This is a young artists-focused Digital Studio session, giving students aged 10–18 the chance to explore the energy and drama of the life room from home. Broadcast live from the Royal Drawing School studios, this online drawing session connects young artists from across the globe to draw from models, theatrical sets, and more.
In this two-hour class, students will explore how the heart has been represented in art across history and culture. We’ll explore artistic references ranging from mythological and symbolic hearts, such as Cupid’s arrow and Botticelli’s themes of love and renewal, to anatomical studies by Leonardo da Vinci. We’ll also look at how ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Aztecs, understood the heart as the centre of life, emotion, and belief.
Led by artist and tutor Elizabeth McCarten, the session opens with playful guided drawing exercises designed to build confidence and sharpen observation skills. Students will study the anatomical structure of the heart, learning how understanding form can strengthen creative drawing.
Later in the session, students will develop their ideas through drawing from a clothed model in the studio. Drawing on narrative, symbolism, and their own creative responses, they will create a piece that tells a story and is full of heart! This is session is suitable for both beginners and more experienced young artists.
Class Objectives:
- Develop observation skills. Students will improve their ability to observe carefully and draw what they see through guided exercises, anatomical study of the heart, and drawing from a clothed model.
- Build knowledge and understanding. Students will gain insight into symbolic, mythological, and anatomical representations of the heart in art across cultures and time periods.
- Explore expression. Students will explore how emotions and stories can be expressed visually by using symbolism, narrative, and personal creative responses.
