Tuition
“I cannot express how much of a game changer my one-to-one tuition with Tom was. My weakness in painting as always been getting too focussed/bogged down with detail. Tom, explained and demonstrated the power of simplicity and how to ‘build’ a painting. The lesson made a massive impact, especially with regards to value and temperature relationships. I have already booked my next session which I eagerly look forward to. Thanks again.”
I offer one to one plein air tuition in Bristol and four day courses at the Newlyn School of Art in Cornwall.
One to one lessons in Bristol are priced at £50 per hour and I recommend booking 3-4 hours. Under 3 hours isn’t enough time and more than 4 is usually unproductive as there’s only so much you can take in.
I can be cater for absolute beginners or more advanced painters. I teach the fundamentals of “painting what’s there” or “capturing reality” which is what the vast majority of plein air painters are interested in, I find. If you’re after something a bit more avant-garde, then my class would not be for you.
Topics covered would include the following:
Choosing a subject/painting spot
Arranging a composition
Measuring/sight-size drawing
Mixing colours that match what you’re seeing
Judging tone accurately
Brushwork/mark making
I can supply all equipment or you can bring your own. You can watch my equipment video for an idea of the basics.
There are two main spots that I like to use for teaching, both have a lot of variety, including foliage, buildings, water and aerial perspective. Here’s are links to both.
Please email me to enquire about making a reservation. My usual slot for teaching is Mon-Fri 10am - 1pm. I try and keep weekends free.
I am a patient teacher that will listen to your painterly frustrations and do my best to help you through them. It would be really helpful if you emailed me some images of your work, particularly pieces that are good examples of the things you are struggling with and want to improve on, then I can get a good idea of where you need the most guidance. Coming to the lesson with a list of specific things that you want me to focus on will help you get the most out of our time together.
The teaching spots in the Avon Gorge and Bristol Harbourside.
“I’ve just had my third painting lesson with Tom Hughes and it was every bit as instructive as the first two. He taught me more about colour temperature, tone, blocking-in quickly, using paint transparency to one’s advantage and painting less detail. The result was a step increase in my painting style in just the direction I wanted: less detail, less illustrative and towards a looser style requiring the viewer to interpret more.
It was exciting to learn from Tom and I was taken outside my comfort zone as I asked him to keep pushing me to limit the detail and block-in quickly.
Thank you again, Tom, I shall be in touch for the fourth lesson shortly.”
Demos
I have extensive experience doing painting demos for Art clubs and societies and am available at short notice for bookings. Please email me via the Contact page to arrange. I travel within a 60 mile radius of Bristol, charged at 50p a mile (round trip mileage) Demos themselves are priced on an individual basis and last between 2-4 hours depending on requirements and budget. I give a detailed running commentary as I paint describing the technical aspects of everything I’m doing, including technique, materials and thought process in great detail.
Most demos take place in village halls where painting societies meet, but plein air demos can be arranged. I bring a selection of finished paintings with me for you to see up close and usually have Uber Rulers to sell at a discounted rate. Contactless payments accepted!
Gift Vouchers
If you would like to treat a friend, loved one (or yourself!) you can buy a 3 hour voucher by clicking here. I find 3 hours strikes the best balance between having enough time to get a painting done and not so long to overload the student with info.
I have ten instructional plein air videos available to buy and stream from my online Gumroad store.
These 10 videos are a kind of “Best of Thoughts on Painting - Vol.1” and feature some of my favourite paintings from the channel, each about an hour in length with very minimal edits. I have replaced the original audio tracks with full length, in-depth technical narration, describing why I’m doing what I’m doing and how I’m doing it.
If you have ever wanted tuition from me, but live too far away, these videos are an excellent substitute!
You can watch a 1 minute trailer for each video here, or on Gumroad.