Fact sheet, Summer School 2026 One Week One Pose: Drawing and Painting
About
Spend a week drawing and painting from one pose, exploring tone, colour, and perception through sustained observation, personal response and one-to-one tuition.
There is something very special about “sustained looking,” coming back to the same thing day after day, and finding it different every time. The quirks and inconsistencies of perception are something to delight in. Having one pose for the whole week allows time to fully explore ones responses to the motif, and to experiment with different ways of committing those responses to paper/canvas. A painting can be an image of a figure, of the world, but it can also be seen as a diary of discoveries. Students can use the week as they will, depending on their own sensibility, speed of working or experience, either working on one painting over the week, or several.
Through drawing, painting, discussion and colour demonstrations, we will explore tone, colour, light, temperature, spatial relationships, composition and pictorial structure and rhythm.
When
Monday 27 - 31 July 2026. 10am to 5pm.
Who
Where & how to find us
Studio 12.
The Royal Drawing School, 19-22 Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3SG
Charlotte Road is a narrow street with three/four storey Victorian warehouses on each size. The School is marked on the outside of the building along with our sister charities.
Tube
The nearest underground station is Old Street (Northern Line City Branch). The School is a five-minute walk away. The School is a ten-minute walk or a five-minute taxi or bus ride from Liverpool Street (Central, District, Circle, Metropolitan, Elizabeth and Hammersmith and City lines).
Train
The nearest mainline station is Liverpool Street. Kings Cross and Euston are 2 and 3 stops away on Northern line. There are also overland trains to Old Street and Moorgate, both within walking distance.
Bus
26, 35, 48, 149 and 242 run along Shoreditch High Street. Buses 43, 76, 141, 214 and 271 run along City Road south of Old Street. Buses 55 and 243 run along Old Street.
Bicycle
There are no places for bicycle parking immediately outside the building. There are racks further up Charlotte Rd, on Old Street, the top of Curtain Road and people also use Hoxton Square. It is advisable not to leave anything easily detachable or overnight. There are Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations on Shoreditch High Street at the corner of Rivington Street.
Car or Taxi
Car parking is extremely limited, so we recommend using public transport where possible. There are a small number of Blue Badge parking spaces available on Shoreditch High Street. After 5.30pm and on Saturdays street parking is free off Shoreditch High Street near Arnold Circus. Please note, Charlotte Road and Rivington Street are in the Ultra Low Emission Zone, meaning Petrol, diesel or older hybrid vehicles which aren’t registered for an exemption aren’t permitted to enter the streets during the operating times (Monday to Friday, 7-10am and 4-7pm).
It is easy to flag a taxi at either end of Charlotte Road throughout the day and in the evening.
Materials
Charcoal, easels and drawing boards will be provided in the studio.
Paper
There will be newsprint and cartridge paper in the studios. You are welcome to bring alternative types of paper along with you.
Paper Fees: We charge a one-off fee for the use of our paper stock within the studios, prior to the start of your course. We are no longer taking payments for single sheets, on a pay-as-you-go system. Paper Stations will be set up around the studios to make accessibility easier.
You are welcome to bring your own additional materials for personal use only, in the studio. Students are encouraged to bring a range of their preferred coloured and monochrome drawing materials (wet or dry). Our suggestions include:
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Drawing
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Pencils - H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, 8B
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Conté Crayons
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Pastels
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Ink Pens
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Coloured Pencils
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Putty and Hard Erasers
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Pencil Sharpener
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Sketchbook (A4 or A5)
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Black ink
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Brush for ink
Painting
Demonstrations and advice are provided for oil paint, but acrylic paints may be used.
Oil paints
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Alizarin Crimson, Vermillion or Cadmium Red
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Cadmium Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Lemon or Cadmium Yellow Deep
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Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine or Phthalo Blue (NB - brands often name this colour/pigment after themselves i.e. Winsor & Newton’s Phthalo blue is called Winsor blue)
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Titanium White, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Indian Red, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black.
NB - 'Student quality' paints are fine, more advice about pigments will be provided on the course. If you are missing one or two of these colours, the tutor will advise and help you choose an alternative.
Canvases or Canvas Boards
If you have a particular canvas or board/s you want to use, feel free to bring it/them (maximum size in either height x width dimensions is 36" inches (90cm)). Otherwise, you can buy canvas/boards locally once the desired shape and size has been found from our initial exploratory drawing and oil sketching.
Primed paper for oil sketching (preferably A3). You can buy it in pads, or you can cheaply prepare your own with 2 coats of water-based primer (or household emulsion).
Brushes and palettes
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Variety of sizes of long handled brushes as preferred, including some flat hog Filbert & Round brushes
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A sable or synthetic long-handled skinny brush for drawing on the painting (several if possible)
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One large (1 ½ inch house painting brush)
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Pure Sable Brushes (long-handled for oil painting)
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Palette
Other Materials
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Palette knife or knives (preferably a long flat one)
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At least 3 empty jam jars (with lids) for solvent* - one jar clean for possible thinning of oil paint mixtures, one for cleaning your brushes, and thirdly one to enable recycling of any dirty solvent and allow the paint to settle at the bottom in order to siphon off into a clean jar for reuse.
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Plastic Pipette (used for solvent to thin paint mixtures)
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Plenty of rags and kitchen towel/roll
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Plastic zip-lock bag for oily rags
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Latex Gloves
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Apron
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Portfolio / Folder to enable to take work home
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Solvents*
There is an added Co-Co Bello Solvent fee for painting courses which includes a 200ml pot of solvent to use during the course. Please note that no other solvents will be allowed in the studios, to protect not only those with allergies but all who paint within our studios.
Co-Co Bello is a plant-based, natural & odourless oil painting solvent. It is a replacement for traditional solvents and thinners such as turpentine, white spirit & alcohol. Co-Co Bello is non-hazardous, non-flammable.
No white spirit or turps substitute, genuine turps or linseed/ flaxseed oil can be used in the studios.
Studio etiquette & facilities
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Please arrive promptly for every session. If you arrive late you may need to wait for a break until you are able to enter the studio. You will be able to arrive up to 15 minutes before the start of the session.
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To access the studios, please sign-in at reception by scanning the QR code sent to you before the course. Please remember to sign-out using the same QR code when leaving the premises.
- A health and safety talk is given at the start of each course.
- Studios have a strict no phone and no photography policy within our studios.
- There is step free access to the 4th floor studios.
What to expect
Students will have a one-hour lunch break each day. Students are encouraged to take a break outside of the studio, making sure they scan in and out of the studio with their QR code. There are many cafes, restaurants, and shops in the nearby area.
Hot and cold water stations will be available. Please bring your own reusable cups or water bottles, as disposable cups will not be available.
Contact
If you are unable to attend a class or know that you will be delayed, please email admin@royaldrawingschool.org or call 020 7613 8568 (option 1) in as far advance as possible.