Painting Techniques & Processes — Courses in London & Online
Our range of creative, hands-on painting courses suit all levels of student experience and are there to encourage creativity and the development of painting skills for all. Taught by professional artists who bring their wealth of experience and specialist knowledge to enrich the student experience and to put the subject into historical and contemporary context.
Courses on offer include Start Painting - for absolute beginners, through Painting 1 and Painting 2 for the development of skills and knowledge. We also offer more intermediate courses with our contemporary painting studio and abstract painting courses, where students can further explore themes and their own painting projects.
Our fully equipped painting studios provide students with everything they need to get started, build confidence and create exciting work.
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.
For more information about courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
- Artists eye: still-life and objectCourse start date: Mon 11 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate HardyDevelop your painting skills with reference to contemporary and historical artists in this four week course. We will make paintings inspired by artists who are passionate about still life and object painting. You’ll be guided by their choices of subject matter, and learn their methods of paint application, colour mixing and composition. Acrylic paint can be used for all projects, or you can be taught using your choice of oil or watercolour paint. This short course can be taken alone or in conjunction with the other modules.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Artists eye: painting natureCourse start date: Mon 13 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate HardyArtist’s Eye: Painting Nature.
Learn painting while learning about contemporary and historical artists, including Eileen Agar, Giorgio Morandi, Georgia O’Keefe, Fernand Leger, and Kara Walker in this four week course. We will make paintings inspired by artists whose subject is nature, be guided by their choices of subject matter, and learn from their methods of paint application, colour mixing, and composition. Acrylic paint can be used for all projects and in one project we will work from collage. This short course can be taken alone or in conjunction with the other modules.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Painting: colour mixing for artistsCourse start date: Mon 13 Jan 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenA concise study of colour usage. Investigate colour perception and how colour interacts. Explore a range of observational and expressive painting projects, relate colour theory to practice and develop confidence using colour. An emphasis on colour mixing using acrylics and oil paint.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Painting: oil techniques and mediumsCourse start date: Fri 7 Mar 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Oil 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 £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Abstract painting weekendCourse start date: Sat 12 Apr 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda KnightLearn how to develop original abstract ideas from simple starting points and build confidence using a variety of painting approaches in acrylics. Explore the power of line, colour and texture in a lively weekend of structured project work.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Artists eye: painting impressionism, surrealism, fauvism and pointillismCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate HardyArtist’s Eye: Painting Art movements. Post Impressionism, Surrealism, Fauvism, and Pointillism.
Develop your painting skillswith reference to contemporary and historical artists in this four week course. We will make paintings inspired by artists who were key members of art movements, be guided by their choices of subject matter, and learn their methods of paint application, colour mixing and composition. Acrylic paint can be used for all projects. This short course can be taken alone or in conjunction with the other modules.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Painting: acrylic techniques and mediumsCourse start date: Tue 8 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenThe fundamentals of painting are as important for the beginner as they are for the more experienced artist. This course will be an in depth focus on brushwork, brush techniques and how to improve your mark making to develop fluency in the mediums of acrylic paint.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
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