Royal Drawing School

Drawing from life. For life.

Welcome to the Royal Drawing School. We are an artist-led, not-for-profit, home of observational drawing. The place to learn to draw, discover emerging artists, and advance the practice of drawing.
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The Drawing Year

Applications open

The Drawing Year is a full-scholarship, postgraduate-level course offering artists and creatives a transformative year dedicated to developing their drawing practice. Find out more on one of our open days.

Sign up to an open day
Drawing Year in the studio

What is drawing? What does it mean to draw?

For me, drawing is a form of thinking that requires tuning in to the behaviour of substances as much as to the behaviour of the unconscious, like reading images in tea leaves, trying to make a map of a path of feeling, a trajectory of thought..."

Antony Gormley

25 leading artists and creatives on drawing
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PRESENT XV

Antony Gormley

Inspire

Discover our creative community through artwork, profiles, and stories.

Explore art & artists
Iolo and Lola

Iolo and Lola

Rowley Haynes

Blow Out

Blow Out

Rebecca Willing

The Lion Hunt (study 1)

The Lion Hunt (study 1)

Gaby Adach

Double Features

Double Features

Will Powers

Red Hedges

Red Hedges

Sammi Lynch

Study of a sleeping man - 1

Study of a sleeping man - 1

Leggy Gordon

Window

Window

Agnes Treherne

Horniman's Bird

Horniman's Bird

Bobbye Fermie

About us

We are the independent, artist-led and not-for-profit home of observational drawing. We exist to ensure artists and creatives everywhere can access world-leading skills-based drawing tuition regardless of background, age or circumstances; to bring new audiences to drawing; to champion our practice for this generation and the next.

Learn more
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Support our next 25 years

As a charity, we believe everyone, whatever their financial circumstance, should be able to access our teaching. That’s why all our courses come with a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. Help us sustain and grow these programmes over the next 25 years.

Donate
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