Tom Mead

Tom Mead is a British figurative and portrait artist based in London. He shot to fame when he was a finalist on Portrait Artist of the Year and is well known for his fragmented and fractured paintings showing people in various positions. Mead’s contemporary portrait paintings have been exhibited in art galleries across the UK.

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Tom Mead is an accomplished portrait artist whose work captures the essence and character of his subjects with precision and skill. Based in London, Mead has developed a reputation for his ability to create striking and evocative portraits that capture the personality of his subjects through unusual compositions.

Mead’s contemporary paintings use traditional skills that contrast the modern compositional techniques and ‘glitch’ aesthetics more reminiscent of distorted pixels on a screen.

Tom Mead’s paintings are often done on a large scale and painted with a mixture of acrylic and oil paints. Mead paints onto aluminium rather than canvas, allowing an ultra smooth, untextured finish. He often depicts people looking relaxed or in casual poses in intimate, personal settings such as bedrooms. Mead gives the viewer a sense of fragmentation and movement by cutting into his compositions and overlapping sections, which contrasts the relaxed, informal poses.

Top facts about Tom Mead:

• Mead was born in London in 1997
• He studied BA Fine Art: Painting at UAL Wimbledon
• Tom reached the final of Portrait Artist of the Year on Sky Arts in 2019
• He is inspired by the storytelling aspect of drawing and painting
• Titles for his artworks often come from song lyrics
• One of his favourite artists is Euan Uglow
• About his paintings, Mead says ‘I aim to show a lived experience of people from my generation and background in an honest way’
• Mead’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries across the UK
• His work has been shortlisted for a number of national prizes, including the Jackson’s Art Prize and John Dalton Art Prize

Tom Mead’s figurative paintings explore themes of childhood, passing time and identity. His compositions give the viewer a glimpse into a personal, contemplative moment, which is then partially fragmented or shattered, as if there is a broken screen in front of them.

Look at the painting Stoic, above. How has Mead made use of colour, tints and shades to suggest an idea of time passing? The main focal point is a figure looking directly at the viewer, painted in more realistic tones. In the background, the same figure is painted much smaller in a light, monochromatic colour scheme. The second figure is looking off into the distance, and there is a suggestion of a third, smaller figure further in the distance. The overall effect is of a man perhaps moving through time, or a memory becoming clearer.

The calm, muted colour scheme is contrasted through the use of a harsh, broken or ‘glitched’ composition. What sort of mood do you think the figure in Stoic is in? Why?

How has Mead made use of colour and shape to draw attention to the figure above? How has he made one figure stand out against the others?

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Tom Mead’s portrait paintings often suggest the passing of time or that the subject is moving. How has Mead shown movement in this piece above? What impact do the splashes of bright red have against the muted brown tones?

If you watch the clip below from Mead’s Instagram account, you can see some of the steps he takes to create his paintings. Mead starts an underpainting onto a drawing using neutral tones. After this, he starts adding bolder colours and making decisions about which areas should be blocks of colour and which should be more realistic.

Tom Mead’s paintings, done on smooth aluminium rather than canvas, look as though we are seeing figures through a broken screen. Why do you think Mead chooses to paint onto aluminium sheets rather than canvas? What does that help him achieve?

About his paintings, Tom says:

“Once I’ve taken the photos (sometimes around 100), I’ll choose around 6-8 and combine them in photoshop to loosely follow my planned glitches. I make these collages very rough, as I don’t want to feel like I’m copying them when I’m painting. I might paint a mini colour study before the final piece too.”

https://behindtheartist.co.uk/artist-interviews/artist-interview-tom-mead

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Tom Mead

Art Detective Quiz

🏆Explore the artwork, follow the clues and make something of your own.

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Your research sessionThe minimum 15-minute study period starts when you reach the quiz or press Start.

Take your time! Look carefully at the artist's work, think about your answers and develop your own drawing. Spend at least 15 minutes on this challenge, but there's no rush — you can take as long as you need.

01

Artist detective: knowledge check

Find correct answers and clues by looking carefully at the artist's work and reading the information on this page. Some questions have several correct answers.

1. Which themes are explored in this artist’s work?

Think about the ideas behind the artworks, not just the materials.

The natural world Memory and time City life Identity and belonging Dreams and imagination Stories and narratives Everyday life Emotions and relationships Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

2. What materials does this artist use to create their work?

Examine the artwork closely and read the article. Select every material supported by what you find.

Digital art Collage / mixed media Graphite pencil Acrylic paint Watercolour Spray paint Oil paint Sculpture materials Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

3. Which techniques or artistic approaches can you identify?

Look for evidence of the artist’s process and how the work is made.

Collage Surrealist imagery Portraiture Hyperrealistic detail Abstract shapes Pattern / repetition Mark-making Fragmentation Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

4. Which subjects appear in or are described as part of the artist’s work?

Consider the images as well as the artist profile.

Animals and wildlife Food and drink Plants and flowers Landscapes and places Buildings and streets People and portraits Objects and still life Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

5. Which formal elements are specifically discussed or emphasised?

Look for line, tone, colour, pattern, space, shape, form and texture in the artist’s work.

Pattern Tone Line Form Space Texture Colour Select all that apply. Include evidence in your written answers below.

6. Which subject best completes this sentence about Tom Mead?

Look for what the artist depicts in their work.

Complete the idea from the artist's article

Based in London, Mead has developed a reputation for his ability to create striking and evocative ________ that capture the personality of his subjects through unusual compositions.

abstract patterns still life arrangements landscapes images of people Select one answer. Look for a word or phrase with the closest meaning.

7. Which word or phrase best completes this sentence about Tom Mead?

Think about the ideas the artist communicates.

Complete the idea from the artist's article

Tom Mead's figurative paintings explore themes of childhood, passing time and ________.

sense of who someone is size of the canvas number of artworks age of the paint Select one answer. Look for a word or phrase with the closest meaning.

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Take the time you need to finish every mission. You can submit after at least 15 minutes, but it is fine to take longer. Bronze starts at 60%, Silver at 75% and Gold at 90% in the automatically marked rounds.

Tom Mead’s Still Life Paintings:

If you look carefully at Tom Mead’s paintings and analyse the content (what you can see in them), you will notice different objects such as toys or items related to hobbies and interests. These objects help to reinforce the idea of memories and identity that permeate Mead’s paintings.

Look through Tom Mead’s paintings – do you recognise any of the characters he’s painted? List the items you can see and try to explain why you think he has included them.

How to create artwork like Tom Mead

Here are the materials I recommend for painting like Tom Mead. He uses acrylic to underpaint and compose his work, then oils over the top to give his work a glossy, glass-like finish.

Winsor & Newton Acrylic Paints

Winsor & Newton Oil Paints

Fine Sable Brushes

What do you think of Tom Mead’s artwork? How could you describe it? What messages of meanings can you interpret from the work?