A New Course by Konstantin Sterkhov
Painting Venice,
One Detail at a Time
Most courses ask you to see the whole scene at once. That's why so many painters freeze in front of Venice. Here you start with one door – and Venice builds itself from there.
Decode any complex scene – see the structure others miss
Master the warm Italian palette – with terracotta, greens, and all shades of blue
Bridge studio practice to plein air confidence
6 finished paintings • 2 sketch studies • 9 hours of HD video • Lifetime access
AT A GLANCE
Most Venice courses begin with a panorama. This one begins with a door.
A weathered green door. Two striped mooring poles. Water lapping at the steps. That's Lesson 1 – and that's the whole logic of the course in one image. You paint one thing in Venice – and learn the structure that holds it together. By Lesson 2, that structure is already working in your hands.
"Usually the learning process goes from general to a detail. In this course I decided to proceed vice versa – because I believe it will help to break through many fears" – Konstantin Sterkhov
IS THIS COURSE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Read these four sentences. If even one of them sounds like you, keep scrolling.
You're stuck on a plateau.
You've been painting for years. You've improved. But lately your work feels the same – and you can't figure out what to fix next. You don't need another tutorial. You need to understand what's actually missing.
You can copy a tutorial – but not your own photos.
Step-by-step works while the video plays. The moment you try a scene of your own, you're lost. You want to understand WHY a painting works, not memorize HOW one was made.
Your cityscapes feel flat.
You want light, depth, atmosphere – the things that make a watercolor sing. Yours come out grey and tired, and no one has ever told you exactly why.
You dream of plein air – but you're not ready.
You'd love to paint outdoors. The thought of standing in front of a real Venetian canal makes you put the brush down before you even start.
KONSTANTIN'S METHOD
- Why "general first" stops most painters cold You can't simplify what you don't yet understand.
- Why starting from a detail breaks the fear Master one door, one gondolier, one reflection – and the next layer stops being scary. Each lesson removes one specific block before you put it all together.
- Why this method transfers beyond Venice By the end, you have 6 paintings of Venice. But, what’s more valuable, you have a way of seeing that works anywhere. Venice is the laboratory. The method is the product.
YOUR PATH THROUGH VENICE
6 paintings. 2 sketches. Each one removes one specific fear – in the right order.
Stage One – The Detail
Lesson 1 · Green Door · Paint a weathered door in sharp Italian sunlight – your introduction to tonal range and the warm terracotta-vs-green palette that runs through the course.
1 lesson, 1,5 hours
Stage Two – Figures and Movement
Exercise · Gondolier Sketch · 10 minutes Work with a direct brush, no pencil. Your goal in this exercise is to capture a figure in the fewest strokes possible.
Lesson 2 · The Gondolier · 1,5 hours Paint a figure, his boat, and the water around him – integrated into one cohesive scene.
Exercise · Across the Canal · 21 minutes A short tonal exercise that will teach you one of the hardest things in painting – depth.
3 lessons, ~2 hours
Stage Three – The Bigger Vision
Lesson 3 · Salute in the Distance · 1,5 hours Learn to work with three planes of depth, explore aerial perspective, and master the art of choosing which details survive.
Lesson 4 · High Tide · 1,5 hours Paint restless water, moored gondolas – and create an artwork where loose washes meet precise shape modeling.
Lesson 5 · Waiting for Customers · 1 hour Paint a group of gondoliers in striped shirts. Make a composition built entirely around figures and see that it is easier than it seems.
Lesson 6 · Breakfast in Venice · 1,5 hours The synthesis lesson with a figure, a setting, and the city behind, all in one painting. Practice everything you have learned at the course.
4 lessons, ~5,5 hours
Conclusion
Summary of techniques learned, feedback, and creative assignment.
This Is What You Will Paint
Meet Your Instructor
«Konstantin paints Venice for real – and brings other artists there.
"I've been painting for over 30 years and teaching for 20. In that time I've watched hundreds of artists try Venice for the first time – and almost all of them freeze. They look at a canal full of light, water, gondolas, palaces, and they don't know where to begin.
I built this course around the way I wish someone had taught me when I started: one piece at a time, from the smallest detail to the bigger vision. By the end, Venice doesn't feel impossible anymore. And neither does anywhere else". – Konstantin Sterkhov
Support and feedback
During your studies, you receive personal feedback from professionals and the support of a creative community of like — minded people - learning becomes easier, more inspiring and more interesting.
Get individual written feedback on your paintings
- 6 detailed reviews of your final paintings + 1 creative task within the first 75 days.
- Professional feedback from a curator - Olga Karlsson (Premium plan)
- Expert critique from an academically trained fine artist.
Join our international and artistic community
- Connect with like-minded artists, share advice and feedback.
- Join daily discussions on drawings and art-related topics.
- Enjoy a welcoming space moderated by our Community Manager and Support Team.
Certificate of completion for Premium Plan
Upon completion of the course for the students of Premium planwe issue a certificate. The certificate could be used as a proof of your qualification's upgrade at work (if it is related to arts) and for your private affairs as a recognition of your mastery in painting.
What Will You Achieve During This Program?
This isn't a course you finish and forget. It's a way of seeing that stays with you every time you pick up a brush.
A method you can apply anywhere
The reverse approach works on any complex scene – any city, waterfront, or sunlit corner of the world
Six finished paintings + two sketches
Not watching – doing. By the end you have a body of work, not a folder of half-finished attempts
The ability to diagnose your own work
When something doesn't work, you'll know why and you'll know what to change. This is the difference between improving and just hoping next time will be better
The warm Italian color formula
A portable palette for any Mediterranean or warm-toned scene. Once you have it, you carry it forever
Confident figures in a landscape
Capture posture, movement, and presence in a few brush strokes. Stop avoiding people in your scenes
Plein air readiness
The bridge from studio practice to painting outdoors with structure. The next time you face a real scene, you'll know exactly where to start
lesson sample
We offer different plans
Plan
Standard
- 13 lessons in full HD from 2 camera angles (9h))
- 6 completed watercolor paintings
- 24/7 access from any location at your own pace
- LIFETIME access to the video lessons
- Access to the moderated students community on WhatsApp
- Final project (your own painting)
Bonus
- 30 ArtiCoins
Plan
Premium
- 13 lessons in full HD from 2 camera angles (9h)
- 6 completed watercolor paintings
- 24/7 access from any location at your own pace
- LIFETIME access to the video lessons
- Access to the moderated students community on WhatsApp
- Final project (your own painting)
- Official certificate of completion
- Individual written feedback on each painting + 1 creative task from professional artist within 75 days
Bonus
- 40 ArtiCoins
We offer different plans
Plan
Standard
- 13 lessons in full HD from 2 camera angles (9h))
- 6 completed watercolor paintings
- 24/7 access from any location at your own pace
- LIFETIME access to the video lessons
- Access to the moderated students community on WhatsApp
- Final project (your own painting)
Bonus
- 30 ArtiCoins
Plan
Premium
- 13 lessons in full HD from 2 camera angles (9h)
- 6 completed watercolor paintings
- 24/7 access from any location at your own pace
- LIFETIME access to the video lessons
- Access to the moderated students community on WhatsApp
- Final project (your own painting)
- Official certificate of completion
- Individual written feedback on each painting + 1 creative task from professional artist within 75 days
Bonus
- 40 ArtiCoins
You Have No Risks — We Support You!
Already bought courses you never finished?
6 lessons. 3 clear stages. You always know what's next – Detail → Figures → Bigger Vision.
Worried about the level?
Full refund within 14 days if it's not the right fit after the first lessons.
No time?
Lifetime access to every video. 2 hours a week is enough.
MATERIALS FOR THE COURSE
You probably already have most of what you need.
What You'll Need:
1) Paints - your usual watercolor palette (Konstantin works with Daniel Smith, but any quality brand works)
2) Brushes - one wide flat for wetting, plus a few rounds and flats you already trust
3) Paper - 100% cotton, 300 g, Cold Pressed or Rough (Saunders Waterford recommended)
4) Extras - board, masking tape, water container, paper towel, pencil, eraser
The full list of Konstantin's exact materials is inside the course – but there's no need to buy anything special to start.
FAQ
Still have questions?
Our team is here to help. Not sure which plan is right for you? Just reach out — we'll guide you in a few minutes.
Contact us
You've looked at photos of Venice and thought: I'd love to paint that.
Then you've thought: I wouldn't even know where to start.
That moment – that's what this course was built for. Not when Venice feels easy. When it feels impossible.
You'll start with one door. Then a gondolier. Then water, figures, light, distance.
By the end, you'll have a way of seeing – and you'll use it for the rest of your life as an artist.