I always work very softly and gently. The outlines and silhouettes are delicate, barely visible. Within this principle, there are no erasures, no rewrites, no mistakes—only search. I move gradually into the fog, and it disperses. This is important for my students to understand: you often try to name every line, to claim you know. But that is never the case. By working at full intensity right away, you leave no room for discovery—and that is your mistake. Be soft and light when it’s needed. Be aggressive and fierce when it’s time to define

Why I prefer to work with live models instead of photos? The problem is that when you draw or paint from a photo, perspective distortions arise: the closer parts of the body appear too large, while the farther ones seem too small. It's difficult to correct, and a painting based on a photo reference can never truly come to life. That’s why I prefer to work with live models. A live model is a three-dimensional presence existing in space. You can move her, adjust her pose, and study her anatomy if something seems unclear. Most importantly, if needed, you can ask the model to shift slightly to reveal the underlying bone structure and create a convincing composition. This kind of work allows for constant refinement of the pose, bringing it closer to perfection. A photograph doesn’t offer such possibilities—a shot might capture accidental, unflattering moments, like the positioning of fingers, the curve of limbs, or the tilt of the head, which look unnatural. Though the photo itself may appear striking, it often doesn’t work for a painting.

Hello, guys! It's been a while since I posted here. Just wanted to thank you all for the attention you gave to this course. It means the world to me. Do you have any questions about the course? Anything that you'd like to explore in more detail. I'd really love to here from you.

Guys, I finally got access to my account and was able to reply to your comments! The most common question is what kind of paper do I use and how do I stretch the paper. I use the most ordinary paper. cheap, not watercolor, without texture. thick enough not to tear immediately, but less dense than watercolor paper. In fact, it's not about paper and your pencils, but about the system of your thoughts. How I stretch: It is necessary to moisten the paper with plenty of water on one side and leave for 7-10 minutes. The paper is stretched as much as possible during this time. We put the paper on the tablet with the wet side: and it sticks to the tablet almost perfectly evenly. The dry side of the paper is facing you and you won't be able to damage it with your hands as much as the wet side. I fix the paper with a stapler. Maybe with glue. you don’t need to pull it hard, it will stretch itself, because you soaked it properly at the beginning. Since the wet side is facing the tablet, after 5 minutes you can start toning the paper.

What kind of paper should I be seeking to stretch it properly, while also maintaining a decent texture?

Is there a way to turn on closed captioning? My ears are bad and distinguishing words is difficult.