Art & Design Courses - Online & 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.
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.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk or call us on 020 7492 2700, Monday to Friday between 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm.
- Photography for beginnersCourse start date: Sat 29 Oct 2022 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Photography Studio
Tutors: Ed GregoryAlways wondered what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to use them properly and produce impressive photographs, even as a complete beginner. Gain useful technical knowledge and get expert creative guidance in easy-to-understand language. An ideal first step before enrolling on our intermediate courses.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00 - Introduction to prop making for film, TV, theatre and displayCourse start date: Sat 17 Sep 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Wendy ChandlerDo you ever dream of conjuring up the props for Harry Potter, Doctor Who or West End musicals? Are you interested in a career in window display? On this course you will explore techniques used by professionals to produce effective props and sets. Get hands-on experience of sculpting, fabricating, mould making, casting and using paint effects. Learn about the demands of the industry from specialist tutors, and have a go at translating your own ideas into 3D.Full fee £619.00 Senior fee £495.00 Concession £402.00 - Introduction to painting still-lifeCourse start date: Sat 17 Sep 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Amanda BrackenLearn the essentials of Still-life painting from paint handling and colour theory to composition.
Dedicate some time to developing your painting in a series of controlled steps. Learn to select and prepare surfaces and materials, build a composition around a still-life and make supplementary studies to guide your colour application. For absolute beginners.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Mosaics introductory
Course start date: Sat 17 Sep 2022 (and 2 other dates)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 to complete your own Mosaic. Please bring ideas. Basic materials provided. All levels are welcome.Full fee £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £279.00 - Jewellery making: all levelsCourse start date: Sat 24 Sep 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth BoneEver wanted to turn your hand to making your own jewellery? If you have done it before, would you like to hone your skills with a professional tutor? Whatever your level, come and practise making jewellery to your own designs, whether you are picking up the basics of cutting, forming and texturing, or taking your designs to the next level with more complex approaches like chain making.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Beginners photographyCourse start date: Sat 4 Mar 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dominic HarrisDiscover the basics of photography to improve your photographs and impress your friends. Learn about shutter speed, aperture, photo composition, light and taking pictures in different environments. This course is perfect for complete beginners or for learning new skills. Please take this course before enrolling on our intermediate courses.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Developing personal printmaking projectsCourse start date: Sat 24 Sep 2022 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sue Baker KentonExplore and develop personal work in intaglio and relief printmaking. Techniques covered include drypoint, etching, linocut, collagraphy and photo etching. All levels of experience welcome.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Introduction to watercolour paintingCourse start date: Sat 24 Sep 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chris HoughStart painting in watercolours and develop new skills in watercolour painting techniques and materials. Explore how watercolour paints and mediums work, and get advice from our expert tutor on the use of the different brushes and paper preparation. For beginners with little or no watercolour painting experience.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - City Lit Advanced textile art courseCourse start date: Sat 24 Sep 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Baldwin, Lara Hailey, Rosie James, Polly PollockTake your textiles to another level with this stimulating two year advanced course. Open up new perspectives for your work as you explore a range of technical and visual research methods in response to a theme. These will include approaches to drawing, contextual studies, mixed media, dye and print, stitch and constructed textiles. You will be guided and supported throughout by regular tutorials and workshops that stretch your individual textile practice. The course will culminate in a public exhibition at the end of year two.Full fee £2,699.00 Senior fee £2,159.00 Concession £1,889.00 - Try it out: stop motion animationCourse start date: Sat 24 Sep 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephanie GriffithsThrow yourself into the world of stop motion animation on this introductory practical course. Enjoy exploring a range of materials and techniques to produce innovative drawn, cut out and 3D animation sequences. An invaluable introduction for anyone interested in developing their animation practice.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Hand knitting for beginnersCourse start date: Sat 1 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire MontgomerieThis intensive course will inspire a passion for hand knitting, colour and texture.The perfect way to get started.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Textiles: experimental hand stitchCourse start date: Sat 1 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Amarjeet NandhraA contemporary approach to hand stitching and embroidery exploring a variety of traditional stitches and techniques. Create experimental and expressive samples using traditional and non-traditional materials.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Introduction to AutoCAD 2DCourse start date: Sat 1 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Piera Dencker-Rasmussen de MascoliAutoCAD is an essential part of the work process for engineers, designers, architects and visualisers. This course will teach you to create 2D technical drawings on Mac in one of the leading CAD design programmes.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Saturday portraiture studioCourse start date: Sat 1 Oct 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke JonesAn opportunity to paint and draw from the live model under the guidance of an experienced tutor in portraiture. Helpful technical aspects will be explored and as the course progresses also ideas in portraiture, for example, how we convey atmosphere and tell a story in a portrait.Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £201.00 - Photography studio assistant courseCourse start date: Sat 1 Oct 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Photography Studio
This is a course for students looking to take their first steps into commercial photography. This is a practical workshop-based course that will enable you to work with photographic studio equipment and software appropriate to a commercial photography workflow.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
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