Landscapes with Depth
Course with Ken Goldman

Lesson 1

Getting to know your teacher

An introduction to the course and a warm welcome from the teacher.

Lesson 3

Enlarging the Sketch: Transferring It to Watercolor Paper

This lesson is about making a small sketch work on a larger scale without losing its proportions. I’ll show you how to use a multi-line grid to transfer even a complex composition onto watercolor paper more accurately and with much more confidence.

Lesson 5

The Lost City—Machu Picchu

Duration: 3 hours

Here we’ll take a different approach to watercolor by working on an acrylic-toned surface. We’ll build the scene through large value shapes, adding light with opaque color instead of preserving the white paper.

You will learn to:

• work on an acrylic-toned watercolor surface;
• simplify a complex scene into large value masses;
• build lights with opaque watercolor;
• create distance through temperature, edges, and contrast.

Lesson 7

The Quiet Harbor

Duration: 2 hours

This lesson is about creating calm through color, simplicity, and restraint. We’ll build a blue-dominant harbor and use soft reflections and small warm accents to guide the eye.

You will learn to:

• plan color and value with thumbnail studies;
• build harmony around a dominant color;
• paint soft reflections and distant forms;
• use warm accents to strengthen the focal area.

Lesson 9

The Lilac Moonglow

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

In The Lilac Moonglow, we’ll create the quiet glow of a moon setting over the ocean. Layered lilacs, turquoise, soft edges, and deeper values will help turn the scene into a misty early-morning atmosphere.

You will learn to:

• create a convincing moonlit atmosphere;
• build smooth layered color transitions;
• balance cool hues with warm accents;
• use opaque white and pastel to enhance glow and mist.

Lesson 11

The Blooming Cape

Duration: 3 hours 25 minutes

We’ll paint a vivid coastal scene where bright flowers pull the eye into the foreground and the landscape gradually softens toward the horizon. The main focus is on contrast, aerial perspective, and keeping the details loose.

You will learn to:

• plan a composition with thumbnails and the rule of thirds;
• create aerial perspective with value and temperature;
• use complementary colors to strengthen focal areas;
• suggest flowers, waves, and foliage with loose detail.

Lesson 13

Course conclusion

Our course has come to an end. Let’s look back at what we’ve learned and talk about how you can continue growing with more confidence and freedom in your creative practice.