Classes
Please visit https://bookwhen.com/tombenjamin for a list of my current courses and to book on any of them
Online Classes via WhatsApp Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30am to 12:30pm ongoing blocks of 6 to 8 weeks. Join at any time and e mail to try a class for free
Tuesday Online Class - 9th September to 28th October 2025 ( no class 7th October)
Thursday Online Class - 11th September to 28th October 2025 (no class 2nd or 9th October)
I run two regular online classes each week in rolling blocks of roughly 7 weeks at a time. The classes take place using WhatsApp groups. Students post photographs of their subject to start with and their painting or drawing as it progresses and I record feedback videos which I post back to the group. Students can watch all of the feedback videos and often find it helpful to learn from the advice from others. These groups have proved to be very popular. The cost is £30 per session, payable in blocks. Students who have to miss a class for any reason are welcome to join one of the classes on the alternative day.
2 and 3 day Colour Courses for December and January
Either side of Christmas, I am teaching two courses that offer a practical and in-depth approach to working with colour in painting. You can join either or both as there won't be overlapping information.
Whether you’re starting out or looking to expand your range, these courses are designed to give you greater confidence and more control in handling colour.
Colour Course Part 1 - 18th and 19th December
Paddock Art Studios, Lewes,
10 am to 4:30pm
Part 1 - 2 days £225
Part 1 – Getting to Grips with Colour
We’ll build a solid foundation in how colour works, both on the palette and in the subject. You’ll learn:
How to use the colour wheel in a practical way
Reliable methods for mixing colour on the palette
How to observe and judge colour relationships in your subject
The role of tone, saturation, and hue in creating strong paintings
Simple techniques for depicting light and achieving optical mixing
Colour Course Part 2 - 7th, 8th and 9th January 2026
Paddock Art Studios, Lewes,
10am - 4:30pm
Part 2 - 3 Days £340
Part 2 – Developing and Deepening Your Use of Colour
For those who have completed Part 1, taken one of my previous colour courses, or already have painting experience. We’ll take colour further, exploring how it shapes the mood and structure of a painting.
Topics include:
Colour as an equivalent, not just a description
The interplay of composition and colour to create impact
The power of limited palettes
Subdued versus heightened colour, and when to use each
How coloured grounds can transform a painting
More advanced approaches to optical mixing and glazing
A deeper awareness of light — from colour cast to reflections and luminosity
5 Day Painting Holiday at Haddon Copse Farm in Dorset 2026 July 29th to July 3rd
This course has become a firm favourite with students over the past few years. The organic farm is full of wild flowers and wildlife as well as hens, geese, pigs, cows and sheep and in an idyllic location in Dorset's Blackmore Vale. Our hosts are farmers Tom and Mark who look after us all brilliantly.
These are outdoor painting courses and the farm offers you the chance to draw and paint a wide range of subjects within a short distance. We also have the use of a barn on the farm for dining and shelter.
Teaching takes place in groups working in the same location and individually.
Suitable for all levels of experience, my teaching takes account of your current ability and five concentrated days of intensive tuition can really take your painting forward.
Arrival midday on September. Course ends 2pm on the September
Location: Haddon Copse Farm, Fifehead Neville, Dorset
Fee: £600 (Includes all tuition, home cooked supper on the first night and delicious lunches, and break time refreshments each day) A deposit of £100 will secure your place with the balance due 8 weeks before the start of the course.
Accommodation (not included in course fee): stay on the farm in a bell tent or retreat hut on a B and B basis, or in local recommended B and B's or Airbnbs (view list)
Book here
Painting holiday in Sierra de Grazalema, Andalusia 5th – 11th October 2026
A wonderful opportunity to paint in the heart of the amazing natural park of Sierra de Grazalema high up in Andalusia, Spain. We will be staying in Casa de Los Cuadros a beautiful boutique guesthouse situated in the unspoiled and authentic white village of Villaluenga Del Rosario.
The course will focus on plein air painting; looking at capturing effects of light, form and distance. The immediate area offers an extraordinary wealth of subjects from grand vistas across the mountains to more intimate views and village scenes. We will be concentrating on making smaller paintings on this course and on capturing fleeting effects. Whole class tuition and demonstrations will be in oils, but students are welcome to work in whatever media they choose. The course is suitable for all levels.
Accommodation is booked via Casa de Los Cuadros £1195 for rooms, transfers & meals. two participants sharing a room are £1050 each.
You will be staying for six nights and have five full days tuition.
Please contact enquiries@casadeloscuadros.com or visit Contact Casa De Los Cuadros to book your accommodation after which we will be in touch with you about booking your tuition.
Tuition costs £350 with £150 payable as a deposit and the balance due 8 weeks before the start of the course (10th August)
Landscape Painting Holiday Tuscany 16th to 23rd May 2026
A week long painting holiday based at the Verrocchio Arts Centre in Casole D'Elsa, Tuscany. Verrocchio Arts Centre is in the beautiful hilltop village Casole d’Elsa, located between Pisa and Siena. The Arts Centre is an old grain store housed within the medieval walls of the hilltop town and has a wonderful artistic heritage, being the home and studio of the late artist Nigel Konstam. Over the years many artists have taught and painted at the centre, including my tutor Graham Giles and it's full of their original artworks.
The lively and picturesque village and classically Tuscan landscape all around means that there is a wealth of subject matter within easy reach. We will be working within a short walk of the arts centre each day. We will also be travelling by taxi to either Siena, Volterra or San Gimignano for an afternoon of sight seeing or sketching
Staying in one place provides exciting opportunities for making series paintings or more sustained works to depict the glorious Tuscan light very specifically as it changes throughout a day. Temperatures in May should be perfect for working outside. There will be lots of individual tuition and painting demonstrations.
Payment is in two separate parts: tuition (£400) and accommodation (Approx £969 to £1123)and tuition £400 ( deposit of £120 payable on booking )
Please book your accommodation with the centre before booking your tuition
More information and how to book on my Bookwhen page
