Visual Communication

Graphic Design & Illustration Courses

At City Lit, our exciting range of graphic design and ilustration courses will give you a creative insight into working with images and text in an emerging and innovative area. Explore a range of concepts and creative processes, within the areas of graphic design, illustration, children’s book illustration and animation, learning how to produce work visually in a diverse and exciting way. 

Working with industry professionals and experienced tutors in our fully equipped design studios, students will have access to everything they need to complete their next creative challenge. Our studios offer space for creativity with all the equipment your need, including Apple Mac computers, Adobe CC software, Wacom tablets, a range of printers and scanners including access to our 3D printing and laser cutting digital suite.

We encourage playful experimentation, working with both analogue and digital tools. Our courses range from drafting story boards and cartoon design to film poster graphics, from typography and magazine layout to printed creative packaging and digital illustrations.

We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.

To arrange a conversation with our Visual communication coordinator about your interests, options and courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk  

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you.

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  1. Drawing cartoons workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 12 Mar 2025 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Stephen Marchant
    Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.







    Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.







    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  2. Developing illustration
    Course start date:  Mon 22 Apr 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Lucia Vinti
    Our ‘Developing' courses help you take your next step in a chosen creative field.







    This course will help progress your illustration practice by further exploring the practical skills (using a variety of analogue and digital media) and conceptual skills (researching and developing your ideas) integral to the discipline. You will also begin to consider which of the many ‘applications’ of illustration your developing personal style might lend itself to; for example, editorial, fashion, book, or product illustration, to name a few.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00
  3. Introduction to graphic design
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024 (and 6 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Pam Williams
    Our 'Introduction' courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.



    Graphic Design is everywhere; in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Emblazoning packaging at the corner shop to the mall. On our screens- phones, TVs, computers and tablets. To say it’s important would be an understatement.







    Don’t just consume. Learn how to use image and type to communicate your messages, emotions and ideas. Beyond this, learn about the movements and styles which have shaped the field of Graphic Design over the years, and how to find your place there.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00
  4. Introduction to illustration
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024 (and 4 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Ciara Flood
    Our 'Introduction' courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.







    Illustration is a form of visual communication which often exists alongside text. Illustrations can help to explain or clarify (or sometimes contradict) the words on a page. Most of all, you could say, they bring the message 'alive', by making it more immediate and exciting. For this reason, illustrations are found across books, magazines, newspapers, websites and social media channels.







    Learn how to create powerful illustrations on our exciting range of Illustration courses.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00
  5. City Lit Pro: Adobe Creative Cloud intensive stage 1
    Course start date:  Wed 15 May 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    City Lit Pro courses are tailored for accelerated learning for busy people who need to learn key skills for the workplace. On this Adobe Creative Cloud course, covering Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, you will learn key tools and techniques to develop, deliver and optimise vector graphics, photographic images and page layout and design.
    Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £549.00 Concession £549.00
    Rating:
    91% of 100
  6. Character design workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Jun 2024 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Ciara Flood
    Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.



    In this workshop, learn how to create compelling characters for illustration projects, and beyond.







    Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.



    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00
  7. Graphic zine making workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Pam Williams
    Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.



    Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.



    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00
  8. Developing graphic design
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Mar 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Pam Williams
    Our 'Developing' courses help you take your next step in a chosen creative field.







    Graphic Design is everywhere; in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Emblazoning packaging at the corner shop to the mall. On our screens- phones, TVs, computers and tablets. To say it’s important would be an understatement.







    Don’t just consume. Learn how to use image and type to communicate your messages, emotions, and ideas. Beyond this, learn about the movements and styles which have shaped the field of Graphic Design over the years, and how to find your place there.
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00
  9. Illustrating animals workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 2 Oct 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Ciara Flood
    Animals are all around us – even in London! From Trafalgar Square’s flocks of pigeons, to rodents on the Underground, to the dog-filled squares and parks. Despite their ubiquity, animals are notoriously hard to draw – as, anatomically speaking, they’re so different to humans – as well as to each other! And, they don’t like to pose!







    Learn how to overcome these challenges in our ‘Illustrating Animals’ workshop.







    Our Workshops enable you to take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool.



    They throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.







    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no theory or context, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  10. From traditional to digital illustration workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 30 Oct 2024 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Adobe Creative Suite is the principal software used by Illustrators and Designers all over the world. On this course, learn how to take scribbly sketches and inky splotches into Adobe Photoshop and transform them into illustrations, collages, pattern designs… the possibilities are almost endless; thankfully, you will also be taught a crucial skill of digital illustration - knowing when to stop!







    Our Workshops enable you to take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool.



    They throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.







    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no theory or context, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  11. Logo and branding design workshop
    Course start date:  Wed 22 Jan 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.



    Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.



    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  12. Magazine design workshop
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 13 Nov 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Gillian Fielden
    Love magazines? How about creating your own?!







    Nowadays, there are plenty of apps that will do the design work for you. But, this course will teach you the design principles underpinning these softwares, empowering you to innovate and create original formats that aren’t yet ubiquitous.







    Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.



    Workshops throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.



    Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
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