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
- Painting 1
Course start date: Mon 6 Oct 2025 (and 4 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Begona Morea RoyPainting 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 £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Painting: oil techniques and mediums Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sisetta ZapponeOil paint is a medium with a long historical tradition, capable of heavy impasto effects and delicate transparent colour films. Working practically, in the studio, this course will expand your understanding of approaches to building a variety of surfaces in your paint working with mediums and expanding your use of texture and glazing This course is for all levels – both beginners and more experienced painters.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Creative image editing with Photoshop and Lightroom Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Michael HardingLearn how to use and apply the key features of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to develop your image editing skills.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Clay sculpture: portrait head Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Valerie MerloThe head is the focal point of each person; create a portrait that examines both the structure as well as the emotion of the model. - Printmaking into bookbinding Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire HyndsExplore the three dimensional possibilities of print. This course will encourage you to develop your initial ideas through experiments with printmaking techniques and bookbinding structures to create an artist’s book. Some printmaking and/or bookbinding experience may be beneficial but not essential.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Typography, typefaces and font workshop Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrew McCartenAll designers know, images are powerful. But have you ever considered the look of your text? In other words, the typeface? It’s amazing how many designers overlook this powerful aspect of communication. Words are powerful (of course), but it’s not just what they say, it’s how they say it. On this workshop, learn how to harness the power of type.
Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.
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.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Introduction to watercolour painting Course start date: Sat 17 May 2025 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca AllenGain a grounding in the rich possibilities available when working with watercolour paint. Through a series of practical studies, you will investigate the potential of this versatile medium.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00 - Drawing 1 Course start date: Mon 26 Jan 2026 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrea VoiseyAn introduction to drawing from observation through a carefully structured approach in a studio environment. Suitable for beginners.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Photography for beginners Course start date: Mon 26 Jan 2026 (and 17 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisAlways 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.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Portraits 1 Course start date: Mon 8 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke Jones, Andrea VoiseyThis course aims to introduce you to this fascinating genre in both drawing and painting portraits through practical experience of the basic skills and concepts involved, including structure and proportion of the head and features, tone, colour, pose and expression. Working from direct observation of the live model.Full fee £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £311.00 - Watercolour painting: experimental approaches Course start date: Mon 2 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Diane MartinBuild your confidence in watercolour how to approach painting. Learn how to apply imaginative of washes and brushwork; enjoy the colour and fluidity of this beautiful medium and discover if you would like to take it to the next level.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Digital textile design with Adobe Photoshop for beginners Course start date: Mon 2 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Suk Han LeeCreate motifs and designs for printed textiles which may then be printed onto cloth. This course is ideal for beginners in Photoshop who are textile artists, designers, or for anyone interested in exploring pattern, colour and texture.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Life drawing after work Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Joe RichardsonA fun, relaxed and shorter life drawing class better suited for people coming straight from work. You will be able to work from a variety of life models, in a range of materials and with a variety of poses. You will be working from the unclothed model, both male and female.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00 - Drawing: ink and wash techniques Course start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jack DuplockThe immediacy and versatility of ink and wash is perfect for those sketching on location, for designers and for students interested in watercolour techniques. Take the opportunity to explore the basic techniques of this exciting process.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Introduction to ceramics Course start date: Mon 9 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trish SpenceGain a basic understanding of hand-building, glazing and decoration techniques. Explore your creative ideas whilst learning the exciting possibilities of working with clay. Enjoy a taster experience of throwing on the wheel in the final session.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00
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