Royal Drawing School

Last chance to see Frank Bowling: Driven to Draw! This is the final week of the exhibition.

This week's post features artists drawing in the exhibition, inspired by Sir Frank Bowling's work. Visitors are welcome to draw too—we provide drawing materials in the gallery, so you can spend time looking, sketching and responding to the exhibition.

A limited-edition sketchbook catalogue is also available to purchase when booking. Designed for drawing as much as reading, it includes space for your own sketches alongside an essay on Sir Frank's practice and works from the exhibition.

Frank Bowling: Driven to Draw reveals Sir Frank's instinctive, lifelong relationship with drawing, tracing the development of his visual language from his student years to the present day.

📍 Royal Drawing School
🗓️ 25 June – 22 August 2026 | Mon–Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 10am–4pm
🎟️ Free entry, with a suggested £7.50 donation. Booking required.

Our Evening Life Drawing Course is for anyone looking to challenge the way they see, think and draw. Whether you're an experienced artist, designer or simply curious to explore drawing in a deeper way, working from the life model offers a unique opportunity to develop your understanding of the human form.

Each week, you'll take on a new drawing challenge designed to encourage careful observation, experimentation and personal discovery. Explore a range of drawing materials and paper sizes while developing your own independent approach to drawing in a supportive studio environment.

Choose from classes every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, with each course running for 10 weeks, starting from 14 September.

Book here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xwqML0

🐈 It is International Cat Day, so today’s is all about cats, big and small.⁠
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We're sharing work by our alumni celebrating the many faces of the feline world, from majestic big cats roaming the wild to curious domestic companions curled up at home. Or why not imagine the world through a cat's eyes and draw from their perspective? However you approach today's prompt, let cats lead the way. 🐾

Artworks:
Sammi Lynch
Olly Williamson
Sara Anstis
Azeri Aghayeva
Alice Lockhart
Alice Macdonald
Raha Farazmand
Mary Herbert

Exhibitions to see now 🎨

Discover exhibitions featuring work by our Drawing Year alumni and practising artist tutors, on view in London and beyond this summer.

For more details: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xrtfh0

Bookings for our Young Artists Autumn Term courses opened last week!

Beginning this September, our Saturday classes—led by practising artists—are open to young people aged 10–18, both in person and online.

Each course inspires a love of drawing, builds confidence, and helps develop creative skills that can last a lifetime.

📍 Locations:⁠
Shoreditch studios, London
Museums & Galleries in London (including the National Gallery and V&A)⁠ Norwich⁠
Notting Dale⁠
Online⁠

💌 Explore the remaining courses: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xh2kG0

August is here, and there's still plenty to discover at the Royal Drawing School.

Don't miss Frank Bowling: Driven to Draw, on view until 22 August. If you haven't had the chance to visit yet, now is the time.

Our Young Artists' Summer School is in full swing, with young artists spending the summer drawing, experimenting and developing their practice in our studios.

As summer draws to a close, we're also looking ahead to the Autumn Term. Whether you're joining us for the first time or returning to continue your practice, there's still time to book your place on a wide range of studio and online courses.

See what's on this August and start planning your autumn with us.

The week's is from our current exhibition - Frank Bowling - Driven to Draw.

⁠Frank Bowling: Driven to Draw reveals Sir Frank’s instinctive, lifelong relationship with drawing, tracing the development of his visual language from his student years to the present day.

Admission is free, with the option to donate. A limited-edition sketchbook catalogue is also available to purchase when booking. Designed for use as much as reading, it includes space for your own drawings alongside an essay on Sir Frank’s practice and works from the exhibition.

📍 Royal Drawing School
🗓️ 25 June – 22 August 2026 | Mon–Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 10am–4pm
🎟️ Free entry, or £7.50 donation welcome. Booking required

Artworks:
1. Frank Bowling, Revisiting ‘Night Journey’, 2012, Acrylic, acrylic gel and found objects on paper, 37.6 x 55.9 cm. Courtesy of The Royal Collection / HM King Charles III. Photographed © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026.
2. Frank Bowling, Benjamin Run, 2020, acrylic on paper, 99.5 x 69.5 cm. Courtesy The Frank Bowling Foundation. Photographed by Sacha Bowling © Frank Bowling Foundation. All rights reserved, DACS 2026
3. Frank Bowling, Jumby Bubby, 2021, Acrylic and acrylic gel on paper, 17.2 x 49.8 cm. Courtesy The Frank Bowling Foundation. Photographed by Anna Arca © Frank Bowling Foundation. All rights reserved, DACS 2026
4. Frank Bowling, Albary, 2022, Acrylic and acrylic gel on paper, 37.9 x 50.1 cm. Courtesy The Frank Bowling Foundation. Photographed by Anna Arca © Frank Bowling Foundation. All rights reserved, DACS 2026
5. Frank Bowling, Red Australia, 2022, Acrylic and acrylic gel on paper collaged to canvas, 153.9 x 155 x 4.5 cm. Courtesy The Frank Bowling Foundation. Photographed by Anna Arca © Frank Bowling Foundation. All rights reserved, DACS 2026
6. Frank Bowling, Shaken, 2025, Acrylic on paper, 28.5 x 42.5 cm. Courtesy the artist. Photographed by Anna Arca © Frank Bowling. All rights reserved, DACS 2026
7. Frank Bowling, Piggy, 2026, Acrylic on paper, 53.7 x 41 x 0.3 cm. Courtesy the artist. Photographed by Luca Dawkins © Frank Bowling. All rights reserved, DACS 2026

The exhibition is kindly supported by The Maria Manetti & Jan Shrem Foundation

What happens when drawing meets puppetry, performance and the natural world?

Join us for a special live online drawing class in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, inspired by Imagining Animals at the Tower of London.

Draw larger-than-life animal puppets and costumed creatures as they move through the studio, guided by tutor Hira Gedikoglu. Through observation and imagination, you'll explore movement, structure, colour and expressive mark-making while developing new ways of drawing animals in motion.

Whether you're new to drawing or looking to deepen your practice, this unique session offers the chance to work from extraordinary live subjects from wherever you are.

Imagining Animals | Royal Drawing School x Tower of London ( )
📅 14 September | 6.30–8.30pm
✏️ Tutor: Hira Gedikoglu (.gedikoglu)

Book your place: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0x6NVs0



Photograph credit: © Historic Royal Palaces. Performers: Fukiko Takase, Aki Nakagawa, Parkey Abeyratne, Mohit Mathur and Shaofan Wilson in ‘Imagining Animals’.