City Lit Art School — Art Classes in London  

This short course is a great introduction to drawing directly from the nude model, both male and female. Using simple excercises, you will explore different ways to represent the human form in drawing, with encouraging, helpful guidance from an experienced tutor. Suitable for absolute beginners.

Enhance your portraits by uncovering what lies beneath the surface. Through demonstration and direct observation of the model you will examine proportion, rotation and the key anatomical structures of the head and neck that denote likeness.

Learn how to experiment with a variety of textile elements to create tactile, colourful and sculptural cords that can be transformed into textile jewellery.

Learn 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.

Procreate is an innovative digital drawing software taking the illustration world by storm! In this workshop you will explore a number of different techniques to create striking illustrations on Procreate.







Please note* you will need your own iPad with Procreate installed, and a stylus such as an Apple Pencil.

Take a sketchbook walk in Central London to observe, record and engage with the urban environment, both historic architecture, modern skylines, the river and parks. Quick sketching, supported by discussion and reflection along the way, will open up new ways of seeing and responding to your surroundings. Meet at City Lit main entrance.

Develop new skills in traditional ceramic decorating - including how to interpret patterns, text and drawings on a clay surface using slip-techniques, agates and textures. Suitable for beginners and those with previous experience.

From the early 20th century onwards, the advent of ‘mass’ media – newspapers, magazines, leaflets, packaging - led to some of the most innovative artistic movements in Western culture: Dada, Surrealism, Bauhaus, Punk.







Arguably, these movements (all of which centralised ‘collage’), have had more of a bearing on contemporary graphic design than anything else. Think of the countless adverts, websites, and social media posts which owe a debt to Jamie Reid’s ‘Sex Pistols’ album designs (which, in turn, owe their existence to the Dadaists).







The methodology of collage should therefore play a role in any good design practice.







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.

This course explores how photography is used on social media to share work, build a following, and create and influence an identity.

The fundamentals of painting are as important for the beginner as they are for the more experienced artist. This course will be an in depth focus on brushwork, brush techniques and how to improve your mark making to develop fluency in the mediums of acrylic paint.

Want to give your portfolio or exhibition prints the professional edge? This hands-on course will guide you in printing top-quality inkjet (or giclee) prints as used by fine art photographers. Get to grips with Adobe Photoshop and our top-of-the-range Epson photo printers, and experiment with different paper types and inks.

Explore traditional and less traditional methods of drawing simple objects. Using structured activities, you will be introduced to key concepts such as line, tone, composition and mark making. Ideal if you have little or no drawing experience; a great way to learn the basics or prepare for longer courses.

Celebrate the glorious colours found in nature by working from observation of natural forms. You will be encouraged to respond to the subject expressively using paint and other colour media to create a number of studies and one or more finished pieces.

Explore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks: learn and improve your drawing skills and ‘ways of seeing’ and understanding by working from some of the iconic artworks at Tate Britain.

Explore the sequential and adaptive nature of sketchbook drawing as a site for generating personal material, inviting connections, and extracting patterns of meaning. Includes gallery research, set-project as stimulus, and practical exploration of contemporary drawing techniques.