Summer School: Illustrating Faces

Get to grips with drawing real and imagined faces in this three day course for adults hosted at London Metropolitan Archives.

Whether you’re drawing someone from life or creating a new character, getting their face ‘just right’ is essential. This in-person course combines demonstrations, life drawing, practical activities and illustrated lectures to give you the skills you need to create believable faces.

With illustrator Siôn Ap Tomos you’ll learn how to capture facial features, draw people of different ages and create recognisable emotions and convincing expressions. You will practice drawing from live models, reference material and your own imagination. You’ll explore both simple and complex styles of depiction, using a range of drawing techniques.

Working from the learning space at London Metropolitan Archives, you will view a specially curated selection of historic sketches, posters, photographs, cartoons and other curiosities to inspire your own work.

Our small class size of no more than 20 students will ensure that you receive personalised feedback on your work in a relaxed and friendly learning environment.

Experience needed

This course is best suited to people with some experience of drawing. However, this does not to be extensive experience. It is suitable for people who want to explore drawing faces for fun and to learn new skills, as well as people who want to develop their illustration practice.

Time and place

In-person classes take place each day from 10:00 – 16:00 BST from 27-29 July at London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB.

Please email us if you you would like to discuss any access needs [email protected].

Read more about access at London Metropolitan Archives.

Good to know

Materials will be provided.

London Metropolitan Archives is based in Clerkenwell, central London. There are a range of public transport options.

Refreshments will be served throughout the day but lunch is not provided. Nearby Exmouth Market has plenty of cafés and restaurants. Packed lunches can be eaten in London Metropolitan Archives’ visitor lounge or at nearby Spa Fields park.

About the tutor

Siôn Ap Tomos is an illustrator, designer and educator with over 20 years’ experience. He has worked for a wide variety of clients, from museums to newspapers and advertising, creating editorial, reportage, historical illustrations and concept art. Siôn also collaborates on illustration-based education projects with schools, galleries and hospitals. He teaches at Central Saint Martins and House of Illustration.

Previous students

“Siôn is a very experienced tutor who has obviously thought deeply about how to teach this topic to a class of varied experience levels.”

“The quality of teaching represents excellent value for money”

“What was notable was the improvement of each student’s work and confidence.”

Tickets

Concessions are for students, those on income-supporting benefits and early career illustrators (under three years’ practice).

We want to everyone to be able to participate in our activities. Please email [email protected] if:

-you would like to book a free ticket for your personal assistant, companion or carer to support your attendance

-cost is a barrier and you would like to discuss payment options

Gift this workshop

If you would like to gift a place on this workshop to someone, we can send you an e-ticket for them by email.

How it works

Buy a ticket (see link, below).Forward your email booking confirmation to [email protected], along with the name and email address of the person you will be gifting it to. We will send you a personalised e-ticket by email within 4 working days. You can choose to print the voucher or email it to your recipient.

About London Metropolitan Archives

London Metropolitan Archives is a public research centre which specialises in the history of London, caring for and providing access to the historical archives of businesses, schools, hospitals, charities and all manner of other organisations. With over 100km of books, maps, photographs, films and documents dating back to 1067 in their strong rooms, they are proud to provide access to one of the finest city archives in the world.

Explore the London Picture Archive. 

Course fee; £199-249 (concessions available)

To book or for more details click here or visit the website

(image: Siôn Ap Tomos)