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
- Artists sketchbook walkCourse start date: Sat 5 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Heidi WigmoreTake a sketchbook walk in Central London to observe, record and engage with the urban environment, both historic architecture, modern skylines, the river and parks. Quick sketching, supported by discussion and reflection along the way, will open up new ways of seeing and responding to your surroundings. Meet at City Lit main entrance. - Drawing for beginnersCourse start date: Sun 19 Oct 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sam HannerExplore traditional and less traditional methods of drawing simple objects. Using structured activities, you will be introduced to key concepts such as line, tone, composition and mark making. Ideal if you have little or no drawing experience; a great way to learn the basics or prepare for longer courses.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Try it out: calligraphyCourse start date: Sat 12 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawFancy having a go at this beautiful art form? This short weekend course will introduce you to the fundamental principles of lettering and calligraphy. Focussing on broad edged script, you will use different pens and nibs, and leave having completed your own sample. - Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £189.00
- Textiles and surface pattern: drawing and designCourse start date: Sun 13 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Janie MurphyInvestigate mark making, layering and juxtaposing ideas through experimental drawings. Explore the importance of imaginative research and how to record it in a sketchbook. Develop versatile design textile ideas for interiors, fashion, stationery or text.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Pinhole photographyCourse start date: Wed 16 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Scott PerryDiscover exciting experimental ways of producing photographic images without a camera - build your own pinhole camera, create blue-tinted prints with sunlight, and make prints from objects like the artist Man Ray.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Experimental sculpture in plaster and clayCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore the possibilities of modelling in clay and plaster. Taking inspiration from contemporary sculpture, work from found objects to develop your imagination, explore techniques of modelling, casting and transform forms according to your imagination. All levels of experience welcome.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Try it out: jewellery making weekendCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rae DuncanAimed at beginners or those wanting a refresher. Join this action packed weekend to make a pendant and silver ring. Implementing fundamental jewellery making techniques, you will gain the basic skills you need to make simple jewellery in metal.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Stop motion animation weekendCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 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.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £179.00 - Frame basketryCourse start date: Sat 19 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katie PriceOn this course, you will be introduced to the techniques and tools used in Frame basketry. With the skills you will be shown, you will be able to create either a small hand held basket or several samples in diverse styles.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - Introduction to AutoCAD 2DCourse start date: Sun 5 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Nicholas WilliamsonAutoCAD is an essential part of the work process for engineers, designers, architects and visualisers. This course will teach you to create 2D technical drawings on a Mac in one of the leading CAD design programmes.Full fee £379.00 Senior fee £303.00 Concession £246.00 - Flush setting for jewellery makersCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Seijen Ten HoornFor intermediate jewellers. Learn how to set round brilliant cut/faceted stones in sheet metal and rings using the traditional flush setting technique. You will practice in copper, before moving on to work in silver. There will also be a chance to make your own flush setting tool. - Abstract painting weekendCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda KnightLearn how to develop original abstract ideas from simple starting points and build confidence using a variety of painting approaches in acrylics. Explore the power of line, colour and texture in a lively weekend of structured project work.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Bookbinding weekend: notebooks and foldersCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ina BaumeisterLearn to make single sheet folded books, a simple multi-section sewn book and a folded slipcase. This weekend course is an opportunity to make an exciting range of notebooks and folders and learn some useful bookbinding techniques. Suitable for beginners.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00
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