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
- Writing for children: getting started
Course start date: Sat 31 Jan 2026 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrew WealeDevelop your ideas for children's stories in this practical and interactive short course. Topics will include plot, characterisation and viewpoint, and how to approach the children's publishing industry today.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Explore printmaking Course start date: Wed 30 Jul 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Esther HeyhoeCome and get inky with this fun one day workshop exploring printmaking. This course will give you a basic understanding of monoprinting, relief printing and screen printing and is aimed at those who would like to explore different printmaking techniques before going on to other courses.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Writing flash fiction: getting started Course start date: Sun 3 Aug 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lucy PopescuA sideways glance: succinct, powerful. This short workshop on the essential components of flash fiction will teach you to tell a complete story in very few words.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Drawing 1 Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brian SayersAn introduction to drawing from observation through a carefully structured approach in a studio environment. Suitable for beginners.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Painting for beginners Course start date: Thu 8 Jan 2026 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExperience the enjoyment of painting in a studio environment. Through simple exercises you will explore colour mixing and methods of applying paint using a variety of brushes and tools. Start to paint a basic composition from still-life, mixing and matching the colours and textures observed.
Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Massage: fast-track Course start date: Fri 9 Jan 2026 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Kean Street Wellbeing Centre
Tutors: Oge OkohConsidering massage therapy as a career? Learn the theory and practice of massage at a professional level. City Lit is a leading training provider in London for Massage and Complementary Therapies, providing outstanding achievement at high industry standards. Our courses are taught by experienced and practising industry professionals who have current knowledge of the massage sector. If you’ve applied for this course and not heard back from us, please email us on health@citylit.ac.uk, or call us (Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00) on 020 8142 4577.
We have a limited number of free places on this course under the government's Free Courses for Jobs initiative. This offer is for eligible applicants who are Londoners on a Low-Income or on Active-Benefits or Other-Benefits or if you do not already have a full level 3 qualification. For more information click here
The Free Courses for Jobs initiative is for Londoners aged 24 or over at the start of the course who are: on a low-income; or on certain benefits; or do not have a full level 3 qualification. For more information Click here
The course fee is £1679.00. If you are unable to pay the course fee upfront, you can choose to apply for an Advanced Learning Loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC) to help cover the cost. The Advanced Learner loan available for this course is £1679.00. The Loan is repayable after the course ends. For more information, please call Health & Wellbeing on 020 8142 4577. You can find more information about the Advanced Learner Loan here www.citylit.ac.uk/advanced-learner-loansFull fee £1,679.00 Senior fee £1,679.00 Concession £1,679.00 - Ways into screenwriting Course start date: Wed 7 May 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Nico MensingaLearn to write for the screen on this practical, introductory course. Writing exercises, presentations and screenings will teach you key skills, and you’ll begin to produce work and an outline for a full-length project.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Lipreading and managing hearing loss: beginners module 1Course start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Nicola HicksThis class is suitable for total beginners who have little or no experience of lipreading or who have completed a lipreading class at any level in the past, but want to go back to basics. You will learn how to recognise some sounds that are visible on the lips and how to use other tactics to support lipreading and how to manage hearing loss.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.
See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £85.00 - Becoming confident in digital skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (beginner)Course start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you know the basics of emailing and internet use? Are you ready to work with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook? Then this course is for you. You will start learning how to word process, use spreadsheets and create presentations, vital skills in today’s world inside and outside the workplace. You will also learn the most essential aspects of Outlook so you can send and receive emails and organise them. You will develop these skills by working on key tasks such as letter-writing, budgeting, presenting and contacting work colleagues. By the end of the course you will be able to create well-presented short texts such as letters, design simple budgets and tables, produce effective and attractive presentations and email them to friends and work colleagues. Start your journey today!
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £85.00 - Lipreading and managing hearing loss: beginners module 3Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Christine HathwayThis class is suitable for if you have completed beginners modules 1 and 2 or have completed a lipreading class in the past and already have a basic understanding of lipreading theory and fingerspelling. You will develop your lipreading and fingerspelling skills and build your confidence.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.
See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £85.00 - Exploring classical music 1Course start date: Thu 15 Jan 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenDo you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Medieval to (early) Baroque music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. NB: Break week: 19 Feb 2026.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Craft focus: grammar, syntax, and style for creative writers Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William BradyGreat poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £90.00 - Botanical illustration Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison BarrattLearn 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 £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Ways into poetryCourse start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cecilia KnappRelatively new to writing poetry? This inspiring course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices alongside fellow emerging poets. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Writing for magazines Course start date: Wed 7 May 2025 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Phyllis RichardsonGet inspired to write on this practical course for freelance journalists and bloggers. Learn to carry out research, interview people, pitch and publish stories, and build your presence on social media.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
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