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
- Calligraphy for beginners and improvers
Course start date: Fri 23 May 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawLearn and develop calligraphy skills on this beginners and improvers course. You will practice with a range of pens and papers, and create a finished example using a favourite quotation. Advice will be given on tools and materials. Suitable for left or right-handers. - Animating still life weekend Course start date: Sat 24 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephanie GriffithsUsing the professional application DragonFrame to capture stop motion and a range of stop motion techniques and processes you will create an exciting and surprising animation. This weekend course will introduce you to some of the techniques of internationally celebrated animators such as Jan Svankmajer and Paul Bush.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £179.00 - Photography for beginners Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 17 other dates)
Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisAlways wondered what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to use them properly and produce impressive photographs, even as a complete beginner. Gain useful technical knowledge and get expert creative guidance in easy-to-understand language. An ideal first step before enrolling on our intermediate courses.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Painting from plants and flowers Course start date: Tue 27 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore a variety of creative approaches for painting flowers from observation. Discover the rich history of this genre while taking inspiration from artists who use flowers as their subject matter.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Rush basketry Course start date: Wed 28 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John PageUsing traditional techniques you will make a variety of baskets with this native plant. There will be the opportunity to try experimental work with rush and other materials. All levels are welcome.Full fee £379.00 Senior fee £303.00 Concession £246.00 - Looking at photography: critical and analytic theories Course start date: Wed 28 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Scott PerryAn introduction to some of the main ways of thinking about photography, based on cultural theory, politics, philosophy and semiotics.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - In conversation with Simon Poulter Course start date: Thu 29 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Join us as artist and curator Simon Poulter speaks about his present focus - a series of paintings and online works documenting the ‘New Normal’. Recent work has included three large scale commissions working with Mutiny, as part of the University of East Anglia’s Future and Formprogramme. Mutiny is about to undertake a large scale commission in 2022/23 for Hull City Council, developing a digital platform and new work for the Old Town.Full fee £5.00 Senior fee £5.00 Concession £5.00 - Portraits 1 Course start date: Fri 30 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke Jones, Andrea VoiseyThis course aims to introduce you to this fascinating genre in both drawing and painting portraits through practical experience of the basic skills and concepts involved, including structure and proportion of the head and features, tone, colour, pose and expression. Working from direct observation of the live model.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Textiles: indigo shibori dyeing Course start date: Fri 30 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lara MantellProduce your own indigo hand dyed fabrics using pleating, stitch and wrapping methods. Explore the magical combination of indigo dye and shibori resist techniques. - Embroidered art brooches Course start date: Fri 30 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tanvi KantLearn how to experiment and combine a variety of textiles to create expressive embroidered brooches. - Textiles sketchbook course Course start date: Sat 31 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonDevelop a creative and experimental sketchbook. Explore the surface qualities of drawing and mark-making with the layered possibilities of mixed-media and hand stitch. You'll have the chance to generate visual research and ideas towards a personal project.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Japanese woodcut printmaking Course start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Carol Justin WilhideAn introduction to the beautiful and delicate printmaking world of Japanese Woodcut. Explore this water based, non-toxic process and build an appreciation for the handmade. You will learn how to design, carve and make a multi-coloured print. Beginners welcome.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00 - Introduction to carving in wood or stone Course start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
. - Drawing and the art of mindfulness: tone Course start date: Sun 1 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyInvestigate a range of ways to make tonal drawings, whilst exploring the benefits of mindfulness practice in relation to drawing. The workshop will focus on supporting you to develop new skills in handling materials, as well as a variety of creative expression.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £79.00 - Drawing: focus on space and depth Course start date: Mon 2 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExplore the potential of perspective, layering, light and shade to create space and depth in a drawing. By experimenting with different drawing mediums play with the picture plane in a drawing to achieve an illusion of depth. Using observational drawing make a still life come alive through the play of contrast and cast shadows.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
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