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 the family
Course start date: Sat 5 Jul 2025 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick BarlayA thought-provoking workshop designed to tackle the challenges of writing about family life in creative non-fiction projects, and offer guidance on shaping personal stories into coherent, engaging narratives.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Storytelling (intensive)Course start date: Mon 7 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ariella EshedAll cultures respect the world of Story. The ability to tell Stories, in a variety of settings, is a skill that has seen a strong resurgence, both in the workplace, and in contemporary performance. Gain confidence and experience in storytelling on this intensive summer course. - Gentle Yoga Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah ScottStretch, relax and feel good! This course is suitable for those who wish to enjoy the benefits of yoga at a gentle pace. Alternatives are offered if a student finds any particular postures (asanas) uncomfortable.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £118.00 - Streets of Horror, Streets of Hope: The East End, 1888Course start date: Tue 8 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah WiseBecause of the ‘Jack the Ripper’ killings, the late-Victorian East End can be read as a cityscape of poverty and fear. But there is another Whitechapel – a magnet for a variety of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who sought to grapple with the problems of the modern city and to create a better life.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Lunchtime lecture: Louise Bourgeois, the abject and the eroticCourse start date: Wed 9 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayAn introduction to the art of Louise Bourgeois, its feminism, both erotic and abject. We explore Bourgeois as a sculptor, printmaker and performance artist, looking at how she was influenced by psychology and biography.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £7.00 - The Odyssey reading group (in translation) Course start date: Thu 10 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Justin MurrayHomer’s epic tale of Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War may now be over 2,500 years old but it still has much to tell us about the Ancient Greek world that is still relevant today. Explore this great work in translation. - Pilates: Friday chill out Course start date: Fri 11 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Monica WillettLearn Pilates exercises to improve your health. The course is taught at a gentle and enjoyable pace and covers basic moves to improve core strength, balance and posture. Suitable for all, including complete beginners.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £83.00 - Chinese: The meaning of charactersCourse start date: Sat 12 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Joyce LeeCome and explore the essence of Chinese characters and their profound significance in this enlightening lively online workshop. Unlock the hidden meanings behind strokes and symbols, tracing the cultural, historical, and philosophical depths they hold.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Mindfulness and Meditation: De-Stress and Rejuvenate Course start date: Mon 14 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sally PageLearn how to de-stress, rejuvenate and cultivate calm using a variety of Mindfulness and Meditation techniques. From understanding why we get stressed, to applying this understanding in everyday real life situations. Releasing stress to cultivate an experience of calm, a positive state of mind, and significantly reduce stress levels and tension held in the body.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - From the Habsburgs to the EU: The History of Italy’s North-EastCourse start date: Tue 15 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThe cities of Trieste and Gorizia, on today's Italian North-Eastern border, had a very complicated history in the 19th and 20th century. In this session you will discover the key historical events that marked these lands. From the divisions caused by the two world wars to the choice of Gorizia/Nova Gorica as EU's Capital of Culture 2025.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Late Victorian Soho: From Sex and Shopping to Police & Radical PoliticsCourse start date: Tue 15 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah WiseThe West End was a heady mix of glamorous shopping emporia, political refugees from Europe, street-based and brothel-based prostitution, and the general public just enjoying a day or evening ‘Up West’. Join Dr. Sarah Wise to learn more on this 2 hour guided walk of Soho.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - The art of Chinese gardens: nature and philosophyCourse start date: Wed 16 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
In early modern China, gardens were more than places of retreat, they functioned as major social, cultural and economic sites. In our time of ecological crisis, gardens play a crucial role in mitigating pollution. This course will examine how the intersections of art, architecture, philosophy and sensory experience of Chinese gardens show continuity and change from the early modern period to the present day.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Music, sound, and the moving image Course start date: Thu 17 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckThis course explores key ideas about music for the screen, covering a broad range of examples, techniques, and ideas.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £62.00 - Great composers: Louise Farrenc Course start date: Thu 24 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Trish ShawDiscover the musical life and work of Louise Farrenc (1804–1875), the celebrated French pianist, composer, teacher and scholar. Learn about her delightful chamber music, her important piano etudes, and her impact on French music and culture in the 19th century.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Sketching at the museum: National Gallery Course start date: Thu 24 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane MartinExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks: learn and improve your drawing skills and ‘ways of seeing’ and understanding by working from some of the iconic paintings in the National Gallery.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00
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