Drawing Topographies: Internal & External
- Drawing from Imagination

Course details
Dates
18 September – 16 October 2025
Times
10:00 – 17:00
Duration
5 sessions
Fees
£287.00 Concessions available
Location
Online
Tutors
Overview
The act of image-making provides us with space to explore multiple themes, locations, spaces and times, distilled through the creative process into a vision of experience. We will work sequentially, combining our fragmented experiences as a journey, examine the fixed position and first-person view, as well as experiment with multiple viewpoints to distil a sense of place and time. To inform and enrich our responses, we will learn about the techniques of psychogeography, mapping, stream-of-consciousness, theories of psychoanalysis and discuss surrealism's legacy in the work of contemporary international artists such as Dorethea Tanning, John Woseley, Frida Kahlo and Ken Kiff.
The tutor will present pictorial frameworks and weekly themes that will be used as the scaffolding for your observations, memories and imagination. This will enable you to experiment with distilling your interests into ambitious, often complex works, converting everyday realities into revealing visions that reflect our inner state of being.
Please note this course has an emphasis on the use of imagination and memory which can at times elicit difficult feelings for some.
Who is it for
Beginners welcome. No experience of drawing required.
What’s provided
For our online courses, you will receive prior to the start of the course access to our Padlet Noticeboard where you will be given course details, material lists and some references, as well as our Padlet Gallery where you will be able to upload and comment on work created during the course.
What to bring
- Drawing Pencils
- Conté Crayons
- Pastels
- Ink Pens
- Coloured Pencils
- Putty and Hard Erasers
- Pencil Sharpener
- Sketchbook
Concessions
We offer a range of discounts. To apply, email admin@royaldrawingschool.org with the required proof. Please wait for confirmation before booking.
Available discounts
- NHS Staff: 20%
Send a photo of your NHS staff badge. - Full-time Fine Art BA Students: 75%
Students on design or applied arts degrees may also be eligible. Send your student ID and proof of enrolment. - Primary and Secondary Art Teachers: 50%
Send a letter from your headteacher or head of art department. - Jobseekers: 50%
Send a recent DWP or JobCentre Plus letter confirming you receive Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit (if out of work). Appointment booklets are not accepted. - Disability Benefit Recipients: 50%
Send proof that you currently receive this allowance. - Tower Hamlets and Hackney Residents: 25% (Shoreditch courses only)
Send a copy of your most recent council tax bill. - Tower Hamlets and Hackney Businesses: 25% (Shoreditch courses only)
Send a staff ID, business card or a letter from your line manager. - Over 60s: 10%
Send a photo ID as proof of age. - Alumni: Postgraduate Programme or Foundation Year: 50% off short courses
Online Drawing Development Year: 50% off online short courses
Before you apply
- Documents must be dated within the last 6 months (or 12 months for council tax)
- Your name must be clearly visible
- Accepted file formats: PDF, JPG, DOC or DOCX
All our courses are subsidised.
Tutors
