Teaching Methods

The aim of educational activity of the Water Colour School is revival, development and distribution of the academic system of teaching, and pupils’ gain of the bases of art education and training of the creative individual.

The school is a specialized establishment of additional education, the main tasks of which are the continuation of traditions of Russian and world realistic school of a water color and transfer of experience, from both old masters as well as new, to future generations. Children and teenagers in aged 10 to 18 and adults over 18 are taken in the school.

The basic education program is a curriculum designed by the art director of school, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation S.N. Andriaka, “Fine Arts (drawing, painting, composition)”. It has different versions adapted to different ages and number of classes per week.

Children aged 11-12 years are accepted in the budgetary department. Their education curriculum differs from the programme for paid groups, not only by amount of hours per week, but also by logical structure. The pupil of budgetary classes offers an expanded set of tasks with longer term of their fulfilment for formation of professional skills. Organisation differs by complicatedness and presence of genres of portrait, interior, landscape, and exposed nature.

The “Fine Arts” course for preparatory groups is aimed at preparation of children 10-12 years of age to the first budgetary class and consists of eight months of training.

A feature of the curriculum of S.N. Andriaka consists in parallel work of the teacher and the pupil on one subject. Thus, for 15 to 30 minutes of each class, pupils only observe of work of the teacher and listen to his explanations. Each class has a duration of 150 minutes (three lessons of 45 minutes with 2 breaks of 5 and 10 minutes).

The method stipulates a strict sequence of fulfilment of tasks from simple to complex. Transition to the next task should only be carried out after acquisition of the previous one. Cyclicism, return to the task at the next stage and training of composition and creation of an artistic image are inextricably linked to the process of training drawing, grisaille and water colours, with a combination of long scrupulous drawing to short-term sketches of a moving nature, to development of various scales of image, to the constant reference during education to work with fine subjects.

The lively process of transfer of professional skills from the teacher and the pupil is unique and is the basis of the whole educational and methodical process of the school.

There is no division at the school of teachers of drawing, painting and composition. The whole course of fine arts is conducted by one teacher.

For the students of the budgetary department obligatory summer outside practice is stipulated. It is carried out according to a strictly developed methodical curriculum with master-classes of teachers and the art director; additional subjects are taught: sketches, flowers: various techniques of image on paper, etching, composition of easel painting, painting on porcelain and ceramics, painting in an interior. Mastering good skills in these applied directions of fine arts will enable students to make life creative and enable them to choose their trade.

Taking into account interests of Muscovites, for students of the paying department additional educational services at the school, as well as teaching of painting, are available, such as etching, painting on porcelain and ceramics, and composition.
For professional artists, students of creative educational institutions, and also amateur artists “Evening drawing (Nude model. Sketches) classes are carried out.

Bright and popular illustration of work of the water colour school are open days at which master-classes, trial lessons and excursions are carried out, video materials are shown, and competitions on the history of art are run, as well as meetings with the art director and teachers by spectators.