Flesh and metal: Drawing the draped figure

Event information

• Type: Courses: Art making
• Date: Friday, 24 July 2026
• Tickets: From £36
• Location: The National Gallery
• Address: Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN, UK
• Official page: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/flesh-and-metal-drawing-the-draped-figure-24-07-2026

Details

About

Explore the interplay of skin, light and metallic fabric in this life drawing workshop inspired by Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo’s ‘Mary Magdalene’.

‘Mary Magdalene’ is an arrestingly modern composition in the National Gallery’s collection. Focusing on this painting we will explore how artists use drapery to frame, obscure and heighten the presence of the body. Particular attention will be given to cropping and negative space, considering what is revealed and what is concealed through both figure and fabric.

Through a series of guided exercises, you’ll work with a range of tonal and metallic materials. Working from a live model, we’ll begin with unclothed studies to establish proportion, pose and structure, before introducing metallic fabric and developing the same pose throughout the session. Using light, tonal, and metallic supports, we’ll investigate how reflective fabrics catch and refract light, creating shifting highlights, deep shadows and unexpected forms across the body.

Suitable for all levels, this workshop offers a lively and focused introduction to life drawing in a relaxed Friday evening setting. All materials are provided.

Must be 18+ to participate.