See, think, and create differently inside the AOP Signature Course
The comprehensive online, self-paced landscape painting course beloved by thousands of artists worldwide
Learning to ask good questions and paint your way into the answers begins here.
Over your time as an artist you may have painted in extraordinary places, followed along with more than a few painting tutorials, and participated in lots of workshops.
And yet, when the session or the day came to a close, you may have stepped back and realized there was still more to work on.
Something about this doesn’t look quite right… but how can I figure out what it is?
I know this part of the painting isn’t working, but if I rework it, will I throw everything off?
I’m not sure if it’s quite there… should I call it finished and move on, or keep going?
These are the tough questions we face as artists, and we have a choice to make in their presence.
We can feel overwhelmed, maybe even discouraged, and put the painting down, hoping a new, “easier” idea will strike.
Or—we can get curious, pick up our tools, and renew our commitment to our craft, working our way through to the answers.
That’s what the AOP Signature Course is all about.
The Adventure of Painting Signature Course is the foundation to developing your painter’s eye and your painter’s mind.
Across four online, self-paced series of video modules, we explore the landscape painting fundamentals that are crucial to growing your skill and artistic vision.
I guide you through the process of finding your ideas, developing them through studies, and refining them on your canvas.
You’ll:
Get unstuck in your creative process
Understand essential landscape concepts such as idea finding, composition, and experimenting with light & value
Learn what it takes to think and solve problems like an artist
Clarify your own artistic intention, approach, and direction
Feel focused and confident in your ideas and painting process
Experience the satisfaction of making art that you love
Grow with painters of all levels and mediums inside the Signature Course
Here’s the philosophy behind the AOP Signature Course
It’s all about the process.
Great paintings aren’t made from start to finish in one go or in one tutorial, straight from the scene to the brush to the canvas. Even if you love to paint en plein air, time in the studio is essential for study and refinement.
There’s adventure and richness in understanding your intention for a painting, working between gesture and study, and refining something ambiguous all the way through orchestration to finish.
-
FIND YOUR INTENTION
A beautiful idea with no pre-thought doesn't ultimately work.
That’s why every painting begins with intention—where are you heading, and why are you going that way? What stirs you and gets you excited about a place? What makes you feel most alive about the scene?
-
DEVELOP YOUR IDEA
Painting isn’t a linear process—it takes study, practice, and time.
Through gestures, studies, and exploration, you begin to translate the excitement of that intention into an understanding of how you’ll bring your idea to life.
-
REFINE YOUR WORK
The richness of your process is just as important as the final outcome.
How can you push your understanding of light, color, or composition just a bit further every time? As you lean into the work of exploring and refining your ideas, you'll find your paintings naturally improving.
The wonderful thing about painting is that there’s no final destination.
Yes, you finish pieces along the way, but being an artist is a journey that constantly circles back on itself, your knowledge deepening with each pass.
The AOP Signature Course helps you work through the fundamentals like value, massing, key, and beyond, because gaining more mastery helps you paint with more satisfaction.
You'll find yourself returning to these core principles again and again whenever you paint, each time with clearer eyes and a more refined understanding.
What’s included in the AOP Signature Course
Lifetime access to a rich library of landscape painting instruction
The Adventure of Painting Signature Course is your guide through the fundamentals of landscape painting that will radically improve your skill and hone your artistic vision.
The course’s online, self-paced structure gives you the flexibility to grow at your own rhythm, layering new knowledge into your practice over time.
Every great painting is built on layers of study and experimentation, and this course gives you the tools for both.
The AOP Signature Course offers:
4 main Modules, including 3 “Adventure Series” of short, easy-to-digest videos that build on core concepts like value, composition, massing, key, color, and so much more
Over 12 hours of instruction across 59 videos, ideal for working through and then revisiting at any time throughout your painting adventure
Guided assignments to advance your learning, develop your painter’s mind, and help you solve your tough questions like an artist
Infinite inspiration to fuel your love of painting
Lifetime* access to all course content, so you can return to particular topics as needed no matter what you’re working on
The course is perfect for beginners and seasoned painters alike, working in oil, gouache, or any other medium.
* “Lifetime” access in the case of AOP refers to the lifetime of the course - or as long as the AOP Signature Course is available.
GETTING STARTED
Preparing for the Adventure Ahead
Let's make sure you have the supplies you’ll need to sketch, paint, and discover.
11 Videos
1 hr 11 min
ADVENTURE SERIES 1
Finding Your Ideas & Intentions
In this series we begin laying the important groundwork and foundational elements that you’ll return to throughout your process.
16 Videos
3 hr 15 min
ADVENTURE SERIES 2
Developing Your Process
Through practice and 15-20 minutes of diligent study a day, you will realize major changes in your ability to see and interpret the scene in front of you.
16 Videos
3 hr 28 min
ADVENTURE SERIES 3
Developing Your Understanding
This series guides you through further understanding concepts that will help you refine your paintings, all the way from orchestration to finish.
19 Videos
4 hr 14 min
Enroll in the AOP Signature Course!
PAY IN FULL AND SAVE
$650
One-time payment, lifetime access
PAYMENT PLAN
$225 x 3
3 monthly payments of $225, lifetime access
Want to preview the Signature Course?
Find your sketchbook and join me for this sample lesson.
I’m Scott Christensen, your instructor and guide
Because the adventure of painting is lifelong.
Rather than the typical 2-3 hour art instruction video where you watch someone else solve problems, I built the AOP Signature Course as a series of short videos that encourage you to discover ways to solve problems, experiment, and develop skills on your own.
As the great Edgar Payne once said, “Knowledge precedes execution.” I’ve spent my entire career as an artist learning and discovering what I didn’t know, and then painting my way into the answers. I’m here to help you apply new knowledge, build your skillset, feel confident in problem-solving, and discover and find clarity in your unique artistic vision.
There are no shortcuts to “speed up” your growth. Time is the magic ingredient, and steady practice puts that time to work for you.
As you study, take notes, sketch, and devote yourself to good practice, you begin to see differently—the world, your work, and yourself as an artist. And that’s the point.
I look forward to seeing you in the Signature Course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know is right below.
-
Artists of all levels are welcome inside the Signature Course. Instead of being a “beginner’s” course or an “advanced” course, the Signature Course invites you to see the fundamentals of painting in a new light, and to deepen your understanding with each pass.
After all, good lines, interesting shapes and harmonies, colors that tie together—these things aren’t elementary. The adventure of learning and study is a lifetime journey for all artists, and we practice these elements in every painting we work on.
-
While I primarily paint and teach in oil and gouache, the concepts we’ll work through can be applied to acrylic, watercolor, pastels, and more.
-
A full supply list is available by email and in your course portal after you enroll, but the contents probably won’t surprise you. I share recommendations for brushes and a foundational color palette, as well as a few different notebooks for writing, drawing, and painting.
You’ll also need your computer, tablet, or phone and internet/cell service to watch the videos.
-
Log in to your course portal here!
The video modules are online and self-paced, so you can stream them wherever, whenever you have internet or cell service. Some assignments also include downloadable reference images or additional resources. You have lifetime* access to all of the content and can revisit it as often as you like.
*"Lifetime" in this case refers to the lifetime of the course, or as long as the AOP Signature Course is available.
-
While most students work through the lessons over 3-6 months, and some students finish the videos and assignments in 6 weeks, the course is self-paced and you have lifetime* access to all of the material. I highly recommend revisiting lessons and assignments throughout your painting journey - there are always new insights to gain from the lessons!
*"Lifetime" in this case refers to the lifetime of the course, or as long as the AOP Signature Course is available.
-
The Signature Course is self-paced, so how long it takes to complete the course is completely up to you. Most students work their way through all of the modules in over 3-6 months, but there’s no strict deadline.
What matters most is your willingness to show up, pick up the brush, and do the work. It's about balancing the 'thinking' and 'doing' parts of painting equally and consistently.
You'd be amazed at how much you can progress with just 10-20 minutes of diligent study each day. It's this intentional commitment that builds your skills, trains your eye, and ultimately shapes you as an artist.
-
Showing you how to paint one painting only shows you how to paint one painting, so the Signature Course isn’t a start to finish demo.
Instead, I’ve included a series of modules that encourage you to experiment with each concept independently. You'll learn to see your work through multiple lenses—value, massing, key, color—and how to apply these tools to any painting challenge. That way, you can always dip back into specific topics as needed, no matter what you’re working on. Rather than just following along, you’ll be developing your painter’s mind as you go.
-
Absolutely. All of the concepts in the Signature Course apply to any landscape you’d like to paint—like composition, massing, values, key, color, edges, and more.
-
This course isn't about teaching you to paint in my style, but about building your skills to express your own ideas confidently. We explore how to identify what makes you excited about a painting or a scene, and then translate that aliveness into your work. The real challenge—and reward—lies in honing your eye and developing your own vision.
-
Item Thanks for joining me, and I’m so glad to see you back here. The in-person learning experience is so valuable, but the Signature Course covers so much more than we could ever explore in the few days we had together. Joining the course is a great way to continue your learning, solidify concepts, expand your knowledge, and put these concepts to use in your practice. The course also gives you lifetime access to revisit the content again and again.
-
No, the videos are hosted online in your course portal so you can watch them whenever, wherever you have internet access.
-
The Continuing Education Membership is an optional add-on subscription ($25/month) that includes additional video content and study, live monthly Q&A calls on Zoom, and membership in the Adventure of Painting Community.
You must have enrolled in the Signature Course in order to also join the membership, and you can do so any time after you’ve purchased the course.
-
No, all images are solely meant for the use of teaching and learning. Images are copyrighted and not permitted for distribution of any kind, or derivative work for exhibition or sale.
Many course modules guide you through the process of painting from your own images, however, and those works are of course free for you to use.
