Transforming Observation: Memory and Imagination

Through drawing, the ordinary and close at hand can become extraordinary. The more we look, the more everything reveals itself to us as unexpected.

Drawing from Imagination

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Course details

Dates

Mondays
1 Jun – 29 Jun 2026

Times

10:00 – 17:00

Duration

5 sessions

Fees

£287.00 Concessions available

Location

Online

Tutors

Paul Patrick Fenner

Constanza Dessain

Overview

Through drawing, the ordinary and close at hand can become extraordinary. The more we look, the more everything reveals itself to us as unexpected; even the laces on a pair of boots, in the madness of their loops. This course will present playful and surprising encounters to enliven the way we draw, even when we need to work within the limitations of self-isolation, the imagination remains free. For some artists, the vital spark in their drawing comes from the tenderness of attention in sustained observation, such as the way in which Morandi transformed tin jugs into rhapsodies of matter, air and light. Whereas for others it comes from a strength of internal vision that transports the close at hand to another imaginative realm, like in Goya’s ‘The Witches’, where observations of his own aging body were turned into scenes of comic terror. Mythical paintings have often been put together in the prosaic surroundings of artists’ homes. We can often see the faces of everyday people brought in to stand for characters like Mary Magdalene, and the settings tend to mirror the landscapes surrounding the artists who painted them. This course encourages a playful approach to working from life and will offer strategies for developing meaningful images from everyday subjects, as well as from poetry and fiction. Students will combine observation of their surroundings with props, sound, touch and memory to create something with personal meaning. This could involve dissolving the walls of the room and (like an artist such as Paula Rego) call on memory and imagination to make work or it could simply be the search for something expressive in the depiction of what is seen (as in an artist like de Kooning). We will encourage one another to take creative risks and open new approaches to our drawing.

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

For our online courses, you must provide your own materials. Feel free to use any that you would like to during classes, however other suggestions may be posted on the Padlet noticeboard throughout the course by tutors. This is a suggested list of what may be needed:

-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.
Art and Design Teachers and tutors, from Primary and Secondary to Further and Higher Education: 50%
Send a letter from your headteacher, dean, or head of art department on headed paper.
Jobseekers: 50%
Send a recent DWP or JobCentre Plus letter confirming you receive Jobseeker’s Allowance. 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

Paul Patrick Fenner

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumnus, 2012

Constanza Dessain

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumna, 2012