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 fine jewellery
Course start date: Tue 30 Sep 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth Bone, Rae Duncan, Rebecca Ilett, Katrin SprangerThis advanced course will refine your existing jewellery making and design skills, through sessions in the workshop and guided independent study tasks. With an ethos of ‘idea to product', developing your personal research, design and making approach, there will be structured modules and projects encouraging you to build on your technical skills, presentation, and professional practice. We will explore material, finish and construction, alongside professional practice methodologies such as drawing, prototyping, outsourcing, pricing, and selling. The course culminates with working towards the production of a final body of work. - Contemporary printmaking studio: focus on colour Course start date: Tue 7 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kath CastilloA course for intermediate and experienced printmakers wanting to build on previous experience and experiment with process to consolidate and hone technical skills. The focus is on colour application, advanced intaglio processes, realising personal projects and the production of high quality prints.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Extended drawing for artists and makers Course start date: Wed 8 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Annie Attridge, Clare Barton-Harvey, Ruth Brison, Tony Hull, Claire Hynds, Monika Kita, Ute Kreyman, Mario Lautier Vella, Faith VincentA multi-disciplinary course that will help broaden your skills and experience. Record, imagine, visualise, transform,
narrate and develop through a series of practical projects. This exciting course is designed to help you place drawing at the centre of your chosen artistic discipline.
This course requires a pre-enrolment application. Please click 'Start Assessment' on the right-hand side of this page to start your application.Full fee £1,649.00 Senior fee £1,319.00 Concession £1,154.00 - Advanced printmaking: practice and discourse Course start date: Wed 8 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Claire HyndsThis year-long advanced course is aimed at artist-printmakers who wish to develop a sustainable personal practice through the medium of print. With the support of expert tutors, you will be guided through experimental, practice-based research and developmental tasks that challenge your preconceptions of print media including etching, screen-printing, lithography and relief. You will eventually focus on a longer project that encourage both a personal enquiry and the development of an individual methodology. The course involves theoretical, contextual and practical components.Full fee £2,099.00 Senior fee £1,679.00 Concession £1,469.00 - Advanced printmaking: personal project development Course start date: Thu 9 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rolina Elsje BlokUnlock your creative potential in the Advanced Printmaking Personal Project Development course! This engaging programme invites you to extend your printmaking practice while developing a substantial personal project. Over the length of the course you will explore advanced printmaking techniques, refine your artistic voice, and produce a body of finished work.Full fee £2,099.00 Senior fee £1,679.00 Concession £1,469.00 - Introduction to using a Sketchbook Course start date: Fri 10 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
A sketchbook is a great place to try things out, make mistakes and take risks - all in the nature of experimentation. An introduction to exploring creative mixed-media, drawing and mark-making techniques with confidence which can build personal ideas for further development.
Suitable for beginners as well as those with some previous drawing experience who would like to start using a sketchbook.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Introduction to beaded jewellery Course start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Beverley SellFancy trying your hand at beaded jewellery making? Learn how to work with beads, wire, thread and findings to create beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings and tiara designs. Join our introductory course for all levels to discover where to find the best beads, how to knot with thread, manipulate and twist wire and learn how to finish your work using clasps.
- Children's book illustration studio Course start date: Fri 24 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim EllisCity Lit Studios provide time each week for you to commit to working on a personal project or portfolio, alongside your peers. A tutor will be on-hand to provide insights and guidance, as and when you need it.
Studios are for experienced learners with a burgeoning creative practice they wish to hone, in a supportive environment. For example, those who have completed a Beginners and Developing course in a relevant subject, or have equivalent industry experience. - Art in theory: What is creativity?Course start date: Thu 30 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
This critical studies course for developing artists and makers explores the concept of creativity and what it means to be an artist, drawing on a range of cultural theories and work by creative practitioners to help inspire and enhance creative and critical thinking.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Oil painting: focus on light and shade Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lindsay PickettThis oil painting course takes inspiration from the moody and luminous imagery of classic Film Noir such as ‘The Third Man’. Students will explore composition, tonal transition and contrast to enhance their pleasure in oil painting and create strong and powerful paintings.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Art and Ideas: Identity and the selfCourse start date: Thu 8 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in identity as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Art and Ideas: What is visual language? Course start date: Thu 19 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in visual language as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work and build an understanding of your own visual language.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - London photography walk: River ThamesCourse start date: Wed 1 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Michael HardingExplore and discover London through photography walks around locations rich in photographic potential.
The walks revolve around photographing views along the River Thames, from the Aldwych area eastwards to the City, from London Bridge to the Southbank and from Westminster to the newly developed Nine Elms area. Bring your own camera and comfortable walking shoes as you capture places, spaces, objects and people.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Children's book illustration: advanced projects Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim EllisAn 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.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £314.00 - Printmaking studio: focus on colour Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kath CastilloA course for intermediate and experienced printmakers wanting to build on previous experience and experiment with process to consolidate and hone technical skills. The focus is on colour application, advanced intaglio processes, realising personal projects and the production of high quality prints.
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