Drawing on Talent

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.