payable in advance.

Permission will be given to students properly qualified, to study in the school daily between the hours of 10 and 5.

A Register of the students' attendance is kept and may be consulted by parents and guardians, or copies will be forwarded if desired.

Further information may be obtained on personal application at the school, or by letter addressed to the Master, School of Art, Canterbury College, Christchurch.

Stages of Instruction.

Stage I.—Elementary Linear Drawing, By the aid of instruments.

a. Plane Geometry.
b. Solid Geometry.
c. Perspective, Parallel and Angular.

Stage II.—Advanced Linear Drawing, by the aid of instruments.

a. Practical applications of Plane Geometry.
b. Applied Descriptive and Solid Geometry.
c. Perspective; Oblique, Shadows, Reflections.

Stage III.—Models, Freehand Drawing and Shading.

a. Outline drawing from flat examples or copies.
b. Outline drawing from the "round" or nature.
c. Shaded drawing from, the "flat" in chalk or monochrome.
d. Shaded drawing from the "round" or solid forms in chalk or monochrome.
e. Time sketching and sketching from memory.

Stage IV.—Ornament, Freehand Drawing and Shading.

a. Outline drawing from the flat.
b. Outline drawing from "round" or solid forms.
c. Shaded drawing from the "flat" in chalk or monochrome.
d. Shaded drawing from the "round" in chalk or monochrome.
e. Time studies drawn or shaded.
f. Studies illustrating the History of Ornament, Ancient and Modern.

Stage V.—Botanical Drawing. Flower Painting.

a. Outline from the flat.
b. Outline from nature.
c. Painting from the flat in oil or water-colours.
d. Painting from nature in oil or water-colours without backgrounds.
e. Groups drawn or painted as studies of composition.
f. Botanical analysis and plant form.
g. Time studies.

Stage IV.—Landscape. Still-Life, etc.

a. Studies from the flat in pencil, chalk or monochrome.
b. Studies from colour.
c. Studies from nature in pencil, chalk or monochrome.
d. Studies from colour.
e. Studies of drapery drawn or painted from nature.
f. Groups of still-life and landscape as studies of composition.
g. Time sketches.

Stage VII.—The Human Figure.

a. Outline from the flat.
b. Shading from the flat in chalk or monochrome.
c. Details of the figure outlined from the cast.
d. Outline drawing of the whole figure from the Antique.
e. Shaded drawing of heads, hands, feet, &c., from the cast, in chalk or monochrome.
f. Whole figure from the Antique shaded in chalk or monochrome.
g. Anatomical studies:—the hones and muscles.
h. Shaded drawing in chalk, from the living model.
i. Studies of heads from the life in chalk or colour.
k. Painting, in oil or water-colour, from the living model, nude or draped.
l. Time sketching.
m. Figure composition.

Stage VIII.—Drawing and Painting Animal Forms.

a. Dra wing from the fiat in outline or shaded.
b. Painting from the fiat in oil or water-colours.
c. Anatomical studies.
d. Drawing and shading from the cast or nature.
e. Painting from nature in oil or water-colours.
f. Time sketching.

Stage IX.—Modelling. Ornament, Flowers, etc.

a. From casts.
b. From drawings.
c. From nature.
d. Time studies.

Stage X.—Modelling, the Human Figure and Animals.

a. From casts.
b. From drawings.
c. From nature, nude or draped.
d. Time studies.

Stage XI.—Design.

a. Botanical studies treated ornamentally.
b. Ornamental design as applied to industrial art (furniture, &c.)
c. Ornamental arrangements to fill given spaces in colour or modelled (carpets, tiles, cornices, pilasters, ceilings, &c.)
d. The human figure and animal forms applied to design, in colour or modelled.

Stage XII.—Machine Construction and Drawing.

a. From flat examples.
b. From lectures (working and finished drawings).
c. From actual measurement.
d. Original designs for machinery.

Stage XIII.—Building Construction and drawing—Architecture.

a. From flat examples.
b. From lectures, (working and finished drawings).
c. From actual measurement.
d. Original design, (public buildings).
e. Studies from lectures illustrating the history of architecture, Ancient and Modern.

Stage XIV.—Drawing on Wood (Wood Engraving).

a. Line drawing in pencil.
b. Black and white drawing in tint.

Stage XV.—Drawing on Stone, (Lithography).

a. Outline drawing with the brush.
b. Drawing in chalk.
c. Drawing with chalk and ink.
d. Etching.
e. Chromo-litliography.

Courses of Study.

Before proceeding to definite courses of study, students are required to take up

Elkmentary Drawing

or show evidence that they have already done so, it comprises:—
Stages III. a., IV. a. Freehand from flat examples, blackboard lessons.
I. a., b. Elementary Geometry, plane and solid, 12 lectures.
I. c. Perspective, parallel and angular, 12 lectures.
III. b. Drawing from models, blackboard lessons.

In following out the courses of instruction, students are required to pass in the following stages.

Course I.—For Students Wishing to Study Flowers, Still-Life and Landscape.

Stage IV. b. Outlining ornament from the round.
III. c., IV. c. Shading from the flat.
II. c. Advanced perspective.
V. a., b. Foliage in outline. Lectures on plant form,
VI. a., b. Landscape from the flat.
III. d., iv. d. Shading from the round,
V. c., d. Flower painting.
VI. c., d. Landscape and still-life.

Course II.—For Students Wishing to Study the Figure.

Stage VII. a. Outlining the figure from the flat.
IV. b. Outlining ornament from the round.
III. c., IV. c., VII. b. Shading from the flat,
VII. c., d. Figure outlined from the cast,
VII. e., f. Figure shaded from the cast
VII. g. Anatomical studies of the figure.
II. c. Advanced perspective.
VII. h., i. Shaded drawing in chalk, from the living model,
VII. h., k. Painting the living model, in oil or water-colours.

Course III.— Design.

Stage IV. b. Outlining ornament from the round.
III. c., IV. c. Shading from the flat. A course of outline drawing and monochrome colouring from Jacobsthal, Meurer, and other works.
IV. f. Study of historic ornament.
V. a., b., f., XI. a. Foliage in outline, lectures on plant form applied to elementary design.
III. d., IV. d. Shading from the round.
V. c., d. Flower painting.
XI. b., c. Original design.

Modelling, Ornament or Flowers, etc.

Before entering this class students must pass the preparatory stages in Course I.

The Figure.—Students will take up the preparatory stages in Course II. before modelling the figure.

Design.—Preparatory stages of Course III. must have been passed.

Machine Construction.

Stage II. a., b. Advanced Geometry, plane and solid, 12 lectures.
XII. b. Working and finished drawings, 6 elementary and 12 advanced lectures.

Building Construction—Architecture.

Stage II. a., b. Advanced Geometry, plane and solid, 12 lectures.
XIII. b. Working and finished drawings, 6 elementary and 12 advanced lectures.

Illustration on. Wood (Wood Engraving) and Stone (Lithography).

Students taking up this work must show a thorough knowledge of that particular course to be illustrated.

Exhibition of Students' Work.

There will be a public exhibition of students' works at the end of each annual session: no work executed in the school, can, therefore, be removed until after such examination. All drawings, when finished and approved of, must be delivered to the Master, who will be responsible for their safety, and return them to their owners at the end of the annual session.

Syllabus of Subjects of Examination.

a. Feehand.—Candidates will be required to enlarge an outline drawing of symmetrical ornament, without the aid of any kind of mechanical means of execution, such as ruling, &c., or the use of any thing but pencil, paper, and indiarubber.

b. Geometry.—Plane—The use of scales, instruments, &c. Construction of figures from given angles, sides, diagonals and diameters; tangential inscribed and circumscribed figures. Proportionals and areas. Pattern drawing and simple tracery. Solid—Plans, elevations and sections of elementary solids in simple positions, projection of plane figures.

The instruments required are a plane scale of inches divided into eighths, pencil compasses, set squares and T square, an H pencil and indiarubber.

c. Perspective.—Students will be required to show a knowledge of the use of vanishing and measuring points used in horizontal planes, and to represent simple solids or objects on the ground plane in any position.

Instruments required similar to those for geometry.

d. Model.—The exercise in this subject consists of drawing from a group of three or more geometrical models and simple vases, single objects of household furniture or domestic utensils of well defined form. Candidates are expected to show a knowledge of the effect of perspective in modifying the appearance of the models, and may estimate their apparent relative size by holding the pencil between the eye and the objects. No ruling or use of instruments is allowed in working this exercise.

e. Blackboard.—This exercise is intended to test the candidates' power to use, in aid of their general teaching, the skill which they have obtained in drawing. In addition to facility in the use of chalk and the blackboard, it is required that they should be able to give a fair representation of the form of any familiar object. Candidates will therefore be required to draw from memory one of three or four objects of ordinary household furniture to be named by the examiner. Candidates will also be required to draw Roman or Italic letters about nine inches high.

Fifteen minutes are allowed for this exercise.

One hour and a half is allowed for working the exercises in freehand drawing and perspective, and one hour for geometry and model drawing.

David Blair, Master.

Printed by G. Tombs & Co., Cathedral Square, Christchurch.