Drawing courses in London
At City Lit, we have a variety of drawing courses, delivered in our bright, modern studios for students to create and develop a body of drawing work. Supported by our team of experienced and expert tutors, we offer students both a practical guide and an informative insight, providing an opportunity for all levels to explore traditional and contemporary styles of drawing.
We have classes for everyone, whether you’re a complete beginner and you want an introduction to drawing; or you’re at an intermediate or higher level and you want classes that focus on developing advanced drawing skills such as mark making techniques, experimental approaches and use of colour, tone and shade within these disciplines.
Our courses are specially designed to offer you support in overcoming any frustrations, learning new skills and helping you achieve your personal creative goals.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
To arrange a conversation with our drawing coordinator about your interests, options and courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
65 courses available
Drawing: charcoal and colour pastel techniquesA beginners course for those who wish to explore basic drawing techniques using soft media in tone and colour. Investigate mark-making, gesture, texture and blending - and ways to take these skills into short drawing projects. No experience is necessary.
Keeley Street
Tue 15 Sep 2026Luke JonesFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00- Drawing for beginners
Ease into drawing and discover some interesting methods of representing simple object forms. You will explore basic concepts such as line, tone, and mark-making. Ideal if you are new to drawing; a great way to learn some basics, try out different media, and prepare for longer courses.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - 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
- Portraits 2
Develop your knowledge of the technical aspects of portraiture further and explore your understanding of what makes a convincing portrait. Undertake practical projects which enable you to develop a personal approach to the subject as the course progresses.
Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - 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
- Drawing and mindfulness: morning meditation
Join us and set up your day in a tranquil, reflective way with our 5-day Drawing and mindfulness: morning meditation course. Whether you want to do something nourishing before work or are setting up for a day of creative activity, the practices of drawing and mindfulness will help you begin each day with fresh eyes and mind. Suitable for all levels.
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00 - City Lit year of the figure and portrait
This is a year-long course that explores the endlessly fascinating subject of the human form through various aspects of drawing and painting the figure and portrait. For those interested in building real progress and confidence in practical skills and taught by a team of specialist tutors, you will be inspired by stimulating projects that explore historical and contemporary artists' contexts to support your creative work.
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.
If you are eligible and have already enrolled, you can apply for the funding support retrospectively.
Keeley Street
Wed 30 Sep 2026 (and 1 other date)Mario Lautier Vella, Lindsay Pickett, Sisetta ZapponeFull fee £1,349.00 Senior fee £1,079.00 Concession £877.00 - Life drawing after workA fun, relaxed and shorter life drawing class better suited for people coming straight from work. You will be able to work from a variety of life models, in a range of materials and with a variety of poses. You will be working from the unclothed model, both male and female.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £179.00
- Drawing 2
Develop your drawing skills for greater accuracy and complexity, and explore different approaches informed by a range of artists' drawing process. Learn to manipulate composition, surface and mark-making to create dynamic, expressive drawings.
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 if you are looking to do it as part of the longer suite of courses eg 1, 2 and/or 3. You will need to do a minimum of two of the staged courses to be eligible for financial support. Read our step-by-step bursary guidance here to find out more and apply.
If you are eligible and have already enrolled, you can apply for the funding support retrospectively.
Full fee £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £311.00 - City Lit contemporary collage projects 1
City Lit contemporary collage projects 1 initiates a year-long set of collage and mixed media projects designed to experiment with and examine the interplay between the two and three dimensions. You will work with a wide range of materials, on and off the wall, extending our pictorial practice into the realm of collage, painting, drawing, assemblage, bricolage, decoupage, photomontage, small scale constructions, printing and text within the context of mixed media.
Note* the course is designed in a way to enable students to either complete all three courses over the year or to come in at any stage in no particular order.
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 if you are looking to do it as part of the longer suite of courses eg 1, 2 and/or 3. You will need to do a minimum of two of the staged courses to be eligible for financial support. Read our step-by-step bursary guidance here to find out more and apply.
If you are eligible and have already enrolled, you can apply for the funding support retrospectively.
Keeley Street
Thu 1 Oct 2026Jera MayFull fee £849.00 Senior fee £679.00 Concession £552.00 - Contemporary sketchbook: mixed media projectsDevelop a creative and experimental sketchbook. Explore materials and techniques with confidence, including mark making, drawing and mixed media within a contemporary context. Produce a collection of work or ideas for composition. Drawing experience is an advantage but not essential.Full fee £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £311.00
- Drawing: ink and wash techniquesThe immediacy and versatility of ink and wash is perfect for those sketching on location, for designers and for students interested in watercolour techniques. Take the opportunity to explore the basic techniques of this exciting process.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
- Art and creative thinking with Rod JudkinsArt is fundamentally about communicating ideas. If the idea is strong, the work of art is memorable.
This exciting, one day workshop, led by Rod Judkins (artist, tutor and author of ‘The art of Creative thinking’ and ‘Ideas are your only currency’) will explore methods to create ideas and concepts and combine them with the process of making. You will receive a signed copy of Art and Creative Thinking when you attend this course.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00 - The sketchbook as a creative toolA sketchbook is a great place to try things out, make mistakes and take risks - all in the nature of experimentation. An introduction to exploring creative mixed-media, drawing and mark-making techniques with confidence which can build personal ideas for further development.
Suitable for beginners as well as those with some previous drawing experience who would like to start using a sketchbook.Keeley Street
Tue 6 Oct 2026 (and 2 other dates)Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00 - Drawing from plants and flowersExplore 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.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00
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