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
- Anatomical portrait drawing
Course start date: Fri 26 Jun 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrea VoiseyEnhance your portraits by uncovering what lies beneath the surface. Through demonstration and direct observation of the model you will examine proportion, rotation and the key anatomical structures of the head and neck that denote likeness.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Large-scale drawing and mixed media Course start date: Sat 27 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenEnjoy a lively, more active way of art-making and make work on a grander scale. Complete a number of experimental projects that explore how big mixed media drawing can be exciting, challenging and surprising.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Artists sketchbook walk Course start date: Sat 4 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Heidi WigmoreTake a sketchbook walk in Central London to observe, record and engage with the urban environment, both historic architecture, modern skylines, the river and parks. Quick sketching, supported by discussion and reflection along the way, will open up new ways of seeing and responding to your surroundings. Meet at City Lit main entrance.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Collage and mixed media: expressive colour Course start date: Tue 7 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ute KreymanUse mixed media and the expressive possibilities of colour to enrich your understanding of the creative language of
collage. Engage with different approaches to material and processes with a short introduction to colour theory.
All levels welcome.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Drawing: old master techniques Course start date: Mon 13 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sisetta ZapponeLook back at the drawing techniques and materials used by the Old Masters of the Renaissance period. Working to set exercises, explore drawing materials used by significant artists of this time, using their methods to practise and develop your own drawing skills and apply to drawing from life.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Life drawing: focus on hands and feet Course start date: Wed 15 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaThis short course is aimed at those with some previous life drawing experience who would like to meet the unique challenge of drawing hands and feet. Explore how to make sense of their complex structure and form and to draw these parts of the anatomy convincingly. You'll never leave hands and feet out of your life drawings again!Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Sketching at the National Gallery Course start date: Thu 23 Jul 2026
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 £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Landscape sketching weekend Course start date: Sat 25 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke JonesHave you always wanted to draw landscapes in a sketchbook?
On this course, you’ll learn basic techniques for landscape studies, in two different locations near to the City Lit.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Drawing in colour: summer schoolCourse start date: Mon 27 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kim ScoullerExplore a variety of techniques and approaches to making a still-life in pastels. Learn how to mix pastels on paper, choose suitable materials and supports to allow you to create a finished pastel drawing.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Contemporary collage: summer school intensive Course start date: Tue 28 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jera MayA short experimental course across 2 days (Tuesday and Wednesday) to explore and combine a variety of collage techniques using found images, drawing, painting and paper to create unexpectedly beautiful or powerful images. Suitable for beginners
Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Portraits 2 Course start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brian SayersDevelop your knowledge of the technical aspects of portraiture further and expore 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 £479.00 Senior fee £383.00 Concession £311.00
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