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
- Developing graphic novels
Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen MarchantOur 'Developing' courses help you take your next step in your chosen creative field.
Comics – once considered lowbrow, or seen as exclusively for children, now occupy a higher cultural domain. Partly thanks to a re-brand, (as ‘Graphic Novels’), no weighty subject is off-limits. A graphic novel has even been nominated for The Booker Prize!
Alongside official publishing channels, exists a lively ‘zine’ culture, where comic and graphic-novel artists can legitimately self-publish and sell their work through a network of independent shops and fairs.
Learn how to create Comics and Graphic-novels with City Lit, and – once you have developed your practice – how to navigate this thriving sector. - Advanced visual communications: social impact by visual design Course start date: Tue 24 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: George StickneyCan visual design create enough impact to change society? What effect do posters and campaigns have in changing people’s minds on various subjects? This course is for those with some experience in making graphic images who want to explore campaigning in graphic design and media.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £244.00 - Etching workshop Course start date: Tue 9 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kath CastilloAn exciting introduction to the basic processes and principles of etching. Using zinc plate, create beautiful images with line, texture and tone, and experiment with printing your image in both monochrome and colour.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Sketchbooks: materials and techniques Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sisetta ZapponeA fantastic introduction to creative processes using a variety of different media to develop an exciting sketchbook. A sketchbook is a great place to try things out, make mistakes and take risks - all in the nature of experimentation. Suitable for beginners as well as those with some previous drawing experience.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Character design workshop Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ciara FloodTake a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.
In this workshop, learn how to create compelling characters for illustration projects, and beyond.
Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.
Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course. - Contemporary art photography Course start date: Tue 21 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Holly FalconerBecome an expert in the fine art world of contemporary photography. Learn about the history, concepts and theories behind the art form, and the technology and techniques now influencing it. Develop practical skills to realise your own creative ideas, discuss your photography portfolio with others, and learn about platforms to showcase your work on the commercial fine art market.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Textiles: illustrative embroidery Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosie JamesDevelop your embroidery skills in both hand and machine stitching. Create a range of samples, learn how to transfer designs to cloth, explore design ideas, experiment with fabrics and threads. - Documentary filmmaking: interviews Course start date: Thu 26 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lily MarkiewiczGood interviews provide the foundation to most successful documentaries. This class offers essential tips on how to approach your subject, how to shoot great interviews and secret tips to improve your chance of better coverage..Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Developing personal printmaking projects Course start date: Thu 26 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore and develop personal work in intaglio and relief printmaking. Techniques covered include drypoint, etching, linocut, collagraphy and photo etching. All levels of experience welcome.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Explore your creativity Course start date: Thu 26 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ro SylvesterTap into your artistic talents through a series of fun practical exercises that will help you start drawing, painting, looking at art, responding to the world around you and working with your imagination and ideas.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Crochet for improvers Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire MontgomerieThis course is ideal if you know how to crochet and want to progress from the basic stitches. Learn advanced techniques such as shaping, working in the round, cluster stitches and reading patterns. - Life drawing into life painting Course start date: Thu 9 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lindsay PickettLearn or develop life drawing skills and approaches to painting the nude figure. Including use of tone and colour selection, composition and paint handling to develop solidity, atmosphere and expression. Some experience of drawing is recommended.Full fee £399.00 Senior fee £319.00 Concession £259.00 - Oil painting projects Course start date: Sun 2 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Desmond HaughtonOil paint is a uniquely sensitive medium, which can be used to create expressive and complex images. This course is for oil painters with some experience who want to develop their own individual painting projects, with expert tutor guidance.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Experimental ceramics Course start date: Sun 29 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tana WestA chance to use different clays with the addition of oxides, fluxing agents and natural combustible materials. Fuse found objects in the kiln, make biscuit slips and investigate the textural possibilities of glazes. - Life drawing: a contemporary approach Course start date: Sun 29 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Annie AttridgeThis course introduces exciting contemporary approaches to life drawing using a variety of processes including using wire to draw with, clayslip for mark-making and plaster. You will be encouraged to explore creative and imaginative approaches in your response to the life model. Suitable for all levels but some previous drawing experience an advantage.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
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