Tuke painted oil studies of young male nudes during a tour of Italy in his early twenties in 1881, but the theme did not become central to his work until after 1885, when he had moved to Falmouth, then still a secluded part of Cornwall and a part of the country with a very mild climate that was more agreeable for nude bathing.
There Tuke focused on maritime scenes and portraits, which showed boys and young men bathing, fishing and sunbathing on sunny beaches.

He settled at Swanpool and bought a fishing boat for £40, 'Julie of Nantes', and converted it into a floating studio and living quarters.
He rented two rooms in Pennance Cottage, situated between Pennance Point and Swanpool Beach.

The cottage remained Tuke's permanent base until his death, although he often lived aboard boats.
 Here he could indulge his passion for painting boys.
 His early models were brought down from London but he soon befriended some of the local fishermen and swimmers in Falmouth who became his close friends and models.
These included Edward John "Johnny" Jackett (1878–1935), Charlie Mitchell (1885–1957), who looked after Tuke's boats, Willie Sainsbury, Tuke's eldest nephew, Leo Marshall, Georgie and Richard Fouracre (sons of his housekeeper), George Williams – younger son of close neighbours, Maurice Clift – nephew of a family friend, Ainsley Marks, Jack Rolling (in some sources mispelt "Rowling") Freddy Hall, Bert White and Harry Cleave.

Due to Tuke's habit of interchanging heads and bodies of his models in his paintings, it is often not possible to identify each figure exactly.
All of Tuke's regular models were eventually called up during the First World War, and some did not return, including Maurice Clift (a model for August Blue) who was killed in France.

Tuke established an art gallery in Falmouth with William Ayerst Ingram as a commercial outlet mainly for their own paintings.

He would often commute to London as Falmouth was well served with a railway service and he was not therefore isolated from the London art scene.
 He  produced numerous portraits of society figures, local officials and members of the Tuke family circle.
He also painted many more saleable landscapes and was well regarded as a painter of ships in sail.
Henry Scott Tuke was elected Associate of the Royal Academy in 1900 and Royal Academician in 1914.
Tuke painted oil studies of young male nudes during a tour of Italy in his early twenties in 1881, but the theme did not become central to his work until after 1885, when he had moved to Falmouth, then still a secluded part of Cornwall and a part of the country with a very mild climate that was more agreeable for nude bathing. There Tuke focused on maritime scenes and portraits, which showed boys and young men bathing, fishing and sunbathing on sunny beaches.
He settled at Swanpool and bought a fishing boat for £40, 'Julie of Nantes', and converted it into a floating studio and living quarters. He rented two rooms in Pennance Cottage, situated between Pennance Point and Swanpool Beach. 
The cottage remained Tuke's permanent base until his death, although he often lived aboard boats.  Here he could indulge his passion for painting boys.  His early models were brought down from London but he soon befriended some of the local fishermen and swimmers in Falmouth who became his close friends and models. These included Edward John "Johnny" Jackett (1878–1935), Charlie Mitchell (1885–1957), who looked after Tuke's boats, Willie Sainsbury, Tuke's eldest nephew, Leo Marshall, Georgie and Richard Fouracre (sons of his housekeeper), George Williams – younger son of close neighbours, Maurice Clift – nephew of a family friend, Ainsley Marks, Jack Rolling (in some sources mispelt "Rowling") Freddy Hall, Bert White and Harry Cleave. 
Due to Tuke's habit of interchanging heads and bodies of his models in his paintings, it is often not possible to identify each figure exactly. All of Tuke's regular models were eventually called up during the First World War, and some did not return, including Maurice Clift (a model for August Blue) who was killed in France.
Tuke established an art gallery in Falmouth with William Ayerst Ingram as a commercial outlet mainly for their own paintings.
He would often commute to London as Falmouth was well served with a railway service and he was not therefore isolated from the London art scene.  He  produced numerous portraits of society figures, local officials and members of the Tuke family circle. He also painted many more saleable landscapes and was well regarded as a painter of ships in sail. Henry Scott Tuke was elected Associate of the Royal Academy in 1900 and Royal Academician in 1914.
Henry Scott Tuke