Royal Drawing School

Drawing from life. For life.

Welcome to the Royal Drawing School. We are an artist-led, not-for-profit, home of observational drawing. The place to learn to draw, discover emerging artists, and advance the practice of drawing.
RDS_RORY_LANGDON-DOWN_SHOREDITCH_SELECTS_A 37-2

The Drawing Year

Applications open

The Drawing Year is a full-scholarship, postgraduate-level course offering artists and creatives a transformative year dedicated to developing their drawing practice. Find out more on one of our open days.

Sign up to an open day
Drawing Year in the studio

“What is drawing? What does it mean to draw?

For me, drawing is a form of thinking that requires tuning in to the behaviour of substances as much as to the behaviour of the unconscious, like reading images in tea leaves, trying to make a map of a path of feeling, a trajectory of thought..."

Antony Gormley

25 leading artists and creatives on drawing
Antony Gormley_PRESENT XV-min-1

PRESENT XV

Antony Gormley

Inspire

Discover our creative community through artwork, profiles, and stories.

Explore art & artists
Water Memory

Water Memory

Lily Irwin

After The Wind Howled

After The Wind Howled

Olivia Kemp

Nose Memory

Nose Memory

Rose de Borman

With a Cat, On the stairs (Rosie)

With a Cat, On the stairs (Rosie)

Olly Williamson

Sleeping with Frida

Sleeping with Frida

Chengwei Xia

Laban dancer

Laban dancer

Irene Montemurro

Bull-Leapers

Bull-Leapers

Melina Doumy

Private Night Park

Private Night Park

Charlotte Ager

About us

We are the independent, artist-led and not-for-profit home of observational drawing. We exist to ensure artists and creatives everywhere can access world-leading skills-based drawing tuition regardless of background, age or circumstances; to bring new audiences to drawing; to champion our practice for this generation and the next.

Learn more
RDS_RORY_LANGDON-DOWN_SHOREDITCH_SELECTS_A 55-1

Support our next 25 years

As a charity, we believe everyone, whatever their financial circumstance, should be able to access our teaching. That’s why all our courses come with a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. Help us sustain and grow these programmes over the next 25 years.

Donate
DSC04426.ARW.p