City Lit Art School — Art Classes 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.
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
- 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.Full fee £10.00 - Painting 1 Course start date: Thu 19 Jun 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenPainting 1 offers an introduction to the basic principles and skills associated with painting. Focus on differing approaches to observational and imaginative work, whilst learning how to organise a palette, mix colours and create different textures.Full fee £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £279.00 - Introduction to graphic design Course start date: Thu 19 Jun 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pam WilliamsOur 'Introduction' courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.
Graphic Design is everywhere; in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Emblazoning packaging at the corner shop to the mall. On our screens- phones, TVs, computers and tablets. To say it’s important would be an understatement.
Don’t just consume. Learn how to use image and type to communicate your messages, emotions and ideas. Beyond this, learn about the movements and styles which have shaped the field of Graphic Design over the years, and how to find your place there.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Life painting weekend: expressionist approaches Course start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Desmond HaughtonOver the course of a weekend, explore and develop a personal expressive response to life drawing and painting using a variety of techniques working from the life model. Explore mark-making, rich colour and dramatic contrast to explore and experiment with expressive and dynamic drawing and painting techniques, in response to examples of Expressionist artists styles and approaches.
Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Textiles: embroidery and embellishment Course start date: Sun 22 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Renata MinoldoAn introduction to the world of embroidery and embellishment. Explore a concept of your choice through experimentation with embroidery and embellishment techniques using hand and machine methods.Full fee £289.00 Senior fee £231.00 Concession £188.00 - Developing photography skills Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025 (and 12 other dates)
Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Sara EpsteinAlready know the basics of photography but want to take things further? Refresh your knowledge, learn more advanced skills and develop your creative ideas, with an established professional photographer on hand for technical guidance and creative inspiration.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Drawing from plants and flowers Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ro Sylvester, Steve WrightExplore the delicacy and beauty of plants and flowers through the medium of drawing. Respond to their structural qualities and colours, using a range of media and taking inspiration from a rich and varied history of the subject. Suitable for all levels of experience.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Developing graphic novels Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen MarchantThis course is an intermediate course, for more experienced learners to develop their practical and conceptual skills integral to the discipline of Comics and Graphic Novels.
Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Etching workshop Course start date: Tue 24 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kath CastilloAn exciting introduction to the basic processes and principles of etching. Using zinc plate, create beautiful images with line, texture and tone, and experiment with printing your image in both monochrome and colour.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Introduction to illustration Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ciara FloodOur 'Introduction' courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.
Illustration is a form of visual communication which often exists alongside text. Illustrations can help to explain or clarify (or sometimes contradict) the words on a page. Most of all, you could say, they bring the message 'alive', by making it more immediate and exciting. For this reason, illustrations are found across books, magazines, newspapers, websites and social media channels.
Learn how to create powerful illustrations on our exciting range of Illustration courses.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Sketchbooks: materials and techniques Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sisetta ZapponeA fantastic introduction to creative processes using a variety of different media to develop an exciting sketchbook. A sketchbook is a great place to try things out, make mistakes and take risks - all in the nature of experimentation. Suitable for beginners as well as those with some previous drawing experience.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Perspective drawing for artists and designers Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExplore the practical and creative use of perspective through a series of lively exercises. This course introduces the basic principles used to visualise objects and spaces, as well as creative methods of using perspective to exploit depth and space in a drawing.
- Collage and mixed media: expressive colour Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ute KreymanUse mixed media and the expressive possibilities of colour to enrich your understanding of the creative language of
collage. Engage with different approaches to material and processes with a short introduction to colour theory.
All levels welcome.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Textiles: illustrative embroidery Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosie JamesDevelop your embroidery skills in both hand and machine stitching. Create a range of samples, learn how to transfer designs to cloth, explore design ideas, experiment with fabrics and threads.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Character design workshop Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ciara FloodTake a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.
In this workshop, learn how to create compelling characters for illustration projects, and beyond.
Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.
Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
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