City Lit Art School — Art Classes in London
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
- Oil painting: techniques and mediums
Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Steve WrightOil paint is a medium with a long historical tradition, capable of heavy impasto effects and delicate transparent colour films. Working practically, in the studio, this course will expand your understanding of approaches to building a variety of surfaces in your paint working with mediums and expanding your use of texture and glazing This course is for all levels – both beginners and more experienced painters.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Processing black and white photographic film Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Catriona GrayShoot a roll of black and white film and develop it in traditional chemicals, learning 2 ways to view the images on your film (analogue and digital)
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Fine art photography: focus on black and whiteCourse start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisShape, form, pattern and texture take on added significance in black-and-white photography. Without colour to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Discover these elements and the basic rules of black and white photography.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Jewellery making: all levels Course start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kevin StevensonEver wanted to make your own jewellery? Try out jewellery-making, getting to grips with the basic processes and techniques for using metal to create simple yet beautiful earrings, rings, pendants and bracelets to your own
designs.Full fee £419.00 Senior fee £335.00 Concession £272.00 - Portraits 2 Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke Jones, Andrea VoiseyDevelop 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 - Intermediate jewellery I Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sally LeesHave you taken a beginners’ course and are looking to progress your jewellery making? Develop and refine your design and making skills through guided projects applying a range of precision skills to create metal jewellery. Intermediate Jewellery I focuses on surface, hollow forms and mechanisms. You will be encouraged to experiment with scale, with an emphasis on volumetric form.
Full fee £419.00 Senior fee £335.00 Concession £272.00 - City Lit Children's book illustration course Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim Ellis, Ciara Flood, Dee Shulman, Robyn Wilson-OwenThis 30-week course will take you on a journey from beginner to intermediate, direct.
The Children’s Book industry is thriving, largely due to globally rising literacy levels, and a growing awareness of the importance of early childhood education. As a result, Children’s Book creators are in demand.
Our tutors will teach you the many and various skills you’ll need to illustrate books for children - from drawing and painting (analogue and digital), sequencing and pacing the narrative, to editing the images digitally and overlaying text.
You'll learn about the children’s publishing sector; gaining a sense of the different genres and markets for children's books, and where your illustration style might fit. - Contemporary sketchbook: mixed media projects Course start date: Fri 3 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonDevelop 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. - Design your own garden Course start date: Fri 3 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison WorsterDesign your own garden and turn your valuable outside space into a private sanctuary. On this online course you will discover how to create a secluded garden using considered layout, landscaping and planting to create an extension of your home. - Introduction to using a Sketchbook Course start date: Fri 10 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
A 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.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Introduction to beaded jewellery Course start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Beverley SellFancy trying your hand at beaded jewellery making? Learn how to work with beads, wire, thread and findings to create beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings and tiara designs. Join our introductory course for all levels to discover where to find the best beads, how to knot with thread, manipulate and twist wire and learn how to finish your work using clasps.
- Scanning photography negatives, transparencies and prints Course start date: Fri 24 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dominic HarrisDo you have boxes of old prints, negatives or transparencies gathering dust that you'd love to have digitised? Learn how to get your archive onto your computer using different methods from flatbed and film scanners to a digital camera.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Children's book illustration studio Course start date: Fri 24 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim EllisCity Lit Studios provide time each week for you to commit to working on a personal project or portfolio, alongside your peers. A tutor will be on-hand to provide insights and guidance, as and when you need it.
Studios are for experienced learners with a burgeoning creative practice they wish to hone, in a supportive environment. For example, those who have completed a Beginners and Developing course in a relevant subject, or have equivalent industry experience. - Sketching at Tate Britain Course start date: Fri 31 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore 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 artworks at Tate Britain.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Sketching at the British Museum Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of objects and artifacts in The British Museum.
Please note - meet at Montague Place entrance - the front entrance is now only for ticket holders.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00
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