Imagining Animals | Royal Drawing School x Tower of London

Join tutor Hira Gedikoglu for a special two-hour live online drawing class, presented in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, the Tower of London.

Inspired by Imagining Animals at the Tower, the class brings together larger-than-life animal puppets and costumed creatures from the Tower’s performances into the Digital Studio. Led by artists Mervyn Millar and Suzy Willson, Imagining Animals draws inspiration from animals across the world, including those that once lived at the Tower as part of the Royal Menagerie for 600 years.

World-class puppeteers and performers will become dynamic drawing subjects, allowing you to observe their character and changing forms as they move through the studio. Through a series of tutor-led drawing exercises, you will explore how to capture the structure of animals and convey a sense of movement. You will also experiment with colour and mark-making, considering how a drawing can evoke the presence and personality of an animal.

Hira will introduce each exercise, and provide artwork references as inspiration and live demonstrations, helping you move between close observation and imaginative interpretation. At the end of the class, work shared by students will be discussed live, with feedback on how it might be developed further.

This unique class offers the opportunity to encounter the artistry behind 'Imagining Animals' from your home, while developing new approaches to drawing animals in motion. All levels are welcome.

This event is part of Imagining Animals, a new commission by Historic Royal Palaces. Visit the Tower of London from 19–31 August (excluding 25 August) and experience the Tower transformed through puppetry, music and movement, a place where animals have always lived.