City Lit Art School — Art Classes in London
Explore new and exciting subjects within a range of art and design disciplines, develop your skill set, get the support required to change career or launch yourself as a freelance artist or designer. All this and more delivered through our practical and engaging art and design courses at City Lit.
Our range of part-time, weekend and evening art and design classes are taught by successful artists and practitioners to ensure you get the skills, knowledge and experience you want and deserve. From experimental painting and drawing to contemporary jewellery making, there is sure to be a course for you. Study from 1 day to 2 years, whether you are a complete beginner or a practising artist preparing for an MA. Our courses are designed with you in mind, so you get to spend more time doing what you love.
Set a new goal, start your next creative adventure with City Lit and let us support you to realise your ambitions.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk
- London photography: River Thames
Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Michael HardingExplore and discover London through photography walks around locations rich in photographic potential.
The walks revolve around photographing views along the River Thames, from the Aldwych area eastwards to the City, from London Bridge to the Southbank and from Westminster to the newly developed Nine Elms area. Bring your own camera and comfortable walking shoes as you capture places, spaces, objects and people.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £139.00 - Preparing digital images for printmaking Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire HyndsDigital technologies play an increasing role in the world of more traditional printmaking. Screenprinting, photo-etching, polymer gravure and relief, and photo litho all require imagery that has been generated using digital image manipulation software. This workshop in preparing digital images for printmaking will provide an introduction to specialist tools and techniques required using Adobe Photoshop in order to prepare your imagery for these printmaking processes.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £139.00 - Collage and mixed media: experimental approaches Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonCollage is an exciting, accessible and creative medium. Experiment with a rich variety of materials and found images to make vibrant work experimenting with surface, form, colour and pattern, inspired by artists who make effective use of this way of working.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Contemporary watercolour painting projects Course start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025 (and 6 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 - Jewellery making: cold connectionsCourse start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth BoneWould you like to learn how to combine / integrate materials and objects that are not metal into your jewellery making without the use of heat? This course offers you the opportunity to explore joining several different materials together using a variety of cold connection techniques such as rivets and tabs. Come and experiment with a number of techniques and adapt them to use with your own designs.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Mosaics introductory Course start date: Wed 4 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa BensonDevelop your creative skills in this classic art form, adhering your materials to a temporary surface before applying the completed section to a flat base or casting it into concrete. Please bring ideas, basic materials provided. All levels welcome.Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - Picture framing and mounting for beginners Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025 (and 5 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 £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00 - Large format camera workshop Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Kean Street Photography Studio
Tutors: Matthew WardThis hands-on practical photography workshop will enable you to discover the beauty of testing, experimenting and shooting with large-format photography. This is a skilled art form with often spectacular results and offers great potential in how we capture and showcase photographic images. Explore large format camera techniques and equipment from focus control to film loading, with expert guidance, demonstrations, and practical exercises.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Life drawing after work Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Joe RichardsonA fun, relaxed and shorter life drawing class better suited for people coming straight from work. You will be able to work from a variety of life models, in a range of materials and with a variety of poses. You will be working from the unclothed model, both male and female.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £149.00 - Introduction to children's book illustration Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dee ShulmanOur Introductory courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.
The Children’s Book industry is thriving, largely due to rising literacy levels, and a growing awareness of the importance of early childhood education. As a result, Children’s Book creators are in demand.
Our tutors will teach you the many and various skills you’ll need to illustrate books for children - from drawing and painting (analogue and digital), to sequencing and pacing visual narratives.
You'll learn about the children’s publishing sector; gaining a sense of the different genres and markets for children's books, and where your illustration style might fit.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Illustrating people and places workshop Course start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia VintiBe inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit. This course all about drawing people and places, providing you with ample opportunity observe London life, situations and scenarios that will inspire your work.
Learn how to document and sketch from life in different locations and then develop artwork into compelling illustrations that are full of life.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Friday evening pottery Course start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Suitable for students who want to learn basic design, handbuilding, decoration and glazing techniques or for students who want to refresh or develop existing ceramics skills. Everyone will be encouraged to explore and experiment with different skills and techniques in a friendly and supportive environment.Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00 - Drawing: ink and wash techniques Course start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jack DuplockThe immediacy and versatility of ink and wash is perfect for those sketching on location, for designers and for students interested in watercolour techniques. Take the opportunity to explore the basic techniques of this exciting process.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Beginners' bookbinding Course start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alessia TumbioloCome and immerse yourself in the art of bookbinding with this 6-week, accessible introduction. Whether you're taking your first steps or picking up the craft again, this course will equip you with essential techniques that will enable you to start creating your own handcrafted books and containers. Beginners will build strong foundational skills, while returners can refresh their skills and explore new creative possibilities. - Learn to laser cut Course start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Suk Han LeeA short introductory course in laser cutting, ideal for beginners or anyone wishing to add innovation to his or her own creative projects. You will learn simple software techniques using Adobe Illustrator to convert your design ideas into a variety of laser cut samples and small personal projects.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
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