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
- Illustrating people and places
Course start date: Wed 5 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Be 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 £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Pottery for beginners Course start date: Sat 1 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emily Stapleton-JefferisExplore the exciting possibilities of clay using the most popular pottery techniques of hand-building and throwing. Simple surface decoration, glazing and firing will also be taught.Full fee £559.00 Senior fee £447.00 Concession £363.00 - More mosaics Course start date: Sat 1 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa BensonExplore surface qualities including smooth, textured and relief work, as well as covering non-flat shapes. A wide range of approaches from fine art to ornament will be considered. Please bring ideas. Basic materials provided. All levels welcome. - Try it out: precious metal clay jewelleryCourse start date: Sat 1 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth PearsonWant to experience working with one of the most versatile and effective materials in jewellery making? Come and get to grips with precious metal clay, which handles like clay but turns into pure silver when fired.
Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Beginners' jewellery ICourse start date: Sun 2 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca IlettLearn all the basics of metal jewellery work by making a range of sample pieces in copper and a finished jewellery piece of your own design. You will be shown how to buy silver so you can take home at least one wearable piece.
Full fee £419.00 Senior fee £335.00 Concession £272.00 - Fashion and editorial photography Course start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ed GregoryThis course will help you to develop your skills in editorial fashion photography.
The course is project driven and will take you from the creation of a basic story board through to a photo shoot. By the end of the course you will understand the workflow, the tools and thinking / planning required to run a successful shoot for yourself. The course also provides advice on getting material published.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Digital illustration Course start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John SmythAdobe 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 £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Bookbinding: box making Course start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ina BaumeisterLearn how to make slipcases and clamshell boxes. Get creative with decorative and plain papers, cloth and board to complete beautiful containers to house your books and objects. - Painting and drawing dialogues: working with found imagesCourse start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony Hull, Monika KitaDiscover how the ‘once-removed’ quality of found images like film stills can change your response to the world around you, as well as expanding the interpretive potential of painting and drawing.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Drawing and painting from the imagination Course start date: Thu 6 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyExplore the richness of the imagination in drawing and painting. Cultivate a range of methods for stimulating and connecting to what inspires you, and ways to express your imagination freely through the medium of acrylic painting and drawing. - Photography in a day: Flash with speedlightCourse start date: Thu 6 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Matthew WardLighten things up: join this practical course to learn the basics of using portable flash (speedlights) to enhance your images. Experiment creatively indoors and outdoors with different flash techniques, with a professional photographer on hand to guide you throughout.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Beginning miniature bookbinding Course start date: Thu 6 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Royston HawardExplore the charm of tiny books in this introduction to miniature bookbinding. You will discover the history and appeal of this unique style and make three adorable miniature books to take home. Suitable for beginners. - Try it out calligraphy: brush lettering Course start date: Thu 6 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ivo GrantinsThis short course will introduce you to the tools, materials and techniques that you will need to start lettering by hand. You will focus on creating basic letterforms using a brush pen and leave having completed your own sample. Suitable for beginners or those wishing to learn a new calligraphy skill.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketching at the British Museum Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of objects and artifacts in The British Museum.
Please note - meet at Montague Place entrance - the front entrance is now only for ticket holders.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Affinity photo: professional image editing Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael HardingLearn about the potential and possibilities available to you when using Affinity Photo and develop practical skill and knowledge.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00
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