Founded in 2000 by HM King Charles III and artist Catherine Goodman CBE LVO, the Royal Drawing School is an independent, artist-led, not-for-profit home dedicated to the practice of observational drawing. Through its diverse programmes and initiatives, the School has cultivated a vibrant and far-reaching drawing community that reaches around the world.

Its mission is to offer world-leading, skills-based drawing tuition to artists and creatives, regardless of background, age, or circumstance, and to introduce the practice of drawing to new audiences and the next generation of artists.

Open to all, from complete beginners to practicing artists, the School offers a range of programmes including the postgraduate-level Drawing Year, public courses, and a dedicated programme for young artists. These take place at the School’s studios in Charlotte Road, East London, as well as in galleries, outdoor locations, and online.

As it approached its 25th anniversary, the Royal Drawing School commissioned Pentagram to create a new visual identity that would better articulate its evolving mission, values, and vision for the future.

The School’s creative output spans drawing, painting, print, and sculpture. It was vital that the new identity could work with this, with a visual language capable of accommodating a wide range of styles and mediums. The identity needed character, something that could reflect the unique spirit of the Royal Drawing School and the energy and imagination of its staff and students. Just as importantly, it had to support the School’s growing reputation and global visibility, helping it continue to attract essential philanthropic support.

The Pentagram team began by drawing a new logo, exploring the idea of neutrality through basic sans serif letterforms, initially designing only the letters required for the school’s name. These were deliberately extended to evoke openness and generosity. The forms were then carefully sculpted with subtle pinches at junctions and flared stroke terminals that give the forms a painterly quality. Building on the logo, the team developed a custom typeface, rooted in classic grotesque forms but with a contemporary, timeless feel.

A new photographic direction was also established, aiming to capture the authenticity of place, materials, process, and the act of making. Photographer Rory Landon-Down was commissioned to document everything from dynamic group life-drawing classes to quiet moments of solitary work. The aim was to create an intimate visual language that brings viewers close to the artists and their everyday experiences within the School, as well as during off-site residencies and drawing trips.

The new identity will be rolled out across all touch points, from signage to social media, on the School’s website and prospectus, as well as on merchandise and marketing materials.

To mark its 25th anniversary, the School curated The Power of Drawing, an exhibition featuring works by 25 established artists (including Es Devlin, David Hockney, Humphrey Ocean and Antony Gormley) shown alongside 25 works by Royal Drawing School alumni. A special highlight of the exhibition was an original drawing contributed by His Majesty the King.

Pentagram also contributed to the exhibition’s design and produced a limited-edition oversized catalogue. Printed on art paper supplied by Fedrigoni, the catalogue features fluorescent pink details and a wrap-around cover combining commissioned photography with images taken by Pentagram’s Harry Pearce as well as Rory Landon-Down. Inside, drawings by artists and designers such as Tracey Emin, Thomas Heatherwick and Tim Burton are presented alongside works by alumni, with each artist sharing a personal reflection on what drawing means to them.

The new identity was formally unveiled at a special reception hosted by the King and Queen at St James’s Palace to celebrate 25 years of the Royal Drawing School. All 50 drawings from the exhibition were on display, with the evening featuring live drawing by current students and a performance by singer Rufus Wainwright.