You've dreamed of painting loose, expressive landscapes in pastel
filled with bold marks and fresh color that sparkle with life. ✨
Amazing, right?! Except that...
Marks can come out timid when you want them bold.
Color can go muddy instead of fresh.
The details pull you in, and it's hard to find your way out.
Overworking can drain the freshness right out of it.
Bold marks are a skill, not a personality trait
and I'll show you how to practice them until your hand trusts itself.
Fresh color comes from strategy
not from talent or luck, and you'll learn several approaches you can reach for every time.
A clear roadmap replaces the guesswork
so you know where you are in a painting and what comes next.
Say goodbye to perfectionism
and hello to the adventure of painting with fresh eyes.
You're invited to take a journey with me.
Let me be your guide, and I'll help you paint the kind of loose, expressive landscapes you've been dreaming of.
With 29 years as a professional artist, and 17 years as an author and instructor, I've had the privilege of helping thousands of students, in live workshops and online, discover the techniques and mindset shifts that moved their painting forward.
Here's what I know to be true. You don't need special talent to get there. You need a roadmap, and someone walking it with you.
Six weeks from now, you'll stand in front of the easel and know exactly where to begin.
Let's take the first step together,
-Alain J. Picard
Anne
I wanted to develop my own style and become more confident with pastels and landscape painting.
Now I feel much more comfortable with both.
I finally have a solid foundation that lets me create art while taking more risks.
Richela
Comparing last year's work with this year's has been amazing.
I've greatly improved in confidence and skill.
I finally feel confident enough to try this painterly approach with my own photos.
Jennifer
I learned how to loosen up my work and to use more color where I'd previously held back.
I'd been in a bit of a slump struggling to get into the studio.
Now I create every week, and I had fun!
Here's what your journey looks like
A clear roadmap so you always know what comes next.
A weekly practice plan that builds real skill.
A spirit of adventure instead of pressure to perform.
Step-by-step demonstrations of new techniques and approaches.
A global community walking the same road with you.
So, if you’re ready to trade perfectionism for the freedom of knowing where you're going...
then let's take the first step together.
"This course was amazing! I learned how to organize my pastels to make it easier to find the colors I need. I found out how important a thumbnail sketch is in helping determine how to proceed. I discovered how helpful color studies are when picking a color scheme.
Alain’s painterly roadmap makes everything easier, and all this helped me in refining my work without overdoing it.
This course is great in teaching all aspects of how to create a painterly landscape!" - Kathy
After taking this course, I can definitely see the difference in my work.
I can see that I have become freer with my mark making as well as better with laying down the foundations of my paintings with the values in my underpainting.
Overall, everything has become stronger in my work.
This is a fantastic course for strengthening your skills and becoming a stronger artist. Big changes happen during and after taking this course! - Jennifer
The Painterly Landscape Course 2026
7 Milestones, Taking You on a Journey of Transformation in Your Landscape Painting, from Design all the Way to Your Destination
What's inside the Course?
Let's discover the 7 Milestones together
Every milestone includes full-length painting demonstrations, so you can watch each idea take shape at the easel before you try it yourself.
MILESTONE 1
Explore New Territory
You'll start by seeing clearly what painterly means. It's a different way of working than the tighter, linear approach most of us were taught. Then we'll set up your materials, palette and studio so they support loose painting instead of fighting it. And you'll get your hand moving right away with bold mark-making techniques that show you what's possible on the paper.
MILESTONE 2
Clarify Your Direction – Developing a Visual Plan
This is where the guesswork ends. I'll give you a creative problem-solving method with a three-step checklist. It tells you whether you're headed in the right direction before you commit a single mark. It's the difference between hoping a painting works out and knowing what it's about when you begin.
MILESTONE 3
Break Free with Color – Color Studies
Color studies are where you get to be brave. They're small and quick, so there's nothing at stake and no large painting to ruin. I'll walk you through monochromatic, limited palette and complementary strategies, then set you loose on exercises that build your confidence one study at a time. This is the milestone where color starts to feel like play.
MILESTONE 4
Activate Your Scene – Underpainting Methods
Get ready for wet media. An underpainting is the layer that decides how alive your color feels before you ever reach for a pastel. You'll see how painters have used them for centuries and why they still work, then learn the three basic underpainting techniques and practice each one. I'll demonstrate two side by side so you can see for yourself how differently they behave.
MILESTONE 5
The Painterly Roadmap – A Seven-Step Plan
This is the heart of the course. The Painterly Roadmap is the seven-step process I use for every landscape I paint, from the first thumbnail all the way to the finish. We'll walk through each step together, and you'll get your own copy of the roadmap to keep beside your easel. Then I'll paint a landscape using it start to finish, so you can watch the whole process unfold.
MILESTONE 6
Don’t Miss Your Exit – Refining Without Overworking
You've planned well and painted boldly. Now comes the hardest part, knowing when to stop. This milestone gives you The Visual Dashboard, seven indicators that tell you what your painting still needs and when to put the pastel down. Then I'll pick up the demonstration from Milestone 5 and take it to the finish, so you can see how a painting arrives at a beautiful destination with its freshness intact.
MILESTONE 7
Design Your Destination
Now that you've taken a painting all the way through, we go back to where every painting begins. I'll break down seven design principles that have guided master painters for centuries, and show you how to use them in your own thumbnail sketches. These are the decisions that separate a painting people walk past from one they stop in front of. Then you'll watch these principles at work in a final painting demonstration.
By the end of the course you will have:
Motivation and Confidence
in your painterly methods, materials and practices that lead to creating loose expressive landscapes in pastel.
Clarity of Direction
with a step-by-step plan and specific techniques that will drive you toward your destination.
A Visual Dashboard
that provides navigational assistance so you can steer your painting toward a beautiful destination.
Color Strategies
that enable you to discover the power, fun and freedom of using vibrant color in your paintings.
Guides and Checklists
to organize your palette, design your work and keep your paintings looking fresh without overworking.
Underpainting Techniques
that bring exciting color activation to your pastel paintings using wet media.
PLUS!
These Bonuses Will Help You Cultivate Momentum on Your Creative Journey!
BONUS 1
Weekly Q&A Sessions
Join me for six weeks in a row as new Milestones are released.
I'll expound on topics, troubleshoot your questions, clarify techniques with you and provide some roadside encouragement.
Can't make the Q&A Sessions? Don't worry! All sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the course website for you to easily review with lifetime access.
$300 Value
BONUS 2
Private, Members Only Facebook Group
You'll be invited into a highly supportive Facebook Community for six weeks of safe, exclusive, and encouraging connection with students and Mentors of this course. We’ll keep you motivated and encouraged as you build relationships and share your work. Best of all, you’ll gain valuable feedback from fellow students, Mentors and Alain Picard to keep you moving forward.
$200 Value
BONUS 3
Butterfly Garden Demonstration
You will receive my popular full-length Butterfly Garden Pastel Demonstration. This includes all stages, from beginning all the way to a loose painterly refinement. This Bonus Demo will be uploaded to the Course Website for you to learn and benefit from at your own pace as often as you like.
$150 Value
BONUS 4
Practice Makes Painterly Exercises
This Bonus PDF will provide you with six unique Painterly Exercises encompassing a variety of approaches to help you develop the mark-making skills that will cultivate a looser application of marks.
$100 Value
BONUS 5
Lifetime Access to LANDSCAPE WEEK
You will receive lifetime access to the full-length recordings of LANDSCAPE WEEK. This includes all 3 live lessons and exercises to help you loosen up your landscapes.These Bonus Demonstrations will be uploaded to the Course Website for you to learn and benefit from over and over.
$300 Value
BONUS 6
Fresh Color Bonus
The Fresh Color Bonus PDF is your go-to guide for mastering color harmony. Packed with practical tips and strategies, this resource will transform your paintings from dull to dazzling. It's designed to align perfectly with the course content, helping you maximize your learning and elevate your art.
$200 Value
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll today:
The Painterly Landscape Course
7 Milestones, Taking You on a Journey of Transformation in Your Landscape Painting, from Design all the Way to Your Destination
40 Instructional Videos, 10 Painting Demonstrations, 100 Pages of Guides, Material Lists, Reference Photos - $900 Value
BONUS 1: Weekly Live Q&A Sessions
BONUS 2: Private, Members Only Facebook Group
BONUS 3: Butterfly Garden Demonstration
BONUS 4: Practice Makes Painterly Exercises
BONUS 5: Landscape Week Recordings
BONUS 6: Fresh Color
Total Value including 6 BONUSES: $2,150
I’m excited to welcome you into The Painterly Landscape Course. You can enroll today for just:
OR
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Refund eligibility through 5PM (ET) on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Everything Is Online.
Learn At Your Own Pace.
The Painterly Landscape Course is hosted 100% online so you can participate from anywhere and at anytime.
Go through the material each week as it’s released, or slow things down and work on your own schedule. It's up to you!
With lifetime access to this course, you can't go wrong.
Alain’s course is extremely well planned, engaging, and valuable for all levels.
Alain is very thoughtful and encouraging to each participant and makes every effort to communicate clearly.
I would eagerly suggest Alain’s online workshops to anyone wanting to learn how to use the pastel medium.
- Dawn Emerson, PSA
What our Alumni are saying...
My goals were learning values, color harmony, and application, and I learned so much more than that.
Every milestone gave me a way to approach painting I'd never understood before in any medium.
This has truly been the best course and learning experience I've had! A very informative and thorough explanation of how to paint in pastels. - Sherry
Eileen
"This course is amazing and will be my tool going forward. It is such a gift to have lifelong access to this to go back and refresh. I have taken many workshops and none of them had me walk away with material like this. This is the best course I have ever taken!"
Leila
"This course is essential no matter your style of painting. It's well designed, accessible, inspiring and encouraging! It was exciting to get an in-depth understanding of the painterly technique! I also learned the essential steps needed to achieve a good composition and vibrant colors."
Susan
"I have already recommended this course to my painter friends. It far exceeded my expectations and is one of the best workshop experiences I've had for its completeness, presentation style, exercises, and the amount of information included."
Lily
"I now have more confidence and understanding in use of materials, how to use fresh, vibrant color, create bolder, looser marks, and how to develop a unique style in my work."
Lesley
"My painting approach will never be the same. I now have a new language that will guide me in the creation and evaluation of my work! This wonderful course has changed the way I paint and has made me a better artist!"
Kathi
"This is truly the most extensive online workshop I’ve ever taken — and I’ve attended a lot of workshops and seminars, believe me! I dearly needed this exact course at this exact time to fuel my creativity. It brought me so much joy!"
Julie
"I feel so much freer when painting now. Before, taking out a large piece of paper always felt like a crapshoot. Now, I feel more confident knowing that I have a plan."
Gail
"I am a beginning artist, and although I appreciated the painterly focus, the course helped me learn to paint better in general. Alain's discussions of tone and value throughout the course really helped me understand and see better."
I wanted more insight into color theory, looseness, and expressiveness.
This course journey helped me focus on the process rather than always thinking about the end result, which made my markings bolder and more determined.
Alain is a great teacher and artist who shares his knowledge with passion and generosity.
The painterly landscape course is by far the best course I’ve taken, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to progress in their painting journey. - Dagmar
Frequently Asked Questions
What people asked before signing up for The Painterly Landscape Course:
Is this course too advanced for beginners?
I've never been able to loosen up. Do you really think you can help me?
How much time do I need to commit to the Painterly Landscape Course each week?
What if my schedule does not align with the course?
How does this compare to taking a live in-person workshop?
I'm not very tech savvy. Will I be able to run this course effectively?
How will I get my special bonuses, and will my access ever expire?
What if I don't get my money's worth?
Can you remind me of everything I’m getting when I sign up today?
Here’s what you’re getting when you enroll today:
The Painterly Landscape Course
7 Milestones, Taking You on a Journey of Transformation in Your Landscape Painting, from Design all the Way to Your Destination
40 Instructional Videos, 10 Painting Demonstrations, 100 Pages of Guides, Material Lists, Reference Photos - $900 Value
BONUS 1: Weekly Live Q&A Sessions
BONUS 2: Private, Members Only Facebook Group
BONUS 3: Butterfly Garden Demonstration
BONUS 4: Practice Makes Painterly Exercises
BONUS 5: Landscape Week Recordings
BONUS 6: Fresh Color
Total Value including 6 BONUSES: $2,150
I’m excited to welcome you into The Painterly Landscape Course. You can enroll today for just:
OR
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Refund eligibility through 5PM (ET) on Monday, September 21, 2026.
You're Protected With Our 100% Risk-Free Guarantee
Give the first two milestones an honest try. If the course isn't right for you, send us your exercises by 5pm ET on Monday, September 21, 2026, and we'll refund you in full.
I ask to see your exercises for one simple reason. If you do them, I'm confident you'll get real value here. This isn't about judging your painting. It's about making sure you gave it a fair chance. I know it takes courage to say yes. You won't be doing it alone, and I'd love to see what you make.
Please note that refund eligibility has a firm deadline.
"No matter where you are in your painting journey, this course will be invaluable.
Whether you need to inject some fun and excitement, freshness, finding your own personal style, or are an absolute beginner, this course will challenge and stimulate you.
It is an exceptionally well-structured course and so well explained and demonstrated. Each step builds on the previous one from the conceptual stage of your painting to the final stage. AND you get to communicate and learn with other artists all over the world in a very constructive and informative way." - Susan
"The roadmap has been incredibly helpful in doing the steps to become successful. I have learned so much!
Alain’s course is the best I’ve ever taken. He shares everything—from how to begin to how to finish a painting—with clarity and encouragement. He’s patient, supportive, and makes you feel like you can do this.
This course has brought me so much joy and renewed excitement for creating again."
- Dorothy
See what some of our wonderful Course Alumni have to say!
Hundreds of students have already experienced breakthrough in their work!
Are you next?
Join the Painterly Landscape Course Today!
OR
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Refund eligibility through 5PM (ET) on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Here's The Timing of the Course
The live portion runs for six weeks from Tuesday, September 15 through Tuesday, October 27, 2026 with new content released weekly.
After that, the course continues as a self-paced experience!
You'll have LIFETIME ACCESS to the entire library of course materials
and can learn at whatever pace works best for you
whether that's completing it in a few weeks or taking months to really absorb each lesson.
"This class is the best gift you can give yourself as an artist who wants to grow.
Alain's a wonderful, generous teacher. You will have guidance, support and will be part of a wonderful community. You will have the tools and direction to take your art to another level.
Take the leap of faith. This course with Alain surpassed my expectations. One of my best decisions ever!" - Annie
Excited, But Still Not Sure?
Nine Ways to Know You’re Ready to Paint Bolder, Looser Landscapes in Pastel
- You're new to pastel and you want to avoid the pain of wasted time and ineffective methods by getting it right the first time.
- You've been struggling with your pastel paintings for a while, and you know it's time to break through once and for all.
- You love painting landscapes and dream of creating loose, expressive work that captures the feeling of being outdoors.
- You're willing to show up for your breakthrough, and put in the work each week to see the results that you're after.
- You've already been investing time in your creative development on a regular basis and are ready to take it to the next level.
- You know that a more painterly style is exactly what you're after, but perfectionism or fear of "messing up" has been holding you back.
- You're excited about following a proven roadmap rather than trying to figure it out on your own through trial and error.
- You've been wondering if you'll ever breakthrough to expressing your own unique creative voice in your landscape work.
- You feel motivated to be part of a supportive community of fellow artists who will encourage one another toward their goals.
If you said “yes” to at least five of the above, then you should give the Painterly Landscape Course a 100% risk-free try!
Dear Creative Friend,
Please don't let fear, overwhelm or discouragement keep you from your next creative breakthrough. I want you to know that you are not alone. Every aspiring artist has struggled with questions like, "Do I have what it takes?" or "Will I ever figure this out?" Myself included. Believe me when I say, you can do this.
My life's purpose is to help artists like you develop your creative potential so you can make a bigger impact through your art. The world needs the unique expression of beauty that only you can offer.
Here's what I know from experience: the techniques and methods I teach in this course aren't magical, and they don't require special talent. They require consistent practice and the right guidance. I've watched painters stuck in tight, overworked paintings discover the freedom of bold, expressive marks. I've watched perfectionists learn to let go and enjoy the painting again. And I've watched artists go from confusion to confidence as they found their own painterly voice.
Can you imagine what it would feel like to experience the joy of painting loose, expressive landscapes in pastel? To stand at the easel and know where you're going?
This is your moment. I'd love to guide you there.
-Alain J. Picard
Join the Painterly Landscape Course Today Before It's Gone!
OR
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Refund eligibility through 5PM (ET) on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Since taking this course I have a much better understanding of color theory and how to paint using any colors I want.
I also feel much more comfortable with soft pastel techniques and mark making.
Alain is an excellent contemporary teacher — very knowledgeable about achieving painterly effects with soft pastels. This course is an amazing source of educational knowledge, especially if you’re using soft pastels for the first time. - Amy
I joined to improve my understanding of thumbnails, value changes, and mark-making—all skills I needed to sharpen, even for my watercolor work.
Applying Alain’s roadmap has helped my latest painting surpass anything I’ve done before, and I’ve developed a real love for working with pastels.
One big aha moment was finally being able to see value in color more clearly. This is a great course, excellent value and truly professional teaching. - Gillian
Have More Questions?
Get answers to make the best choice for you.
ENROLLMENT CLOSES ON SEPTEMBER 9 AT 7PM (ET)
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