Painting Courses In London
At City Lit, we offer a variety of painting courses, from complete beginners with a focus on building essential painting skills, to more experimental approaches that include working at a larger scale or with a more abstract focus. Delivered in one of our bright, modern and relaxing painting studios, students will have access to all basic art materials and resources as part of their course.
Our wide range of studio-based courses and workshops offer students a practical, hands-on guide, from setting up your painting workstation, working with watercolour, acrylic or oil to more technical processes including experimental approaches and use of colour and working with painting mediums. We also offer a range of life painting courses and encourage students to work across and between the areas of drawing and painting to continually develop their ideas and work.
Courses available both in-person and online
We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
To arrange a conversation with our painting coordinator about your interests, options and courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
- Painting 1
Course start date: Mon 15 Apr 2024 (and 9 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Begona Morea RoyPainting 1 offers an introduction to the basic principles and skills associated with painting. Focus on differing approaches to observational and imaginative work, whilst learning how to organise a palette, mix colours and create different textures.Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00 - Painting: colour mixing Course start date: Mon 10 Jun 2024 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
A 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 £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Artists eye: painting impressionism, surrealism, fauvism and pointillismCourse start date: Mon 13 May 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate HardyModule three - Artist’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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Contemporary watercolour painting projectsCourse start date: Mon 3 Feb 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anne-Marie FosterThrough a set of short projects inspired by contemporary practitioners and their contribution to the uniqueness of the medium, the course will help you expand your understanding of watercolour and enable you to make informed choices in making personal work. It will also focus on exploring some watercolour approaches that can add variation and visual interest to your painting according to subject matter.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00 - Painting 2 Course start date: Mon 3 Jun 2024 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony HullBuilding on techniques and approaches covered in the Painting 1, this course enables you to work with more depth and a stronger emphasis on experimentation. This is suitable if you already have some experience in painting.Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00 - Developing watercolour paintingCourse start date: Mon 3 Jun 2024 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anne-Marie FosterExplore the specific qualities of watercolour and the opportunities this adaptable medium offers to create dynamic painting compositions. Develop a fluency with brush work and layering of colour to develop compositional possibilities.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Watercolour at home: colour and washesCourse start date: Mon 3 Jun 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Paul DixonThis online Watercolour course will introduce you to different approaches in working with watercolour, as you explore a variety of applications and techniques that are essential when working with and manipulating this medium. Discover the various marks that can be made with techniques in brush handling as well as a guide to washes building your first steps in producing beautiful watercolour work.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Painting from plants and flowers Course start date: Mon 3 Jun 2024 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ro SylvesterExplore 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 £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Watercolour painting: experimental approachesCourse start date: Mon 10 Jun 2024 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Diane MartinAlways wanted to experiment with watercolour painting? Now's your chance to learn how to make more imaginative use of washes and mark-making; enjoy the colour and fluidity of this beautiful medium and discover if you'd like to take it to the next level.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Artists eye: painting interiors and architecture Course start date: Mon 1 Jul 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate HardyModule one - Artist’s Eye: Painting Interiors and Architecture
Learn painting inspired by artists including Gwen John, Richard Diebenkorn, Henri Matisse, Alexandra Exter, Helen Lundeberg, and Lee Krasner, in this four week course.
Be guided by their choices of interior and architectural subject matter, and learn from 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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Painting and drawing dialogues: material properties of the medium
Course start date: Mon 9 Sep 2024 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chris Hough, Tony Hull, Monika KitaGain an understanding of the interdependent nature of drawing and painting. Focus on the qualities of each medium working with and against their inherent properties to enhance your performance with both.Full fee £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £279.00 - Painting for beginnersCourse start date: Mon 15 Apr 2024 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExperience the joy of painting. Through simple exercises you'll explore colour, painting techniques and the expressive qualities of painting. The perfect way to start painting.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £119.00 - Introduction to watercolour paintingCourse start date: Mon 15 Apr 2024 (and 11 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anne-Marie FosterGain a grounding in the rich possibilities available when working with watercolour paint. Through a series of practical studies, you will investigate the potential of this versatile medium.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Painting: oil techniques and mediumsCourse start date: Mon 22 Apr 2024 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Oil paint is a luscious medium with a long historical tradition. It is 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.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Life painting for beginnersCourse start date: Mon 16 Sep 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This short course is a great introduction to painting directly from the unclothed life model. Using simple projects, you will explore different ways to represent the human form in paint, with encouraging, helpful guidance from an experienced tutor. Suitable for absolute beginners.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
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