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.
Set a new goal, start your next creative adventure with City Lit and let us support you to realise your ambitions.
Courses available both in-person and online
We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
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 - Watercolour: washes and brush techniquesCourse start date: Thu 6 Oct 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Paul DixonThis online Watercolour course will introduce you to different approaches in working with watercolour, as you explore a variety of applications and techniques that are essential when working with and manipulating this medium. Discover the various marks that can be made with techniques in brush handling as well as a guide to washes building your first steps in producing beautiful watercolour work.
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 £99.00 Concession £99.00 - Book arts drop-inCourse start date: Thu 6 Oct 2022 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sue DoggettA one-day, tutor supported book arts workshop. This short course is ideal for students who would like some technical or conceptual advice and the space to work on a personal project. Students will work independently with one to one support.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - City Lit contemporary collage projects 1Course start date: Thu 6 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon EnglishCity Lit contemporary collage projects 1 initiates a yearlong set of collage and mixed media projects designed to experiment with and examine the interplay between the two and three dimensions. You will work with a wide range of materials, on and off the wall, extending our pictorial practice into the realm of collage, painting, drawing, assemblage, bricolage, decoupage, photomontage, small scale constructions, printing and text within the context of mixed media. Note* the course is designed in a way to enable students to either complete all three courses over the year or, come in at any stage in no particular order.Full fee £739.00 Senior fee £591.00 Concession £480.00 - Ceramics: architectural slab constructionCourse start date: Fri 7 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lauren IlsleyThis course involves constructing sculpture from slabs of clay. Develop analytical and making skills to building subtle, minimalist or bold complex ceramic structures. Suitable for beginners and those with previous experience.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - Contemporary sketchbook: mixed media, ideas and projectsCourse start date: Fri 7 Oct 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonContemporary mixed media sketchbook explores the possibilities of working with personal themes and stories that are part of your life and examines how you could develop them in greater depth, through expressive visual techniques.
Inspired by personal passions, family history, as well as ongoing ideas, you will work with different materials and techniques that will enable you to explore these ideas further, in many directions, whilst bringing a diversity and richness to your sketchbooks.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Painting: oil techniques and mediumsCourse start date: Fri 7 Oct 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lindsay PickettOil paint is a uniquely luscious medium, capable of heavy impasto effects and also the most delicate transparent colour films. Explore the different effects that can be created when different oil painting mediums are added to the oil paint. Learn to use a range of these mediums to create excitng and varied surfaces in your painting, expanding your use of texture and glazing.
This course is for all levels – both beginners and more experienced painters.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Japanese woodcut printmaking techniquesCourse start date: Sun 9 Oct 2022 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Carol Justin WilhideAn introduction to the beautiful and delicate printmaking world of Japanese Woodcut. Explore this water based, non-toxic process and build an appreciation for the handmade. You will learn how to design, carve and make a multi-coloured print. Beginners welcome.Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00 - City Lit fine art: year 1Course start date: Mon 10 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Ruth Franklin, Alexandra Harley, Desmond Haughton, Brian Hodgson, Monika Kita, Amanda Knight, Ute Kreyman, Steven ScottBuild an individual fine art practice by exploring painting, drawing, sculpture, print, digital media and contextual studies, across a series of structured projects in live on-line and studio based classes. Weekly on-line participation from home (or your own workspace) is combined with fortnightly attendance at the City Lit studios. Regular group discussions and tutorials will help you adopt an independent and experimental approach to your work.You will be expected to keep up with current art practice and exhibitions, on-line and/or in your locality.
The course can be taken for personal creative development, or act as a bridge between adult short courses and entry to undergraduate and postgraduate Fine Art courses. Basic materials are provided for working in the city Lit studios, but you may be required to source your own specialist materials, depending on your choices. Each term will include one additional off-site gallery visit or external activity, dates subject to opportunites.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £1,949.00 Senior fee £1,559.00 Concession £1,364.00 - Children's book illustration: introduction to ideas and charactersCourse start date: Mon 10 Oct 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dee ShulmanAn introduction to character design, layout and story development, giving you a solid understanding of the industry. Develop your own style while exploring a variety of media and learn to research and develop ideas in response to a given brief.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - Watercolour painting for beginnersCourse start date: Mon 10 Oct 2022 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul DixonAn introduction to the radiant qualities of watercolour painting. Through simple exercises, we'll explore watercolour techniques and mediums. The perfect way to start using watercolour.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £119.00 - City Lit fine art: year 3Course start date: Mon 10 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Anne-Marie Foster, Alexandra Harley, Monika Kita, Ute Kreyman, Bettina Reiber, Steven ScottConsolidating the experience gained in year 1 and 2 of CLFA, or building upon experience of practicing to an equivalent level, you will pursue an individual, self-motivated route through year 3. This will be based upon an existing portfolio and ongoing creative projects and is designed to support your development of a body of new creative work that reflects and extends your personal creative practice. You will have group seminars, one-to-one tutorials and supported self-motivated production sessions that allow you explore and refine your skills and creative ideas. There will be seminars and lectures in which you will engage with ideas and contexts and examples of professional practice that support your development of a sustainable personal creative practice. Basic materials included. Please contact the department to arrange an interview for this course.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £1,389.00 Senior fee £1,111.00 Concession £972.00 - City Lit calligraphy courseCourse start date: Mon 10 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Veiko KespersaksStudy calligraphy with this in-depth, three term programme that equips students with the essential techniques required for beautiful cursive handwriting. The course will cover specialist skills-based training in Calligraphy with Design, blending traditional skills with an introduction to the latest trends in the calligraphy and design world. An exciting, challenging, and thorough introduction to the art of calligraphy.Full fee £1,059.00 Senior fee £847.00 Concession £688.00 - Contemporary printmaking studio: focus on developing techniquesCourse start date: Tue 11 Oct 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon BurderExplore and develop personal work using traditional printmaking methods with a contemporary approach. Techniques covered include drypoint, etching, linocut, collagraphy, lithography and photo etching. All levels of experience welcome.Full fee £749.00 Senior fee £599.00 Concession £487.00 - Contemporary practice: personal projectCourse start date: Tue 11 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Ian TucknottOn this course you will develop your creativity, your personal artistic understanding, and a body of contemporary art work at an advanced level through the experimental exploration of a personal project. The course is facilitated by practising artists and theorists, who will support you through guided critical and creative research, experimental workshops, critical studies, studio practice and tutorials.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £2,099.00 Senior fee £1,679.00 Concession £1,469.00
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