Plein air painting at Hengistbury Head, Dorset with Tom Hughes - 59 mins

Join award-winning oil painter Tom Hughes, as he completes a full painting at Hengistbury Head, Dorset.

Fully narrated with in-depth technical insights, Tom's relaxed yet informative teaching style describes what he's doing, as he does it, helping you bridge the gaps in your own knowledge and approach technical problems with ease.

For a full list of materials and equipment, please watch this video on YouTube

00:45 Planning the composition, sketching colour and board colour

02:35 Establishing the curve of the spit

04:25 Drawing sight-size, the method and benefits 

05:35 Why this location is so perfect

08:00 Painting the sky, haze effects explained

10:40 Painting the distant horizon, judging the tones

12:20 The benefits of painting on still, clear days

14:30 Dealing with details early on

16:10 Using the Uber Ruler

17:20 Painting water

18:45 The benefits of the ground colour

19:25 How thin to mix the paint and why

20:35 The importance of dynamics in painting

22:50 How some details early on can help you

24:00 Detail explained

24:45 The painting box I’m using and preferred board sizes

25:40 Painting the greens, how to deal with them.

26:15 Making big expressive marks when you can and the benefits it brings

28:00 Rubbing back

28:40 The feeling of getting a good painting

29:05 Painting hungover

31:00 The benefits of painting while hidden

34:00 How you naturally paint and why.

34:50 Flow state and mindfulness

37:25 Using your fingertips and why they are so useful

38:55 How wiping paint back can create wonderful effects

39:30 Painting the road/path

40:20 Painting standing up and why it helps so much

42:00 How easy it is to ruin a painting

45:00 Using the other end of your brush to make marks

45:30 Using flat brushes

46:00 Winsor Blue Green Shade and when to use it

47:30 Using as few colours as possible

48:20 Which colours to choose for a limited palette

49:40 Reloading your brush

50:25 How much the Beach Huts cost

52:20 Scratching in fine lines

53:00 Painting the hut roofs

54:00 Adding the darkest dark

56:50 Using artistic licence to create a better composition

57:50 How the painting would have been worse with a different ground colour

59:20 Adding people