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
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.
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346 courses available
Starting abstract paintingLearn 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, tone, colour and gesture in a lively weekend of structured project work.
Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00- Introduction to watercolour paintingGain 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 £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00
- Try it out: stop motion animationThrow 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.
Keeley Street
Sat 19 Sep 2026Stephanie GriffithsFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00 - Mosaics introductoryDevelop your creative skills in this classic art form, adhering your materials to a temporary surface before applying the completed section to a flat base or casting it into concrete to complete your own Mosaic. Please bring ideas. Basic materials provided. All levels are welcome.Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £439.00 Concession £357.00
- Screen printing in a day
In this one-day workshop you will be taught how to print and register a two colour screen print using monoprint, colour blends and pre-made photographic screens. You will be taught some basic screen making processes and insight into making digital artwork. This will set you up for longer and more advanced screen printing classes.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00 - Ceramics on Sunday
Have you always wanted to get your hands on clay and explore ways of making? Familiarise yourself with the properties and processes of clay by shaping your ideas and working with techniques such as coiling, pinching and slab building on this introductory course.
Keeley Street
Sun 20 Sep 2026Josie WarshawFull fee £649.00 Senior fee £519.00 Concession £422.00 - Illustrating people and places
Be inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit in both studio classes and off-site visits. 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 £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Introduction to painting portraitsAn 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.
Keeley Street
Sun 20 Sep 2026Luke JonesFull fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00 - Experimental pinhole photography
Learn how pinhole photography works, try out different ways of making a camera. Discover exciting experimental ways of producing photographic images with the camera you’ve built.
Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Calligraphy: modern copperplateLearn 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 £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00
- City Lit beginners' jewellery
Ever 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.
The RFSA Foundation helps widen access to art and design education by supporting learners facing financial, personal or practical barriers. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may be able to apply for funding towards this course. Read our step-by-step bursary guidance here to find out more and apply.
Keeley Street
Mon 21 Sep 2026Noon MitchelhillFull fee £2,179.00 Senior fee £1,743.00 Concession £1,416.00 - Botanical illustrationLearn 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 £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Screen printing workshopEnjoy being guided through inspirational and experimental screenprinting methods. You'll try a variety of mixed media techniques that will energise and enliven your artwork - a great way to expand your image making practice and your portfolio.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
- Typography, typefaces and fonts
In this course you will explore the fundamentals and intricate details of typography, typefaces and fonts and how they can be used to communicate in different ways within the world of Graphic Design.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Calligraphy and illuminationLearn 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 £399.00 Senior fee £319.00 Concession £259.00
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