Drawing Dialogues | Charlie Mackesy OBE and Sir Jony Ive KBE

Illustrator Charlie Mackesy OBE (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse) and renowned designer Sir Jony Ive KBE (former Chief Design Officer at Apple and now Chancellor of the Royal College of Art) come together for a conversation between friends. They will explore how drawing informs their work in illustration, design and film.

This conversation is part of our 25th anniversary series of conversations with leading artists and creatives exploring how drawing shapes creative practice across disciplines.

Join some of the world’s most visionary artists, designers, writers and thinkers as they reflect on the role of drawing in their work, from painting, performance and design to storytelling, architecture and science.

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The Royal Drawing School's 25th anniversary exhibition and events are generously supported by Ralph Lauren, a valued partner of the School for over six years, helping to make high-quality drawing tuition accessible to all.

This conversation will be live-streamed on YouTube.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact digitalstudio@royaldrawingschool.org

A bad drawing for the Royal Drawing School, 2025. Ink on paper, 23 x 23cm. Photo: Richard Ivey

"One of the best things for me about drawing is how it feels during the making of it—which is often better than the experience of finishing it.I would say that the healing nature of mark making probably saved my life.The experience of it—the sensation of my entire being focused on the movement, the making of lines, marks and shades from the hip—keeping one step ahead of the harsh editor within me—is incredible. It’s like a drug of sorts—a world of endless possibility."

Charlie Mackesy

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Observational drawing of Pyrex measuring jug, 1981 (Aged 14). Pencil on paper, 43 x 23.8cm.

"As a young boy, learning to draw taught me to see. It gave me the happiest pause to be quiet and truly engage with the physical world. Now my drawings tend to be in service of designing and creating. They are immediate expressions of a thought. They are notes to myself giving body to an idea."

Jony Ive

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