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
- Illustrating animals
Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ciara FloodOn this course you will explore illustrating animals and their gestural qualities using a variety of different mediums.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Processing black and white photographic film Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Catriona GrayShoot a roll of black and white film and develop it in traditional chemicals, learning 2 ways to view the images on your film (analogue and digital)
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Try it out calligraphy: formal and modern Course start date: Sat 14 Feb 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawWould you like to find out about the difference between formal calligraphy and modern calligraphy? Come along to this session and have a go at writing both styles. Beginners and improvers welcome.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Drawing cartoons Course start date: Wed 4 Mar 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen MarchantLearn the basics of cartoon drawing in this fun introductory course. Explore the fundamentals of drawing facial expressions, exaggerated features and body movements that will shape your characters.
Practice comic book creation, looking at frames, pacing and panelling that all add to the design of your very own comic strip or comic book.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - 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 - Try it out: garden design Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison WorsterGet a taste of how you can improve your outside spaces. In this online workshop you will learn how to assess an outside space and complete a short exercise in garden design planning. A great preparation for our range of beginners garden design courses. - Jewellery making: all levels Course start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kevin StevensonEver wanted to make your own jewellery? Try out jewellery-making, getting to grips with the basic processes and techniques for using metal to create simple yet beautiful earrings, rings, pendants and bracelets to your own
designs.Full fee £419.00 Senior fee £335.00 Concession £272.00 - Try it out: stop motion animation Course start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephanie GriffithsThrow yourself into the world of stop motion animation on this introductory practical course. Enjoy exploring a range of materials and techniques to produce innovative drawn, cut out and 3D animation sequences. An invaluable introduction for anyone interested in developing their animation practice. - Ceramics on Sunday Course start date: Sun 21 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Josie WarshawPerfect for those who wish to get their hands on clay and explore its possibilities; learning properties and processes of clay, working with techniques including coiling, pinching and slab building on this introductory course. - Illustrating people and places Course start date: Sun 21 Sep 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Be inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit. This course explores drawing people and places, providing you with ample opportunity to observe London life, situations and scenarios that will inspire your work.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Introduction to painting portraits Course start date: Sun 21 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke JonesAn opportunity to paint and draw from the life model focusing on portraiture. Basic observational skills will be explored as well as advice on how we can convey mood, character and tell a story through a portrait, inspired examples of artists portrait drawings and paintings. - Sewing on Sundays I Course start date: Sun 21 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SelormeyStart making clothes with a pair of elasticated trousers in a fabric of your choice. Learn how to choose the right pattern size, lay out pattern pieces, cut out and sew seams, waist facings and hems. - 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 - Modern copperplate calligraphy for improvers Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Veiko KespersaksLearn how to write elegant letterforms using a pointed pen with ink. Once you have learnt how to write a basic copperplate alphabet, we will begin breaking the rules of traditional calligraphy to find a style that is all your own. The course is suitable for beginners as well as improvers, and both left-handers and right-handers.Full fee £459.00 Senior fee £367.00 Concession £298.00 - Calligraphy and illumination Course start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emiko HashiguchiLearn how to write beautifully with a dip pen and design and produce a piece of work with illuminated letters using colour and gold leaf. All levels.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00
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