Drawing Rome’s body and persona is a practical course focused on artistic drawing through an immersive week in the city of Rome, its art and architecture. Students will learn how to apply the basic rules of Artistic Anatomy with lectures, workshops, and live drawing sessions – both on campus and in the most compelling locations of the city.
This intensive laboratory aims to provide young and adult learners with the key skills on Anatomy and Space for Visual Arts and apply them to the specific field of Comics, Graphic Novels, Illustration and Animation. At the end of the week, students are asked to present their own project according to the main aim of the lab (a drawing, a comic, a storyboard, etc.)
Visits at some museums, walking tours and drawing sessions en plein air are included in this course.
At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance is issued to those who have attended at least 80% of the lessons, for a possible recognition of 2 ECTS.
Course type: group – in-person Participants: Min. 8, Max. 20 | The programme is open to college, university and fine arts students, as well as adult learners across disciplines. Attendance: From Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5pm Duration: 14 – 18 July 2025 – 5 days Cost: 850€ Requirements/supporting materials: No entry requirements. Tickets for visits are provided by RUFA. List of material in Course Programme Language: English | Participants are required to be fluent in English. Lecturer: Fabrizio des Dorides Location: RUFA – Via Giuseppe Libetta, 7 – Rome + Different visits around the city. Certificate: At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance will be issued, based on the attendance of at least 4 of the 5 days, for a possible recognition of 2 ECTS.
Day 1
Introduction and schedule of the course.
A lecture on human anatomy; perspective; emotions and interpretation. How to portray reality through the study and the understanding of its structure and core. Individual and group exercises. Students will be challenged to find new and different ways to explore and analyse the figure.
Day 2
Life-drawing; a comparison between the Western and Eastern techniques and aesthetics.
Lecture on human anatomy. Structure and synthesis.
Lecture on perspective. Basic rules and how to apply them to move objects, figures and architectures through space.
Individual and group exercises. Life-drawing with model.
Day 3
Exploring Rome and its artistic legacy/heritage – looking for individual project’s inspiration.
Visit museums+city centre. Life-drawing in the museum and in the district around it.
Day 4
Individual and guided work on personal projects. Students will be invited to tell their own story by using all the instruments acquired during the previous lessons.
Day 5
Projects finalisation and presentation.
List of Materials:
A4 sketchbook
A3 sketchbook
B,2B,4B pencil
Bic Pen (black or blue)
Kneaded Eraser
Fabrizio des Dorides was born in Rome in 1987. He began working as a cartoonist in 2012, drawing the number 17 of the last season of John Doe (‘Questa lunga storia d’amore’). Afterwards he collaborated with: Aurea Editoriale (Lanciostory and Skorpio); Villain Comics (Brutti Sporchi e Cattivi); Cosmo Editoriale (Battaglia-La Figlia del Capo, John Hays-Brutti Sporchi e Cattivi); Edizioni Starcomics (I Maestri dell’Orrore-Dracula); Sergio Bonelli Editore (Dylan Dog, Orfani- Nuovo Mondo; Orfani-Sam).
He currently works for Sergio Bonelli Editore and Editions Soleil.
Students and Alumni Winter-Summer Courses RUFA – 10%
Students and Alumni RUFA: 50%
University students: 5% (upon presentation of the university registration)
Very early bird: by December 31, 2025 – 15%
Early bird: by March 31, 2026 – 10% LAST EXTENSION OF DISCOUNT TERMS:Early bird by 15 April 2025 -10%
Course package/groups/family: please contact corsibrevi@unirufa.it.
If the student, after having attended the workshop, enrolls in a BA or MA programme at RUFA, a 10% reduction will be applied to the annual tuition fee for the first year.
