Life Drawing with Ralph Nel

Ralph Nel is running life drawing sessions at The Box in Plymouth, and they're on from 17 July through to 18 December 2026. If you've been wanting to get back into drawing, or you've never picked up a pencil in your life, this is a good place to start. Nel is a Plymouth-based artist and drawing teacher with ten years of experience, and he's a firm believer that anyone can draw.

Each session follows a similar pattern: it kicks off with warm-up exercises to get you loose, followed by an open-ended class that adapts to whoever's in the room. While you're working, Nel moves around for one-to-one engagement, giving personalised tips as you go. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, so you can work at your own pace rather than following a rigid set of instructions.

Beyond the life drawing, Nel also runs a monthly 'Skills Class' — a structured, progressive course designed to build and refine your drawing skills over time. If you're looking for something more sequential than a drop-in session, that's the one to keep an eye on. Between the two, you can dip in and out of the life drawing as it suits you, or commit to the skills course and work your way through.

Nel specialises in historical drawing methods and a range of drawing techniques, so there's a fair bit of tradition behind how he teaches. The life drawing sessions run from 17 July to 18 December 2026 at The Box, and they cost £12 a session.