Drawing on Talent

An overview of The Royal Drawing School.

Student conducting a life drawing course by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

The Royal Drawing School

The Royal Drawing School is an independent, not-for-profit resource that aims to raise the standard and profile of drawing through teaching and practice.  It is one of only a few institutions in the world offering in-depth, quality tuition in drawing from observation. By offering tuition and resources to art students, artists, children and the public, it aims to address the permanent need for high-quality drawing teaching in the UK.

HRH The Prince of Wales meets Drawing Year students at the opening of the renamed Royal Drawing School in 2014 (2014)Royal Drawing School

Founded in 2000 by HM King Charles III (then HRH The Prince of Wales) and artist Catherine Goodman as The Prince’s Drawing School, it became The Royal Drawing School in 2014.

A life drawing course in the Shoreditch studios by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

Shoreditch Campus

The Royal Drawing School’s site is in Shoreditch, East London, the heart of the city’s art, fashion and design scene. The converted 19th century warehouse houses our four drawing studios, a library, a large ground floor exhibitions gallery and an intaglio print room.

A student in his studio by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

The Drawing Year

The Royal Drawing School runs a postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, offering up to 30 students the opportunity to focus on drawing from observation for one year. There are no tuition fees – all students awarded a full scholarship. The year culminates in three exhibitions.

Roots, Kathryn Maple, 2013, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival, St Paul's Church Covent Garden, Sophie Charalambous, 2009, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Among the Bearded Bear, Jack Fawdry Tatham, 2017, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Patterned Carpet Blue and Pink, Christabel MacGreevy, 2017, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Alexandra Park, Autumn, Chris Green, 2008, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Alec on Ilkley Moor, Liam Walker, 2016, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Horse Study (After George Stubbs, Anatomy of the Horse), Clara Drummond, 2005, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Girl in a Liberty Dress (2016) by Clara DrummondRoyal Drawing School

Alumni of The Drawing Year

Royal Drawing School Alumni largely work as practicing artists and regularly show and sell work or undertake commissions and have gallery representation. Past students have won high profile awards including The BP Portrait Award and The John Moores Painting Prize.

The Foundation Year End of Year Exhibiton artwork, Oluwasemilore Delano, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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A life drawing session in Shoreditch studios by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

Public Programme

The Public Programme offers daytime and evening courses in drawing, printmaking, painting and sculpture. These courses are suitable for all levels, from complete beginners to experienced artists and creative professionals. Since 2020 we also offer a wide range of online courses.

Young Artists programme at the Royal Drawing SchoolRoyal Drawing School

Young Artists

The Young Artists Programme for 10-18 year olds offers a unique opportunity to students who would like to develop their drawing skills and aims to deliver serious sustained drawing tuition to young people. Full scholarship places are available on all programmes. 

Axel Scheffler, creator of ‘The Gruffalo’, visits The Royal Drawing School.

Drawing from the annual Young Artists Exhibition, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Drawing from the annual Young Artists Exhibition, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Drawing from the annual Young Artists Exhibition, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Drawing from the annual Young Artists Exhibition, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Drawing Year student and tutor in the studio by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

Curriculum

Courses at The Royal Drawing School are made up of three main areas: Drawing in the Studio, Drawing from Art, and Drawing London. Imagination feeds into all of these areas of the curriculum, with some courses focussing specifically on imagination’s role in drawing from observation.

Untitled (2012) by Paul FennerRoyal Drawing School

Drawing in the studio

Drawing in the Studio allows students to develop skills and cultivate their personal practice. Students experiment with a variety of media and can transform the studio into a new space every day: “Drawing is a primal universal language.” – Ishbel Myerscough, tutor.

About Not Breathing, Joana Galego, 2017, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Untitled, Tom Sander, 2011, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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After Cranach the Younger (2014) by Olivia KempRoyal Drawing School

Drawing from Art

Drawing from Art is a key part of the curriculum. Students visit museums and galleries, drawing from their collections and exhibitions: "Being able to follow the extraordinary, rich and complex structure of an image from an earlier time is thrilling." Paul Gopal-Chowdhury, tutor

A student drawing in the British Museum, Angela Moore, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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British Museum Study, Thomas Harrison, 2016, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Students drawing in Trafalgar Square by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

Drawing London

Drawing London is the third strand of the curriculum: students interact with the cityscape, the bustling streets, the changing river and abundant green spaces: "Drawing in the street tends to demand a very different language to that of the life room." – Timothy Hyman RA, tutor.

Tower Bridge, Richard Burton, 2009, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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Night Commuter, Peter Wenman, 2017, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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London Bridge, Chris Green, 2008, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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The Foundation Year at Royal Drawing School Trinity Buoy WharfRoyal Drawing School

Faculty and Teaching

By offering tuition and resources to art students, artists, children and the public, The School aims to address the permanent need for high-quality drawing teaching in the UK. Its courses are taught by a specialist, distinguished faculty of over 75 practising artists. The School is committed to the continued training of future teachers of drawing. 

Students discussing her work with a tutor by Angela MooreRoyal Drawing School

Bespoke Drawing Courses

The Drawing Pods are bespoke drawing workshops for groups or individuals taught by faculty, all of whom are practising artists. The School organises corporate workshops, bespoke workshops, life drawing in schools, drawing in museums, drawing events and private tuition. 

Along with the Stream of Buffalo (2013) by Rebecca HarperRoyal Drawing School

International Residencies

The Royal Drawing School offers artist residencies around the world, both for its alumni and in some cases to other practising artists. The School runs residencies in our purpose-built studios at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland and Pignano, Italy, Wales, and Jamaica.

Old Delhi Composition, Jonathan Farr, 2011, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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A Swim Out to Sea: Looking Back, Oliver Mulvihill, 2015, From the collection of: Royal Drawing School
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