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
- Art in theory: What is creativity?Course start date: Thu 30 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
This critical studies course for developing artists and makers explores the concept of creativity and what it means to be an artist, drawing on a range of cultural theories and work by creative practitioners to help inspire and enhance creative and critical thinking.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Fashion and editorial photography
Course start date: Thu 8 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Ed GregoryThis course will help you to develop your skills in editorial fashion photography.
The course is project driven and will take you from the creation of a basic story board through to a photo shoot. By the end of the course you will understand the workflow, the tools and thinking / planning required to run a successful shoot for yourself. The course also provides advice on getting material published.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Affinity photo: professional image editing Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael HardingLearn about the potential and possibilities available to you when using Affinity Photo and develop practical skill and knowledge.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Textiles for beginners short course Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Renata MinoldoGet started with the basics of textiles by painting, printing and stitching fabric. Combine simple practical techniques with design work in colour, texture, pattern and composition.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Oil painting: focus on light and shade Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lindsay PickettThis oil painting course takes inspiration from the moody and luminous imagery of classic Film Noir such as ‘The Third Man’. Students will explore composition, tonal transition and contrast to enhance their pleasure in oil painting and create strong and powerful paintings.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Make a willow basket in two evenings Course start date: Mon 14 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John PageMake a small bread or fruit basket over two evening sessions. Suitable for beginners as an introduction to traditional willow basketry techniques, or for those with some experience wanting to refresh their skills.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Art and Ideas: Identity and the selfCourse start date: Thu 8 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in identity as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Fine art photography: focus on dramatic lightingCourse start date: Fri 16 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ed GregoryThis is a creative workshop course that pays homage to the grandmasters of fine art portraiture and still life both in photography and art. With the use of props, lighting and visual analysis you will reconstruct the atmosphere of fine art paintings and photography. Taking images from the Dutch master painters from the 17th and 18th centuries, and master photographers from the 1930s and 40s, such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Berenice Abbott, we will create contemporary versions using light and props.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Ways into abstract painting 2Course start date: Tue 10 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca AllenA follow-on course from Ways Into Abstract Painting. Explore colour, scale and mark-making in more depth to get the best out of your compositional ideas. Build skills in paint-handling, personal methods of developing abstract imagery, and confidence in discussing your work and themes.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Art and Ideas: What is visual language? Course start date: Thu 19 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in visual language as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work and build an understanding of your own visual language.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - London photography walk: River ThamesCourse start date: Wed 1 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Michael HardingExplore and discover London through photography walks around locations rich in photographic potential.
The walks revolve around photographing views along the River Thames, from the Aldwych area eastwards to the City, from London Bridge to the Southbank and from Westminster to the newly developed Nine Elms area. Bring your own camera and comfortable walking shoes as you capture places, spaces, objects and people.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Printmaking studio: focus on colour Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kath CastilloA course for intermediate and experienced printmakers wanting to build on previous experience and experiment with process to consolidate and hone technical skills. The focus is on colour application, advanced intaglio processes, realising personal projects and the production of high quality prints. - Improve your film workshop Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lily MarkiewiczWant some feed-back and a helping hand to improve your film project? Join this workshop to get professional and peer support and elevate your film to another level.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00 - Jewellery: stone setting III Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rae DuncanAlready explored some of the skills of mount-making and stone-setting but want to take your expertise to another level? Experience the more complicated techniques of mounting a variety of stone shapes, as well as practising your grasp of claw and collet settings. Integrate new stone-setting techniques with your existing knowledge to give the ultimate professional finish to your jewellery.Full fee £399.00 Senior fee £319.00 Concession £259.00 - Carving in wood or stone Course start date: Thu 8 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Belinda EdwardsGet inspired by trying carving techniques in stone or wood and create your own small carving in wood and stone. Suitable for anyone from beginners to experienced carvers. This course will explore the characteristics of wood and stone, lead you through the steps of design and carving, encourage you to explore and develop your ideas, and try more experimental techniques.
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