FAQs Short courses

Yes, our courses are open to all levels, unless stated in the course description. When you sign up to the course, you can note you are a 'beginner', and we will inform the tutors. 

Short courses are for students aged 18 and over. There is no maximum age limit. 

We do not issue certificates at the end of short courses, but you are welcome to use your order confirmation e-mail as evidence that you are enrolled on a course with us.  

We have waiting lists for all our public courses. Please press 'Book Now' on the relevant course page and 'Join Waiting List'. Follow through the relevant steps and you will automatically be put on the waiting list, no payment will be taken. We will call and/or email you if a space becomes available on your desired course.  

If you are on a Waiting List, please note that this does not guarantee a space will become available. For those keen to take a course, we suggest exploring other course options and trying something new! 

We cannot take any missed classes off the overall price, nor do we arrange additional classes for the ones you missed. If you are going to be absent, please email us to let us know so we can inform the tutor.

Please see our Full Terms and Conditions here.  

Our courses are designed over a five- or ten-week period so unfortunately, we cannot accommodate a different student to join later in the term. 

No advanced booking necessary to drop-in, just come on the day and pay when you get there. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Where concessions are available, please bring proof of concession with you and show it when you pay.

Our drop-in classes are open to all levels, except for the Etching drop-ins, which are only suitable for students who have previously done a printmaking course and have had a Print Room induction.

If you live abroad, you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. You can attend any in-person course with this Standard Visitor visa. As we are not an accredited institution, we are currently unable to sponsor Student visas. 

More information can be found on the UK Government website: GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 

We offer a range of concessions on our term-time courses, details of who is eligible and how to apply are listed on short course pages. 

Please email us proof of the relevant concession to admin@royaldrawingschool.org prior to booking the course and wait for confirmation it has been accepted before making your booking. 

We also run free drawing classes on the first Thursday of the month, which will be listed in our Events and Exhibitions pages.

If you are running late to an out of house or in-person class, please email admin@royaldrawingschool.org. For classes out of house we will get in touch with the tutor to find out the meeting point for you.  For studio classes you will need to wait until the next available model break takes place before setting up, as this can be very disruptive to the class and the model.  

The lunch break for our daytime courses is held typically between 1pm – 2pm. We encourage students to go outside to eat lunch where possible, there are lots of local cafés, restaurants and green spaces nearby. There is a microwave and some seating on the Ground Floor students can use. Teas, coffees and biscuits will be provided for evening classes, and there will be small breaks periodically throughout the evening classes.

There are water towers on each floor of the building which dispense hot and cold water. Please carry a reusable water bottle with you, and if you wish to bring a flask and bring your own tea or coffee you can. Please note that there is no fridge available for student use. No alcohol is allowed in the studios.

We welcome anyone who would like to join the course. Our Shoreditch studios are fully accessible, with a lift to all studios and accessible toilets on each floor.

We can arrange for adjustments to be made to teaching such as closed captions on our online courses, or seated donkey benches instead of easels for our in-person courses.

Those with visual impairments or physical access needs may find that the online courses offer more flexibility as they do not involve any commuting and can provide close-up access to models when drawing. Click here to view our Online Courses and for further information read our Online Short Course FAQs below.  

If you need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, please let us know.   

Please note, our Print Room has limited access and etching involves using hazardous chemicals. The print room environment is not suitable for everyone. Etching classes are unsuitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, those sensitive to chemicals or with breathing difficulties.    

If you have specific needs, please let our Public Programme team know before starting the course and discuss how we can support you. You can contact the team by e-mailing admin@royaldrawingschool.org. 

See more about our Studio Facilities here.

We have a lost property box, and endeavour to put anything left behind after a class in there, however the turn-around between classes is quick so if something is not labelled it may be missed and left-behind drawings will be put in recycling. We cannot be held liable for missing items. Please ensure you label belongings and your work, tidy away at the end of the day, and check as you leave the studios that you have taken everything with you. Please contact us on admin@royaldrawingschool.org if you think you have left something behind, and we will check. 

We have a small reference library located in the 4th Floor Student Liaison office, which students are welcome to use whilst studying on a studio-based course. 

Please note, books cannot be taken out of the building. 

We have a strict no photography policy in our studios to protect the privacy of our staff, models and students. Please ensure when entering the studios that your mobile phone is switched off or on silent and please check any texts or make calls outside of the studio. You can only take photographs of your work during the lunch break whilst the model is not posing, and no other students are in view. 

Studio courses

Easels and drawing boards are provided, and charcoal, newsprint and masking tape are provided in the studios for free.

There is an added paper fee included at the time of booking for all in-person courses which covers the use of cartridge and watercolour paper that is provided in the studios.

Any other materials you would like to use please bring with you, we will send out a suggested material list before the start of your course.

Out of house courses

You will need to bring your own paper and materials with you. You will be sent a suggested material list before the start of the course.  

Painting courses

Painting courses take place only in the holidays, and a separate material list will be provided.

There is an added Co-Co Bello Solvent fee for painting courses which includes a 50ml pot of solvent to use during the course.

Please note that no other solvents will be allowed in the studios, in order 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.

For etching courses, materials and paper can be bought at just over the cost-price in the Print Room (card payments only).

Most students usually spend between £10 - £20. You will need to wear apron/old clothes and bring some ideas and source material with you too!

Unfortunately, due to limited space, we are unable to store any materials or student work during term time courses. Many students bring a portfolio case or tube to carry drawings to and from the studios.

For painting courses during the holidays, you may be able to leave paintings during the week but must take them home on the final day of the course.

Please do not use fixative in the building. You may fix your drawings outside and away from the building. 

All you need is a computer, laptop or tablet that has a webcam, microphone and speaker, a connection to the internet and space and materials for drawing comfortably at home.

Courses are taught using Zoom and Padlet and information sheets and online guidelines are sent to students prior to the course beginning.

Each class will start with an introduction from the tutor around the theme of the week. There will likely be some warm-up drawing exercises before you are given a longer task to do in your own space at home. The tutor will always be there during class time if you need any support or guidance while you work. There might be a mid-point of the lesson where the tutor will ask everyone to come back online together and check on your progress, and at the end of each class there will be a group critique where you can all see each other’s work and get some feedback from the tutor and your peers.

Unfortunately not. Our online classes are taught live at scheduled times (GMT) each week. They are designed to be as similar to an in-studio art class experience as possible. If you need to miss a week of your course, you might be able to access some resources from your tutor via Padlet to catch up in your own time, but you cannot watch a recording of the whole class.

You will need to download Zoom onto your computer or laptop. The Zoom link and password for each day will be posted on a Padlet noticeboard that will give you access to the class. All you need to do is click the link and you will be able to join the meeting. Students will need to log on promptly to Zoom each week. Full instructions are given in the Online student guidelines prior to starting your course. 

Padlet is the online noticeboard we use for our online courses. It allows tutors to upload resources, images and links to support their teaching, and students to easily share photos of their work and comment on other students’ artwork.

Most of the time during the online class is for you to spend drawing at home! Sustained drawing takes a lot of dedicated time and concentration, so we allow enough time for you to get the most out of your class, just the same as if you were attending a studio-based course. As mentioned above there will also be activities such as warm-up exercises, tutor-led discussions and group critiques during each week of your course.