Evening Art History Courses for Adults in London

Join Fine Arts Continuing Education at Hampstead Fine Arts College for evening art courses in London, taught in person in Hampstead, North London. We run two evening classes for adults each term: Art History on Wednesdays and Life Drawing on Tuesdays. Both welcome complete beginners as well as experienced artists and art lovers, and both are taught by practising artists and art historians. 

Classes are small – a maximum of 15 places per course – so you get real attention from your tutor and plenty of time to ask questions. 

Enquire About a Place 

Value props (icon row): In-person classes in Hampstead · Maximum 15 places per course · Expert tutors · All Life Drawing materials included 

Evening Courses at a Glance 

The autumn 2026 courses are under way. To hear about spring 2027 dates first, or to ask about joining part-way through, email fin.hart@hampsteadfinearts.com or call 020 7586 0312. 

Art History Evening & Short Courses in London 

Our Art History course is a ten-week evening series for adults who want to look more closely at great art and the people who made it. Each Wednesday evening, a lecture explores one artist, family of artists or royal court in depth, placing the work in its historical moment. 

The autumn 2026 series, Great Lives, travels from the Lorenzetti brothers and the Sienese Renaissance, through Van Eyck, Giorgione, Dürer and Bruegel, to the courts of Elizabeth I and Charles I, William Hogarth’s Georgian London and the portraitist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. No previous study is needed – just curiosity. 

If you are searching for art history courses in London that fit around work, these are short, focused and sociable. Unlike longer certificate programmes, our art history evening courses in London carry no exams or coursework: you come to learn and enjoy. 

Studying for exams instead? Our History of Art A Level is a separate, full-time course for sixth-form students. 

Life Drawing Classes in Hampstead, London 

Life Drawing: Beginners to Professionals is for anyone who wants to draw from life, whether you have never held charcoal or you exhibit regularly. Each two-hour Tuesday session is spent drawing from the unclothed model, with both male and female models across the course. 

Your tutor will introduce a range of approaches and techniques, from quick gestural poses to longer studies, and give individual feedback as you work. Beginners get clear guidance on the fundamentals; experienced artists are encouraged to experiment and push their practice. All materials are included in the course fee, so you only need to bring yourself. 

With a maximum of 15 places, it is a relaxed, welcoming way to try evening art courses in London close to home. 

Our full-time students study Fine Art A Level separately; evening life drawing is for adults only. 

Meet the Evening Course Tutors 

Desmond Healy – Life Drawing Desmond Healy is a painter and printmaker who studied fine art at Newcastle University and the Royal College of Art, London. He has taught life drawing and portrait painting at every level, from A Level to degree and adult continuing education. Desmond was awarded the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Gold Medal and the Ondaatje Prize for portraiture, and is an associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. He works from Thames-side Studios in Woolwich and has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition many times. 

Candida Cave – Art History Candida Cave is Head of Fine Arts Continuing Education and the founder of Fine Arts College. She lectures regularly at the National Gallery, the V&A and the British Institute of Florence, and has led European study tours to Paris, Florence, Rome, Venice, Berlin, Vienna and Madrid. Candida studied Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, and holds an MA in History of Art from the University of Buckingham. 

Lekha Menon – Art History Lekha Menon is Director of Fine Arts Continuing Education. She has taught History of Art, Modern History and Humanities for more than 20 years at undergraduate, postgraduate and higher-education level. Her doctorate focused on contemporary art, and she has written many academic papers on the history of Modernism. Lekha also teaches History of Art and Classical Civilisation at the college. 

Meet the rest of the team on our Tutors & Staff page. 

Course Dates, Times, Fees & Availability 

• Art History: Wednesdays, 6–7.30pm · 10 weeks · £420 incl. VAT 

• Life Drawing: Tuesdays, 6–8pm · 10 weeks · £420 incl. VAT, all materials included 

• Current term: 15 September – 25 November 2026, with no classes during half-term (26–30 October) 

• Class size: maximum 15 per course 

• Booking: email fin.hart@hampsteadfinearts.com or call 020 7586 0312 

Spring 2027 dates and topics will be published here as soon as they are confirmed. A printable Evening Course Brochure is also available. 

Enquire About a Place 

Who Can Join Hampstead Fine Arts College and What to Expect 

Our evening courses are for adults from all walks of life: complete beginners, people returning to art after years away, and experienced artists and art lovers who want to keep learning. You do not need any qualifications or previous experience. 

The courses are informal. There are no exams or assessments and no qualification is awarded – the aim is enjoyment and discovery. For Life Drawing, all materials are provided. For Art History, just bring a notebook if you like to take notes. Courses run as a weekly series, so you will get the most from them by coming each week. If you have access needs, please let us know when you book so we can help. 

Evening courses are separate from the college’s full-time GCSE, A Level and Foundation programmes. If you are thinking about full-time art study, see our Art & Design Foundation Course.