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
- Large-scale drawing and mixed media
Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaEnjoy a lively, more active way of art-making and make work on a grander scale. Complete a number of experimental projects that explore how big mixed media drawing can be exciting, challenging and surprising.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Large-scale printmaking Course start date: Mon 21 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gareth BerwynLarge scale printmaking enables expressive mark making. Use woodcut and linocut carving techniques to produce big, bold and multi-coloured, multi-layered prints for you to take home.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Cyanotype printmaking in a day Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Adam HogarthCyanotype is a photographic printing process which produces a beautiful deep blue print from a variety of artwork, including drawings, photographs, physical objects or combinations of all of these. All levels welcome.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £139.00 - Try it out calligraphy: modern copperplate Course start date: Mon 8 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Veiko KespersaksThis short workshop will guide you through the basics of Modern Copperplate Calligraphy, as influenced by historical copperplate handwriting. Once the artform of expert craftsman, calligraphy is now a popular artistic outlet, flexible enough to reflect the personality, style, and creativity of every individual – everyone can learn it and have a lot of fun while doing so! Suitable for left-handers and right-handers. - Painting for beginners Course start date: Mon 8 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExperience the joy of painting. Through simple exercises you will explore colour, painting techniques and the expressive qualities of painting using acrylic paints. The perfect way to start painting.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - City Lit ceramics Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alex SimpsonLearn a wide variety of techniques including throwing, handbuilding, decoration and glazing. Ideal for beginners to pottery or for those with some experience.
NOTE: Applications will be reviewed in May 2025. - City Lit basketry Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John PageLearn a wide variety of basketry techniques: stake and strand, plaiting, twining and coiling in materials such as willow, cane, rush, cords, string, paper and possibly other less traditional ones.
This course is suitable for beginners, though some craft experience is expected. Payment plans will be available.
This course will reopen for applications in February 2025. To register your interest for this course, please contact visualarts@citylit.ac.uk.Full fee £3,999.00 Senior fee £3,199.00 Concession £2,599.00 - Botanical illustration Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison BarrattLearn how Botanical Illustrators accurately depict flowers, leaves, stems and seeds - for the purpose of genus and species identification by Botanists and Biologists.
Work from both primary and secondary source material to create an array of illustrative work, including anatomical and/or decorative.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - City Lit ceramics workshop Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alex SimpsonWorkshop in ceramics alongside students on VR710 City Lit ceramics.Full fee £3,099.00 Senior fee £2,479.00 Concession £2,014.00 - Art and design portfolio projects Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rod JudkinsDevelop and realise your creative language in art and design through the development of a personal project. Through workshops and small projects you will be able to build a portfolio of work in 2D and 3D related to your own personal theme or interest.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trish SpenceLearn basic throwing skills to enable you to make a variety of simple forms including cylinders, bowls, vases and lidded jars. Gain a basic understanding of surface decoration using slips, oxides, underglazes and glazes.Full fee £649.00 Senior fee £519.00 Concession £422.00 - Draw, paint, print Course start date: Mon 17 Nov 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mary WintourOn this experimental course, you will draw, paint and print in often unfamiliar ways in order to catch the unexpected. Through experimentation and reflection, you will collate a personal collection of work. .Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Photography, space and architecture Course start date: Mon 11 May 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael HardingCapture the architecture of London, from ancient churches to modern buildings in this introduction to architectural photography. Learn about the history and development of this specialist genre then venture onto the streets and spaces of London to put your theory into practice, identifying architectural styles and experimenting with different lenses, composition, processing and editing.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Fine art photography: focus on black and whiteCourse start date: Mon 26 Jan 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisShape, form, pattern and texture take on added significance in black-and-white photography. Without colour to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Discover these elements and the basic rules of black and white photography.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Painting and drawing dialogues: material properties of the medium Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: 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 £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00
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