Art & Design Courses - Online & in London
Explore new and exciting subjects within a range of art and design disciplines, develop your skill set, get the support required to change career or launch yourself as a freelance artist or designer. All this and more delivered through our practical and engaging art and design courses at City Lit.
Our range of part-time, weekend and evening art and design classes are taught by successful artists and practitioners to ensure you get the skills, knowledge and experience you want and deserve. From experimental painting and drawing to contemporary jewellery making, there is sure to be a course for you. Study from 1 day to 2 years, whether you are a complete beginner or a practising artist preparing for an MA. Our courses are designed with you in mind, so you get to spend more time doing what you love. New for 2020 we now offer a creative portfolio of live online courses as well as our face-face studio based teaching.
Set a new goal, start your next creative adventure with City Lit and let us support you to realise your ambitions.
Many of our courses are delivered online. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk or call us on 020 7492 2700, Monday to Friday between 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm.
- City Lit gift vouchers- the perfect gift
Looking for that perfect present? Treat someone to the gift of learning with a course at City Lit. Available from £10, our gift vouchers can be used to book a place on any of our courses, from London walks and food tasting to museum visits, poetry and much more. Simply purchase your voucher and the recipient can choose from thousands of courses, at a time which suits them.From £10.00 - Design tips for a Mediterranean gardenCourse Date: Sun 18 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Inspired by the informal gardens of the Mediterranean, this style of planting is low maintenance and drought tolerant. Discover how to achieve this relaxed look for your garden on this short, informed course.
This course is FREE if a) you live in London and your job is at risk of redundancy or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit) and your monthly take home pay is less than £343. For more information click here
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £91.00 - Portraits 1Course Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
Portraits 1 is the Ideal course for complete beginners or those looking to return to the subject of protraiture. Working with a range of sitters, you will learn the core principles and approaches to drawing portraits and will also start to work with paint. Delivered through step-by-step practical exercises, you will experience the basic skills and concepts involved, including structure and proportion of the head and features, tone, colour, pose and expression.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £359.00 Senior fee £287.00 Concession £219.00 - Watercolour: artists and techniquesCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
This online course will investigate different approaches to working with watercolour, exploring a variety of styles and techniques, informed by the work of particular artists, enabling you to develop a range of painting applications.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £65.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: spring retreatCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Drawing and mindfulness: spring retreat is a brand new 5 day online course, where you will explore the beauty and simplicity of the ancient practice of mindfulness in the context of drawing. Investigate how integrating mindfulness with drawing can lead to greater clarity of perception, responsiveness to your materials and subject matter, and enrichment of drawing. During the 5 day retreat you will aim to move away from everyday tensions and concerns and give yourself time to the act of drawing and other creative processes. You will build a sense of continuity, momentum and community led by professional artists and practioners within the art of mindfulness. Join us for a practical drawing course inspired by both observation and the imagination.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £359.00 Senior fee £287.00 Concession £180.00 - Watercolour painting studio: urban landscapesCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
A contemporary watercolour course focussing on the urban environment through the effects of light, shade, space, distance and colour. This course will introduce the basic techniques required.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £359.00 Senior fee £287.00 Concession £219.00 - Children's book illustration: developing stories and narrativesCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Develop your knowledge of the children's book industry and your professional children's book illustration practice. Get creative and innovative in your character design, storyboarding and layout skills, develop your professional portfolio and and get critical feedback in a supportive environment.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £359.00 Senior fee £287.00 Concession £219.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: morning meditationCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Join us and set up your day in a tranquil, reflective way with our 5 day Drawing and mindfulness: morning meditation course. As daily life is full of uncertainty and with our attention getting pulled in many directions why not take some personal time to reset and focus combining meditation with some simple drawing exercises. Each morning there will be guided meditation to enable us to settle the mind and become quietly aware of our senses.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Photography for beginners: stage 1Course Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: PS - Photography Studio
Always wondered what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to use them properly and produce impressive photographs, even as a complete beginner. Gain useful technical knowledge and get expert creative guidance in easy-to-understand language. An ideal first step before enrolling on our intermediate courses.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £115.00 - A short introduction to painting in oilsCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Learn all the techniques required for a full palette oil painting using just one colour and white, learn palette layout and organisation, how to hold and use brushes, how to apply paint to canvas and pigment properties.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £60.00 - Making a mini protest bannerCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course will give you an insight into the history of textile protest banners and teach you techniques to make your own mini banner in stitch.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £79.00 - Garden design: small spacesCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Make the most of your small garden and learn design and plant selection techniques tailored to your space. Discover how to understand your site and explore practical design solutions and tips on choosing the right materials and plants for your garden.
This course is FREE if a) you live in London and your job is at risk of redundancy or b) you are either on Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Employment & Support Allowance(ESA) or c) you receive other state benefits (including Universal Credit) and your monthly take home pay is less than £343. For more information click here
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £121.00 - Get skills in: etching in colourCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
Explore a range of exciting techniques in this practical workshop to create beautiful colour etchings. A valuable follow-on course for those with previous etching experience who wish to develop and enhance their etchings with colour.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00 - Landscape in artCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021
Location on this date: Online
Can a depiction of a landscape ever simply be JUST a landscape? Or is it a view onto a wider world, is there a context or, in the words of David Hockney, a “bigger picture?”.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £60.00 - Children's book illustration: advanced practiceCourse Date: Wed 21 Apr 2021
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
An intensive highly focused follow up course to develop design, drawing, imagination, characterisation and narrative skills. Ideal if you’re planning to prepare a portfolio for presentation to publishers or wishing to further develop your skills and imagination.See what you could create –
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view a selection of work made on our children’s book illustration courses
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £399.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £243.00
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