Drawing Foundations An on-demand course

Led by eight artists and tutors who teach at the Royal Drawing School, this online pre-recorded course explores observation, process and imagination to build a confident and sustained drawing practice.
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Drawing Foundations
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Drawing Foundations
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Course details

Start

Launching 23 September

Duration

Approx. 20 hours structured across 4 indepth modules

Fees

£245

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Overview

Guided by eight experienced tutors and shaped by the breadth and diversity of the Royal Drawing School’s curriculum, this online course invites you to think of drawing not simply as a skill to be mastered, but as a way of seeing, understanding and engaging more closely with the world around you.

As you progress through the modules, you will move between the studio and the landscape, between observation and imagination, between control and unpredictability. You will draw from life, from memory, from art, and from your own experiences.

Designed for independent learning and flexibility, the course combines artist-led teaching, video demonstrations, guided exercises, tutor discussion and reflective prompts, building towards a sustained and confident drawing practice. If you choose to, you have the opportunity to share your work and learning reflections with other students through the course community board.

A certificate of completion is awarded at the end. 

 

 

Key questions

Who is it for?

This course welcomes practising artists, creative professionals, and anyone who wants to deepen their drawing skills, including beginners. What matters most is curiosity, openness, and a willingness to explore new ways of seeing and making. 

The eight artists each bring a distinct approach and visual language, reflecting the Royal Drawing School's ethos of artists learning alongside artists. You may find yourself drawn more naturally to some perspectives than others, and diverse viewpoints are an integral part of the experience. 

This is not a step-by-step drawing course or a programme focused on teaching traditional techniques. Instead, it invites you to expand your personal style and creative practice by experimenting with different ways of observing, interpreting, and translating the world through drawing. 

You will work independently and privately throughout the course, with the option to share your work and reflections if you wish. A more detailed materials list will be provided

What materials do I need?
A more detailed materials list will be provided within each class, but the following covers most exercises and offers a good foundation for the course: 
  • A range of pencils and charcoal 
  • Drawing paper (A3 or larger recommended) and a sketchbook 
  • An eraser and sharpener 
  • Ink, brushes, and a water container 
  • Coloured materials (e.g. pastels or coloured pencils) 
  • Clips or tape, and a drawing board (or another firm surface) 
  • Markers 
  • Scissors and glue

 

How long will the course take?
This is a fully on-demand course, allowing you to learn at a pace that suits your schedule. Whether you prefer to immerse yourself in the material or take your time, the course is designed to fit around your life. 

The course has 20 hours of artist-led tuition, exercises and discussion. Many learners may choose to complete one class each week, spreading the eight classes over eight weeks while drawing part-time in the evenings or at weekends. Equally, you are free to move more quickly or more slowly. 

You will have one year of access to complete the programme, giving you the flexibility to return to the lessons and develop your practice in your own time.

Introduction to the course

Hear from our Director Harry Parker, on what to expect from the course, how it is structured, and meet the 8 artists guiding you through your learning.

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Course structure

The course is made up of four thematic modules, each comprising two classes. Every class is led by a different practising artist who teaches at the Royal Drawing School, offering unique perspectives on how drawing can be understood and developed. 

Throughout the course, you will have access to a shared online board where you can upload drawings, view work by other participants, and engage in a space of informal exchange and reflection.

 

Welcome & introduction


Director of the Royal Drawing School: Harry Parker 

Harry Parker welcomes you from the School's London studios, introduces the Royal Drawing School ethos, the course structure, and the eight artists involved. 


Tutor: Dexter Orszagh

You will meet Dexter - your course guide. Throughout the course, he introduces each module, completes exercises with you and leads panel discussions with all of the tutors, reflecting on each learning area. 

He gives demonstrations on how you can experiment with materials to create effects to suit your own approach and ideas.  

Module 1: Drawing from observation


Class 1 – Seeing and responding
Tutor: Mark Cazalet

Mark introduces drawing as an act of seeing and composing. Through storyboard exercises, longer poses and close attention to the figure in space, you will explore how observation and your own mark-making can shape your work.  


Class 2 – City, landscapes and open spaces
Tutor: Fraser Scarfe 

Fraser takes drawing beyond the studio, encouraging you to work from urban and natural environments through sketchbook practice. You will consider how to simplify complex surroundings, build compositions gradually, and respond to movement and change.  

Module 2: Drawing from art


Class 3 – How artists construct images
Tutor: Andy Pankhurst

Andy takes you to the National Gallery in London. He introduces drawing from art as a way to understand structure, space and form. Through close study of paintings by artists including Nicolas Poussin, Jacopo Tintoretto and Titian, you will explore how compositions are built, how space is organised, and how three-dimensional form can be constructed through planes and tone.  


Class 4 – Responding to art history 
Tutor: Katy Papineau

Katy takes Diego Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ as a starting point for drawing from a live set inspired by the painting. Through short studies, collage and a sustained drawing, you will explore how to respond to an artwork while developing an image that feels entirely your own.  

Module 3: Drawing your place in space


Class 5 – Sensing in the landscape 
Tutor: Constanza Dessain 

Constanza introduces drawing as a way of responding to the landscape through the senses. Working outdoors, you will use a range of marks to explore sound, movement, atmosphere, contrast and depth, focusing on process rather than a finished outcome.  

 

Class 6 – Mark-making and movement 
Tutor: Stephanie Forrest

Stephanie explores mark-making as a physical and expressive act. Working with brush and ink from a live model, you will experiment with action-based prompts, moving between close observation and more intuitive responses to develop your own mark-making vocabulary.   

Module 4: Drawing from imagination and memory


Class 7 – Drawing from story 
Tutor: David Gardner 

David brings together poetry, music and the figure through drawing. Inspired by Elizabeth Bishop’s poem ‘I Am in Need of Music’, you will explore how to translate text, sound and feeling into visual form, working from a live musician-model through observation, imagination, composition and colour. 

 

Class 8 – Drawing from memory  
Tutor: Mark Cazalet

Mark introduces drawing as a collaboration between observation and memory. Working from a live model, you will move beyond direct observation to recall, reconstruct and transform what you see, exploring how drawing can hold narrative and psychological depth.   

“What you draw is always slightly behind what you are seeing. That delay is where the drawing happens.” — Mark Cazalet 

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Certificate of completion

Participants who complete the course will receive a Royal Drawing School certificate of completion. 

The course offers a strong foundation in the Royal Drawing School’s teaching philosophy and may serve as preparation for further study through our live, tutor-led programmes. 

If students wish to continue with live courses, a 25% discount will be offered. 

Meet the tutors

Dexter Orszagh loading=
Dexter Orszagh

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumnus, 2021

Mark Cazalet loading=
Mark Cazalet

Tutor

David Gardner loading=
David Gardner

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumnus, 2019

Constanza Dessain loading=
Constanza Dessain

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumna, 2012

Fraser Scarfe loading=
Fraser Scarfe

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumnus, 2013

Katy Papineau loading=
Katy Papineau

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumna, 2019

Andy Pankhurst loading=
Andy Pankhurst

Tutor

Stephanie Forrest loading=
Stephanie Forrest

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumna, 2019

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Have questions?

We have answered a few of your FAQs below and there is lots of additional information on our FAQs page.

If you can't find an answer to your question, reach out to a member of our team, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Get in touch.

Why study with the Royal Drawing School?
The Royal Drawing School is one of the few institutions in the world dedicated solely to the practice and teaching of drawing. Founded on the belief that drawing is fundamental to artistic development, it has become internationally recognised for its distinctive approach to teaching through observation, experimentation and the sharing of ideas between practising artists. 

This course reflects that philosophy. Rather than following a single method, you will learn from eight artists and tutors who teach at the school, each bringing their own perspective, process and visual language. Together, they demonstrate that there is no single "right" way to draw, only different ways of looking, questioning and making. 

Whether you are just beginning your creative journey or returning to drawing after time away, the course offers an introduction to the Royal Drawing School's unique approach and an opportunity to build a confident, sustainable drawing practice.
Do I need previous drawing experience?
This course welcomes artists, creatives and image-makers at every stage of their practice, including beginners. No prior experience is required, but this is not a step-by-step drawing course. Instead, it encourages you to develop your own way of seeing and making through observation, experimentation and regular practice.
Will I receive live feedback?
Drawing Foundations is designed for independent, self-paced learning, allowing you to develop your practice in your own time. While there is no live feedback with this on-demand format, throughout the course, Dexter Orszagh acts as your guide, introducing each module, working through the exercises alongside you, and offering demonstrations and reflections that illuminate the different approaches of the eight tutors. His role is to accompany your learning, helping you engage with each artist's ideas while encouraging you to develop your own way of seeing and drawing. 

As part of the course, you also have the option to share your drawings and reflections on the community board, where you can view and respond to the work of fellow participants if you wish. 

As this is an on-demand course, it does not include live tuition or individual tutor feedback. If you are looking for real-time teaching and personalised feedback, the Royal Drawing School also offers a wide range of live online and in-person courses.
Can I gift the course?
Yes. Select ‘Buy as a Gift’ and complete the checkout process. After purchasing the course, you can enter the giftee’s email address, add an optional personal message and send the gift invitation.

You can send the invitation immediately after checkout or return to your account and send it at a later date. The giftee will receive an email with instructions on how to access the course.

The gift of drawing

Drawing Foundations can easily be gifted to friends and family with a passion for creativity...

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We have a variety of ways to study with us online, from short 1 & 2 hour sessions to year-long study.

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