Life Painting & Portraiture courses in London
If you’ve tried life drawing then developing a figure or portrait painting from life is the next exciting step. On these painting courses, students will be looking at artists, both historic and modern, who have mastered the genre to inspire and develop confidence in handling paint. Beginners will follow a structured course to build skills in life painting including structure and volume of the head and body and how to mix naturalistic skin tones.
Taught in our bright, open and modern Life and Portraiture studios, you’ll work from a variety of life models and poses to develop confidence whilst exploring the relationship between the artist and subject.
Courses available both in-person and online
At City Lit, you can choose to study in-person or online. Our fantastic in-person courses are taught in our attractive campus, located in the heart of Covent Garden, central London. Here, our students can benefit from a variety of services and resources, including our café and state-of-the art equipment.
Our online courses are tailored to give you a social and interactive online learning experience, allowing you freedom to study from anywhere and with like-minded fellow classmates from all over the country without the need to travel. Use the Location filters on this page to choose your preferred learning method. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.
To arrange a conversation with our life and portraiture coordinator about your interests, options and courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
9 courses available
Life painting: expressionist approachesExplore imaginative, dynamic approaches to painting the figure using a variety of approaches: be inspired by new ways of seeing and access innovative ways of approaching your life painting.Keeley Street
Thu 12 Nov 2026Luke JonesFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00- Portrait painting: two session poseDevelop a portrait from life: a structured course to build skills towards making a convincing portrait where the model keeps the same pose over 2 sessions to enable a sustained piece of work.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
- Drawing and painting portraits: traditional techniquesThis structured course introduces traditional approaches to drawing then painting portraits from observation of the life model. Suitable for all levels but some previous drawing experience an advantage.
Keeley Street
Thu 14 Jan 2027Amanda Bracken, Kim ScoullerFull fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00 - Life painting from the clothed model
Life painting from the clothed life model offers fantastic opportunities to create character and narrative through different clothing and props. Explore how texture, pattern, colour and the folds of cloth can enhance your painting from life and how dramatic poses can inspire personal expression.
Keeley Street
Fri 29 Jan 2027Lindsay PickettFull fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00 - Oil painting: focus on portraitureLearn to draw and paint portraits using traditional methods of observation, composition and mark making. Working from a variety of professional portrait models you will start with pencil and charcoal and progress on to oil painting.
Keeley Street
Sun 28 Feb 2027Desmond HaughtonFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Painting: mixing for skintonesThis course will teach you the skills you need to paint naturalistic skin tones when working from life which will make your figure and portrait paintings more convincing.
Keeley Street
Thu 8 Apr 2027Alex HannaFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Life painting: experimental approaches
Explore imaginative, dynamic approaches to painting the figure using a variety of approaches: be inspired by new ways of seeing and access innovative ways of approaching your life painting. Suitable for those with some previous life drawing experience.
Keeley Street
Thu 3 Jun 2027Ruth BrisonFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Life painting weekend: expressionist approaches
Over the course of a weekend, explore and develop a personal expressive response to life drawing and painting using a variety of techniques working from the life model. Explore mark-making, rich colour and dramatic contrast to explore and experiment with expressive and dynamic drawing and painting techniques, in response to examples of Expressionist artists styles and approaches using oil paints
Keeley Street
Sat 17 Jul 2027Desmond HaughtonFull fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Introduction to life painting: summer school intensive
This 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.
Keeley Street
Mon 26 Jul 2027Desmond HaughtonFull fee £379.00 Senior fee £303.00 Concession £246.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.