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
- Life painting: experimental approachesCourse start date: Thu 2 May 2024 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonExplore 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.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - 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 - Picture framing and mounting for beginnersCourse start date: Tue 9 Apr 2024 (and 11 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Esther HeyhoeLearn picture framing and mounting skills for the home or workplace. Using professional framing tools and equipment you'll be taught all the skills you need to work in a busy studio or alternatively how to set up your own small scale practice from home.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Ways into abstract painting Course start date: Fri 12 Apr 2024 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca AllenEncounter different approaches to making abstract paintings while developing your skills in using a variety of painting materials. With reference to the work of a variety of abstract artists explore the visual language common to both representation and abstraction, eg. colour, composition, tone and paint application.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Painting and drawing dialogues: time-based strategies Course start date: Sat 18 May 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chris Hough, Tony Hull, Monika KitaReflect on how time is embodied in the surface of paintings and drawings to focus on the speed and sequence of your working methods. Discover how animation and film can aid and capture your creative process.Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00 - Contemporary watercolour painting projectsCourse start date: Tue 21 May 2024 (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 £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Painting 2 Course start date: Tue 9 Apr 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: Wed 24 Apr 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 2 Jun 2025 (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 £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 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 - Drawing into watercolour paintingCourse start date: Wed 5 Jun 2024 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul DixonExplore the relationship between the two disciplines of drawing and watercolour painting and the opportunities when their distinct qualities are combined.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Watercolour painting studio: urban landscapesCourse start date: Fri 4 Jul 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Hilary RosenBuild your confidence and skills in outdoor watercolour painting in a variety of central London locations. You will be introduced to watercolour mixing and mark making in relation to painting the urban landscape. This course can be seen as a refresher or for students who have had a minimum amount of watercolour experience.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - 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 - 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 - Life painting: focus on light and shadeCourse start date: Tue 17 Sep 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
A great introduction to tonal painting working directly from the unclothed life model model. Using simple projects, you will explore different ways to represent the human form through light and shade in paint with encouraging helpful guidance from an experienced tutor.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
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