Art & Design courses in London & online
Explore new and exciting subjects within a range of art and design disciplines, develop your skill set, get the support required to change career or launch yourself as a freelance artist or designer. All this and more delivered through our practical 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.uk
- Painting studio: three-day painting project
Course start date: Mon 20 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda KnightExplore a personal painting project over three full days in a well equipped studio, taking inspiration from contemporary artists with tutor advice and support. Please note that this course uses water-based oil paints as well as acrylic paints.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Introduction to jewellery making Course start date: Mon 20 Jul 2026 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Seijen Ten HoornDiscover metal jewellery making techniques to create a piece of jewellery. You will be introduced to the basic processes of forging, texturing, soldering and cutting out shapes in metal. You will learn how to create a ring to the correct finger size.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Sketching at the National Gallery Course start date: Thu 23 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
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 - Explore printmaking Course start date: Thu 23 Jul 2026 (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 £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Flush setting for jewellery makers Course start date: Sat 25 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Seijen Ten HoornFor intermediate jewellers. Learn how to set round brilliant cut/faceted stones in sheet metal and rings using the traditional flush setting technique. You will practice in copper, before moving on to work in silver. There will also be a chance to make your own flush setting tool.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Bookbinding weekend: notebooks and folders Course start date: Sat 25 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Learn to make single sheet folded books, a simple multi-section sewn book and a folded slipcase. This weekend course is an opportunity to make an exciting range of notebooks and folders and learn some useful bookbinding techniques. Suitable for beginners.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Calligraphy: Spencerian scripts Course start date: Mon 27 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Veiko KespersaksLearn how to use a pointed pen for writing in copperplate hand. Spencerian script developed from the English Cursive and stands out for its delicately shaded lowercase and prominent capitals. With very intense shadows, obtained with a pointed pen, it is famous for its fine lines, hand-made quality and romantic overtones. Suitable for both beginners and improvers, left and right handers.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Calligraphy summer intensive Course start date: Mon 27 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawGilded initials make perfect gifts for family and friends. You’ll learn painting techniques and how to apply a PVA mordant and use real leaf. You will be provided with a number of decorative alphabet templates and then taken step-by-step through the stages of drawing, painting and applying real gold to create your own illuminated decorated letterform.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Life painting for beginners: summer school intensiveCourse start date: Mon 27 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Desmond Haughton, Luke JonesThis 4 day intensive course is a great introduction to painting directly from the life model, where you will make great progress in understanding how to paint from life. Using simple structured projects, you will explore different approaches to represent the human form in paint, with encouraging, helpful guidance from an experienced tutor and taking inspiration from the work of other painters. Suitable for beginners in painting who have some previous life drawing experience.
Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00 - Develop your jewellery design and making intensiveCourse start date: Mon 27 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth BoneFancy honing your jewellery making skills in a professional workshop with an expert tutor? If you're an intermediate to advanced jewellery maker and would like to improve your designs and push your technical skills to a higher standard, this hands on, expert led course is for you. Perfect your skills, try different techniques and discover new design approaches.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Narrative filmmaking Course start date: Tue 28 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lily MarkiewiczTelling a story on film comes with its own challenges. This practical course demystifies what it takes to do this successfully.Full fee £359.00 Senior fee £287.00 Concession £233.00 - Illustrated stitch: a masterclass with Rosie James Course start date: Mon 3 Aug 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosie JamesDraw from your own photographs of people and buildings then learn how to stitch those drawings on to cloth using a sewing machine. Add fabric to create a completed contemporary textile artwork.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Try it out: bookbinding Course start date: Sat 8 Aug 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate RochesterDip your fingers into bookbinding. Learn a little about the materials and craft of bookbinding while making an attractive book to take home. A chance to discuss further study in bookbinding at City Lit.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Textiles: polychromatic printing Course start date: Sat 8 Aug 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Melissa OughamExperiment with polychromatic print onto fabric and paper, exploring the creative potential of Procion dyes and silk screen printing. Processes include mark making, hand painting, resists, stencils and layering. Develop personal designs, textile samples and artwork.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £179.00 - Basketry: weaving in willow Course start date: Mon 7 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mollie McMillenExplore basic willow basketry structures and weaves. This course will guide beginners through a simple project to make a small, round, functional basket.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00
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