For October’s masterclass, we took part in Royal Academy of Arts’ ‘Drop in & Draw‘, a lively life-drawing session hosted in collaboration with the inspiring 2bornot2b Collective. They are a POC-led art collective dedicated to uplifting POC and visibly marginalised bodies in art. The workshop celebrated creativity, movement, and expression, inviting participants to experiment freely while honouring diverse forms and identities.
Drawing with Movement and Intention
The session featured four models, with the focus shifting between one or two at a time. We began with quick two-minute poses, each sketch demanding speed, intuition, and attention to gesture rather than perfection.
We were encouraged to rethink how we hold our tools – not in the usual tight grip, but the overhand ‘violin bow’ technique, allowing lighter, more expressive strokes. ‘Pop your head up for two seconds,’ the facilitator reminded us, ‘and really see what you’re drawing.’
Each pose came with a creative prompt to loosen our minds and hands:
- Sketch using abstract structures
- Switch to your non-dominant hand for a challenge
- Reduce the body to geometric shapes – a circle for the head, a single line for the body
- And later, think about space and depth – instead of drawing the body, try drawing the space around it
A scene built over time
The final session brought everything together. Over 20 minutes, models entered the frame one by one, building a ‘still’ that evolved in real time – each addition shifting the composition and energy of the piece. It was described as ‘a drawing built over time,’ a living sculpture of form and connection.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories exhibition
To be sure, the mode of black figure representation I employ is a clear departure from most popular treatments of the black body. I am trying to establish a phenomenal presence that is unequivocally black and beautiful. – Kerry James Marshall
We were also given the incredible opportunity to visit the Kerry James Marshall: The Histories exhibition. Marshall, known for his powerful, figurative paintings that unapologetically centre Black life, reimagines Western art traditions through a Black lens.
Spanning 45 years of work, the exhibition explores eleven distinct cycles – from portraiture and landscape to historical scenes and contemporary political commentary. His pieces chronicle moments of Black history from the Middle Passage and slave rebellions to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, transforming the genres of Western painting in the process.
If you haven’t yet visited, the exhibition runs until 18 January next year – and if you’re 25 & under, tickets are half price! Find out more and book tickets here.
Big thank you to everyone who attended, Royal Academy of Arts for hosting and 2bornot2b Collective for the incredible creative workshop!
