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
Typography, typefaces and fontsIn 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
- City Lit bookbinding
Step into bookbinding with this three-term course. Learn essential techniques and develop skills in using tools and materials to produce your own work. A stimulating, challenging and comprehensive introduction for beginners.
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.
Term dates
- Term 1 Tuesday 22/09/2026 - 20/10/2026 (Half term week 27/10/2026) 03/11/2026 - 15/12/2026
- Term 2 Tuesday 05/01/2027 - 09/02/2027 (Half term week 16/02/2027) 23/02/2027 - 23/03/2027
- Term 3 Tuesday 13/04/2027 - 25/05/2027 (Half term week 01/06/2027) 08/06/2027 - 13/07/2027
Keeley Street
Tue 22 Sep 2026Kate RochesterFull fee £1,749.00 Senior fee £1,399.00 Concession £1,137.00 - City Lit animation
Discover the exciting innovative work of internationally renowned artists and enjoy exploring the potential of experimental animation to develop your fine art practice. On this practical course you will create your own short experimental animated film using a range of stop motion and digital techniques.
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
Tue 22 Sep 2026Stephanie Griffiths, Litza JanszFull fee £2,699.00 Senior fee £2,159.00 Concession £1,754.00 - Designing textiles onlineCreate patterns and designs for textiles This online course is ideal for beginners in Photoshop who are textile artist's or designers, or for anyone interested in exploring digital textile design.You will need your own access to the Adobe Creative Suite on your Mac or PC before class.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00
- Introduction to printmaking techniques
This fast-paced introductory course reveals some of the processes used to make fine art prints. You will be introduced to a range of printmaking methods week-by-week. This course is for beginners and those with limited experience who want to discover how printmaking techniques work. An ideal start to a printmaking journey.
Keeley Street
Tue 22 Sep 2026Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - SketchUp Pro for beginnersLearn to visualise and model interior spaces and 3D forms on this fast track course. Skills in this user friendly and affordable software is invaluable for Interior designers, Garden designers and Set designers who wish to improve their presentations. The software works on both PC or Mac.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00
- Sculpture workshop: developing personal ideas
Realise your personal project in 3D. Come with an idea and you will be supported through your making to a final piece. Learn how to structure your idea from inspiration to reality. Ideal for students with previous experience or students who may need extra workshop time and guidance to complete a project.
Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - Explore your creativityTap into your artistic talents through a series of fun practical exercises that will help you start drawing, painting, looking at art, responding to the world around you and working with your imagination and ideas.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00
- Try it out calligraphy: old English scriptThis short course will introduce you to old English script which is also referred to as Gothic. You will focus on creating the basic letterforms using a dip pen and ink and leave having completed your own sample. Suitable for beginners or those wishing to increase their knowledge of calligraphy scripts.
Keeley Street
Thu 24 Sep 2026Ivo GrantinsFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Friday evening pottery
Suitable for students who want to learn basic design, hand building, decoration and glazing techniques or for students who want to refresh or develop existing ceramics skills. Everyone will be encouraged to explore and experiment with different skills and techniques in a friendly and supportive environment.
Keeley Street
Fri 25 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)Full fee £599.00 Senior fee £479.00 Concession £389.00 - Ways into abstract paintingEncounter different approaches to making abstract paintings while developing your skills in using a range of painting materials. With reference to the work of a variety of abstract artists explore the visual language common to both representation and abstraction, eg. colour, composition, tone and paint application.Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00
- City Lit Children's book illustration course
This year long course will take you on a journey from beginner to intermediate, direct.
The Children’s Book industry is thriving, largely due to globally rising literacy levels, and a growing awareness of the importance of early childhood education. As a result, children’s book creators are in demand.
Our tutors will teach you about the many and various skills you’ll need to illustrate books for children - from drawing and painting (analogue and digital), sequencing and pacing the narrative, to editing the images digitally and overlaying text.You'll learn about the children’s publishing sector; gaining a sense of the different genres and markets for children's books, and where your illustration style might fit.
Keeley Street
Fri 25 Sep 2026Tim Ellis, Ciara Flood, Dee Shulman, Robyn Wilson-OwenFull fee £2,959.00 Senior fee £2,367.00 Concession £1,923.00 - Woodblock and lino printmaking workshopThis course introduces you to new ways of combining printmaking with creative thinking by using multiple printmaking techniques and processes, layering them to produce compositions that can be made into artworks to take away with you.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
- 50 drawings in a dayA high energy programme of directed and self-directed drawing projects, with rapid shifts in materials, scale, subject and focus. Strictly no discards - come ready to play, risk, invent and discuss. For those with some drawing experience.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00
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