Art & Design classes in London & online

City Lit School of Visual Arts

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.ukRead less

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Beginners Art & Design Courses

Every great artist started here. Embark on your creative journey with art and design courses for beginners at the City Lit Art School. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refresh your skills, our expert-led courses provide a supportive environment to help you unlock your creative potential.

Our courses cover a range of artistic techniques including drawing, painting, printmaking, and graphic design. Learn the fundamentals of creating art, from sketching to using colour, and discover how to bring your ideas to life through different mediums. Whether you’re interested in traditional methods or digital design, we offer a variety of options to suit your artistic preferences.

With hands-on learning, live sessions, and individual feedback from experienced tutors, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to express your creativity. You’ll also be part of a vibrant artistic community where you can share your work, get feedback, and be inspired by others.

Explore our range of beginners art and design courses today, available both online and in London, and take the first step towards developing your artistic skills.

Notice: Due to the nature of some of our processes in Visual Arts, you will be required to wear the relevant recommended PPE to undertake some activities. This will be provided to you, and full details will be given at the start of your course.

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346 courses available

  1. Weekend
    Site specific sculpture: public sculpture

    This two-day course immerses you in modern and contemporary sculpture through a guided visit to Tate Modern and a practical session at City Lit’s sculpture studio. On the first day, explore key works, discuss techniques, and gather inspiration with an expert tutor. On the second day, develop an exhibition proposal or create a small 3D artwork using clay, plaster, latex, and wax, while exploring foundational sculptural concepts in a supportive, hands-on environment.

    Keeley Street

    Sat 12 Sep 2026
    Valerie Merlo
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
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  2. 5.0
    Cyanotype printmaking in a day
    Cyanotype is a photographic printing process which produces a beautiful deep blue print from a variety of artwork, including drawings, photographs, physical objects or combinations of all of these. All levels welcome.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 6 other dates)
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00
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  3. Evening
    Clay sculpture: life and portrait

    Follow in the footsteps of Michelangelo and Rodin to learn how to capture the human figure, both physically and emotionally, on this fascinating practical sculpting course. You will work from a life model to develop your own clay sculpture of the human form.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Valerie Merlo
    Full fee £619.00 Senior fee £495.00 Concession £402.00
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  4. Metal sculpture: beginners to intermediate

    Learn the techniques required in making sculptural or functional objects in steel: cutting, bending, welding and joining small scale metal. Please bring ideas, inspiration and scrap metal. This course is for beginners and those at intermediate level.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 2 other dates)
    Andrew Revell
    Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00
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  5. 5.0
    Drawing from plants and flowers
    Explore the delicacy and beauty of plants and flowers through the medium of drawing. Respond to their structural qualities and colours, using a range of media and taking inspiration from a rich and varied history of the subject. Suitable for all levels of experience.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 5 other dates)
    Ro Sylvester
    Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00
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  6. Evening
    Jewellery: beginners evening course

    This year-long evening course is ideal for learners with some basic jewellery-making experience, as well as motivated beginners keen to challenge themselves - all ready to expand their technical skills and creative confidence. Across three progressive terms, you will explore a wide range of traditional and contemporary techniques, including soldering, stone setting, chain making, stones in place sand casting and Mitsuro Hikime wax technique.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026
    Kinga Olah
    Full fee £1,599.00 Senior fee £1,279.00 Concession £1,039.00
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  7. Evening
    Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration
    Learn 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.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026
    Trish Spence
    Full fee £649.00 Senior fee £519.00 Concession £422.00
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  8. Evening
    4.8
    Art and design portfolio projects

    Develop and realise your creative language in art and design through a series of workshops and small projects. You will build a portfolio of work in 2D and 3D that will help you discover your personal style and interests.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 2 other dates)
    Rod Judkins
    Full fee £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £311.00
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  9. Last Few Places
    5.0
    Photography for beginners

    Do you sometimes take great photographs but feel that it’s hit and miss whether things come out how you want them to? Maybe you have a great camera but don’t know how to use it beyond Auto? Maybe you’re just mystified at what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to have more control over your image-making, even as a complete beginner. Getting the right amount of technical knowledge explained in an accessible way, plus lots of creative guidance will mean you can really enjoy taking great photographs. An ideal first step to start you off on your photography journey.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 14 Sep 2026 (and 13 other dates)
    Sara Epstein
    Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00
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  10. 5.0
    Watercolour painting: mixed media techniques
    Watercolour has a rich tradition - this course will explore the more experimental ways of using this pleasurable medium and will present new possibilities for producing exciting new work with mixed media. Make inventive combinations of media to draw from your own found imagery, photographs and sketches.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 11 Jan 2027 (and 3 other dates)
    Sisetta Zappone
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
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  11. Evening
    5.0
    City Lit textiles: mixed media
    Investigate mixed-media textiles through this project-based course which introduces a variety of materials, techniques and design processes. You will develop a creative portfolio of textile samples using sketchbook research and finally work towards a finished piece.

    Keeley Street

    Tue 15 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Renata Minoldo
    Full fee £529.00 Senior fee £423.00 Concession £344.00
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  12. Last Few Places
    5.0
    Introduction to pattern cutting I
    Expand your clothesmaking knowledge and learn introductory skills and techniques of pattern cutting and learn how to draft a classic dress block.You will then learn how to use the block to create patterns and silhouettes from a design. This course is suitable for those who have some experience in clothes making and would like to learn how to craft their own patterns.

    Keeley Street

    Tue 15 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Rachel Selormey
    Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00
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  13. Evening
    Try it out: animation

    Ever fancied producing your own animations for web, devices and video? Come and learn the basics of creating professional-looking animated sequences using the software application Adobe After Effects.

    Keeley Street

    Mon 11 Jan 2027 (and 1 other date)
    Litza Jansz
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00
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  14. Evening
    4.9
    Draw, paint, print
    On 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.

    Keeley Street

    Wed 16 Sep 2026 (and 3 other dates)
    Mary Wintour
    Full fee £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £279.00
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  15. Last Few Places
    5.0
    Mosaics introductory: direct method
    Develop creative expression and confidence in this classic art form. Explore manufactured/recycled materials and surface qualities by applying them directly onto a base to create your own Mosaic Please bring ideas/sketchbooks. Basic materials are provided. All levels welcome.

    Keeley Street

    Wed 16 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)
    Vanessa Benson
    Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £439.00 Concession £357.00
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