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
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- Try it out calligraphy: modern copperplate
Course start date: Mon 8 Sep 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Veiko KespersaksThis short workshop will guide you through the basics of Modern Copperplate Calligraphy, as influenced by historical copperplate handwriting. Once the artform of expert craftsman, calligraphy is now a popular artistic outlet, flexible enough to reflect the personality, style, and creativity of every individual – everyone can learn it and have a lot of fun while doing so! Suitable for left-handers and right-handers. - Painting for beginners Course start date: Mon 8 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExperience the joy of painting. Through simple exercises you will explore colour, painting techniques and the expressive qualities of painting using acrylic paints. The perfect way to start painting.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - City Lit basketry Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John PageLearn a wide variety of basketry techniques: stake and strand, plaiting, twining and coiling in materials such as willow, cane, rush, cords, string, paper and possibly other less traditional ones.
This course is suitable for beginners, though some craft experience is expected. Payment plans will be available.
This course will reopen for applications in February 2025. To register your interest for this course, please contact visualarts@citylit.ac.uk.Full fee £3,999.00 Senior fee £3,199.00 Concession £2,599.00 - City Lit ceramics Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alex SimpsonLearn a wide variety of techniques including throwing, handbuilding, decoration and glazing. Ideal for beginners to pottery or for those with some experience.
NOTE: Applications will be reviewed in May 2025. - Botanical illustration Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison BarrattLearn how Botanical Illustrators accurately depict flowers, leaves, stems and seeds - for the purpose of genus and species identification by Botanists and Biologists.
Work from both primary and secondary source material to create an array of illustrative work, including anatomical and/or decorative.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trish SpenceLearn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.Full fee £649.00 Senior fee £519.00 Concession £422.00 - Art and design portfolio projects Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rod JudkinsDevelop and realise your creative language in art and design through the development of a personal project. Through workshops and small projects you will be able to build a portfolio of work in 2D and 3D related to your own personal theme or interest.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Draw, paint, print Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mary WintourOn this experimental course, you will draw, paint and print in often unfamiliar ways in order to catch the unexpected. Through experimentation and reflection, you will collate a personal collection of work. .Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Fine art photography: focus on black and whiteCourse start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisShape, form, pattern and texture take on added significance in black-and-white photography. Without colour to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Discover these elements and the basic rules of black and white photography.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - City Lit beginners' jewellery Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Noon MitchelhillEver wanted to try making your own jewellery but not sure where to start? Delve into this intricate and rewarding craft with our year long structured beginner's course. Pick up the basics in everything from research and design to technical skills including soldering, annealing, etching and stone setting.Full fee £2,069.00 Senior fee £1,655.00 Concession £1,345.00 - Typography, typefaces and fonts Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 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 £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - City Lit year of the figure and portrait Course start date: Mon 29 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca Allen, Desmond Haughton, Joe Richardson, Kim ScoullerThis is a year-long course that explores the endlessly fascinating subject of the human form through various aspects of drawing and painting the figure and portrait. For those interested in building real progress and confidence in practical skills and taught by a team of specialist tutors, you will be inspired by stimulating projects that explore historical and contemporary artists' contexts to support your creative work.Full fee £2,899.00 Senior fee £2,319.00 Concession £1,884.00 - Clothes making I Course start date: Mon 20 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Silvia SacrestanoLearn how to make a skirt from a simple pattern. You will be guided step-by-step to produce a garment in a fabric of your choice using easy techniques and, incorporating a zip and waistband.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Digital illustration Course start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John SmythAdobe Creative Suite is the principal software used by Illustrators and Designers all over the world. On this course, learn how to take scribbly sketches and inky splotches into Adobe Photoshop and transform them into illustrations, collages, pattern designs… the possibilities are almost endless; thankfully, you will also be taught a crucial skill of digital illustration - knowing when to stop!
Our Workshops enable you to take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool.
They 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 theory or context, although this varies by course.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Bookbinding: box making Course start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ina BaumeisterLearn how to make slipcases and clamshell boxes. Get creative with decorative and plain papers, cloth and board to complete beautiful containers to house your books and objects.
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