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
- Sketching at Tate Modern
Course start date: Thu 30 Oct 2025Location on this date: Off Site
Exploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of artworks in Tate modern.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Textile book project Course start date: Thu 30 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lara HaileyOn this course you will make a textile book following a theme of your choice. You will be shown book binding techniques, how to incorporate appliqué, text, photos using different types of stitching.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Sketching at Tate Britain Course start date: Fri 31 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks: learn and improve your drawing skills and ‘ways of seeing’ and understanding by working from some of the iconic artworks at Tate Britain.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Sketching at the British Museum Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of objects and artifacts in The British Museum.
Please note - meet at Montague Place entrance - the front entrance is now only for ticket holders.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Introduction to photography Course start date: Wed 12 Nov 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dominic HarrisDiscover the basics of photography to improve your photographs and impress your friends. Learn about shutter speed, aperture, photo composition, light and taking pictures in different environments. This course is perfect for complete beginners or for learning new skills. Please take this course before enrolling on our intermediate courses.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Sketching at the V&ACourse start date: Thu 20 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from a fascinating range of objects and artifacts in The Victoria and Albert Museum.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: releasing the judging mindCourse start date: Sat 6 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyExplore a range of perspectives and practical exercises for letting-go of the limiting effects of the judging mind, whilst connecting to drawing in refreshing and inspiring ways. The ideas and mindfulness skills are transferrable to all creative disciplines.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: the imaginationCourse start date: Thu 5 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyDiscover the enriching relationship of mindfulness and the imagination, whilst exploring a range of methods for stimulating and connecting to what inspires you. This course offers an introduction to mindful drawing, as well as a context to explore it more deeply through the imagination.
Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: modern and contemporary natureCourse start date: Fri 6 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyExplore how mindfulness can enrich the process of drawing, as we discover a range of modern and contemporary approached to drawing from nature. This course offers a great introduction to mindful drawing, or a way to explore it more deeply in the context of this theme.
Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Drawing and mindfulness: the art of seeingCourse start date: Sat 28 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyExplore drawing and mindfulness and how the two combined can support new ways of seeing and relating to drawing. ‘The true journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having fresh eyes’ Marcel Proust.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - 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 - London photography: bridges in the city Course start date: Thu 30 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Michael HardingExplore london and capture the beauty of the capitals bridges that span the Thames. This off-site photographic course will have you down to the river with your camera, exploring the diverse architectural designs and structures of bridges on the Thames that connect London. Learn about their history whilst learning the secrets to successful architectural and location photography.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - 3D animation with Blender Course start date: Wed 7 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Benjamin AustinIf you are new to 3d animation, you’ve had a go at teaching yourself but are not making progress, or perhaps you are transferring to Blender from a different 3D program, this course is for you.
It will take you through a professional approach to creating characters and environments in 3D from scratch, as well as introducing workflows and techniques to help produce polished 3D animations of your own.
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