Profitable art: how to make money on learning adult drawing. "Watercolor for beginners" at the School of Veronica Kalacheva. Impressions Veroniki Kalachva
2019-12-19 08:47:24
There are no snow in Moscow, but there are live courses: from watercolor before lettering. Until December 25 at special prices ★ ⠀ If you want to communicate with teachers, personal answers to questions and classes in the company of like-minded people - this offer to you just! ⠀ ✩ Materials are provided to most living courses at the time of study. ✩ And when buying from 9000, you get a certificate for 1000 rubles from the online store @peredvizhnik ⠀ Link to a special offer, as it should be, in the profile cap. ⠀ P.S. In the photo of the winter-winter in the pastels of Irina @IRINAKLIMOVA Klimova. Well, at least a little snow, please. Your rates on a miracle: will snow on NG in Moscow? ☃️
1823 142019-12-18 14:03:45
Less than a month and start! Open the world Digital drawing using the stylus, iPad and the online course "Digital Portrait" LERE Kiryakova ⠀ Look at this lively drawing! And it is not necessary to be a pros in order to draw bright and memorable images - believe the word or check in practice;) Premiere January 17. ⠀ ✩ We start with everything immediately: is it and about "where to press here?" And about thinner, textured moments. On the course we will work not quite in classical stylistics and we will manage without complex buildings. ⠀ Understanding with the software: setting up, basic tools, work with layers, creating fills, filters, color correction. ⠀ ✩ Create three digital portraits: We will study the main techniques of digital illustration. ⠀ Link to record on the course in the profile header. And exactly a week of @lera_kiryakova will spend a live course of the course in his instagram, where you can ask questions. ⠀ P.S. And on the third photo in the carousel battle! Who are you for?
1450 382019-12-17 11:24:10
How to take children on vacation? ⠀ Step One: Nobody canceled cartoons. A selection with New Year's mood ★ Keepers of dreams USA, 2012 ★ Polar Express USA, 2004 ★ US History, 2009 ★ Santa Claus Secret Service, USA, 2011 ⠀ And Old Good: ★ When the trees of the USSR, 1950 ★ Twelve months of the USSR , 1956 ★ Winter in Prostokvashino USSR, 1984 ⠀ Step Two: Skin attack on Nature☃️ What to do? ⠀ ✩ arrange a snow photo session ✩ Make ice ornaments (see photo), you can add paints to the ice, and then hang toys outside) ✩ You can make a snowman, however, where to get the snow :)) (Moscow, + 2 °) ⠀ Step Three: You can learn something! ★ We already have more than 10 online courses for children from 4 to 13 years old ★ Now there are 12 free test lessons on the site. ★ Link to Kalachevakids in the header-Ushanka profile ⠀ By the way, advise there are still worthwhile cartoons with a fabulous and New Year's mood! Post-selection leave under # kalachevaschool_htroogo not lost)
1473 92019-12-16 11:08:38
About tradition, free online course and Christmas tree. ⠀ ... And then it went like a snowball: Watercolor winters under the handle with Christmas stories, the hair in raw, the mood - pastels, are colorfully laughing, the textured snow thoughts are thrown and look at me with your watercolor, yes so more questions: you are with US? ⠀ This is our tradition! Every year we will draw winter together, do not doubt the delight and not without sorts declare: Watercolor-pastel online adventure to be! This time with the gentle name "Snow Feelings". Then absolute facts about the course. ⠀ Adventure time: from January 1 to January 8. Participation is free. ⠀ On the way: ✩ 16 Thematic lessons from 9 leading school teachers ✩ Watercolor and pastel direction (choose one or both) ⠀ And under the Christmas tree: Competition for participants. The Christmas tree is fictional, but it was necessary to attach it somewhere. Competition is simple: the best participants in each direction will receive cool sets for drawing. ⠀ Learn more about everything by reference in the profile header! Who is with us?
3349 1272019-12-15 16:29:49
Everything will come true. We wrote a letter! Do not santa Claus, however, and our friends @maleviches with the wishes to give our students on live materials of materials, and more. Like, we will create beauty, only here acryla their bright and juicy is not enough ⠀ and they answered! Now on our living classes, for example, in the intensive of Anastasia Ermakova "Colorful reality. Scenic graphics »Materials for students Provides @maleviches ★ ⠀ Intensive will be held in the new year (January 18-19), and you can already sign up here on the link in the profile header. ⠀ In the photo of wonderful works @ermakova_a_g
1497 22019-12-13 13:16:45
⠀ First, thanks, friends, what was appreciated by the previous video in the heading # Klch_PP Your desire is our motivation. Today is the lesson of pastel painting from Elena Tatkina. Check out the color, vitamins and draw forward! ⠀ Secondly, it's time to vote for the next PP post. This time we will focus on the material: 1. Markers 2. Watercolor 3. Pastel 4. Pencils ⠀ P.S. All your past suits will be taken into account, now we vote precisely for the material that will be at the heart of the next lesson in the heading.
848 772019-12-12 11:52:12
Kotokurs! We know that you are waiting for the question of life importance at the end of the post. ⠀ We have long been in love with watercolor portraits of cats Alice @alisa_kalinovaart Kalinova, and online courses appear from such love. Watercolor Kotokurs can be written off on New Year's wonders, but the main thing in it is still a cat, that is, even three cats. On the course we write 3 Kotoportretten: White Young Oriental, Yard Men's Cat and Red Maine Coon. ⠀ What are learn by the course? ★ Create realistic portraits of cats of different breeds ★ Transmit smooth forms, expressive angles and even the expression "face" of a fluffy hero ★ Writing cat eye: Realistly draw pupils so that the look was alive ★ use lescing and multi-layer fills, work on the texture ⠀ ✅ ✅Rera course 24 January. The flow will pass with the author's check. You can learn more about the online course, see more cats and sign up for a course by reference in the profile header. Until December 31, the price of pre-order is valid. ⠀ P.S. Lessons are focused on students who are already familiar with the main techniques of watercolor painting, but also beginners, if desired, really master new techniques and learn to draw realistic cats. ⠀ The very question of life importance: What cat has you been fascinated more?
2603 232019-12-11 11:20:18
The last month is 19 years old - all! Well, well, you can safely say that the pre-New Year extravagania has begun. Circle people and christmas trees, christmas trees and people, whether there will be. In December, it is customary to analyze the year outgoing, summarize and set goals for the future. Let's share and charge each other with your success and enthusiasm ☃❆ ⠀ Write, did you get to realize the conceived? What courses managed to go through 2019? Our example, where without him: We, the KalaChevaschool team, filmed 18 online courses for adults, 10 children's online and many mini-courses, which are difficult to calculate ⠀ Well, and finally, Lifehak: ❆ If you have not started drawing, but promised yourself Log in In 2020, a person is drawing - on December 13 (Friday) two ❆ express course: "Pencil drawing" and "Express Course of Skotching". ⠀ By December 22, you will already be with the initial skills, and most importantly - will enter new Year Without fear of "white sheet". Link to write in the header of the profile. ⠀ In the photo Winter pastels Irina @IRinaklimova Klimova. The second job is something reminded, not? 🌚
1877 182019-12-10 11:48:02
Online course "Academic drawing. Development "in full swing! Catch the selection of works of students of the current flow ★ More results can be viewed under the hashtag # Academ_ Development ⠀ Write what work can you point out and what you liked it. Pupils will be pleasant and useful for example: 1. @ lesyonok.allgood volume, texture, details, stroke😅 ⠀ All textured Tuesday!
1779 192019-12-09 10:41:43
Proudly present a new online "Contemporary Art" Danila Bulatov, the historian of art and the scientific officer of the Museum named after Pushkin. The training program covers the period from the beginning of the 20th century to today. ⠀ Understanding in contemporary art - the fourth favorites? The topic is really complicated. The works of contemporary art surprise, shock, cause disputes. Often the viewer "outside the context" is difficult to understand the idea, and expressive language, and images of modern artists. So pulls to say: "Yes, I can also!" Or "Well, what is this masculine!". Happened to you? ⠀ The year we will deal with the main artistic directions and key trends that forever changed our ideas about what art is. ⠀ If you want: ⠀ ✔ Understand modern art, know His origins and ways of development ✔ Disabling numerous Biennale, art fairs, know what Redi-Maid, Performance, Hephening, and why the artist does not have to be able to draw ✔ boldly Stayed into the discussion about what he saw, defend his position and have his own opinion ⠀ - you need this course. Link to a detailed course description in the profile header. ⠀ In order for the topic to be left in the shade, let's develop a discussion: write your examples of works of contemporary art that you do not understand. Or have not previously understood, and now you even like it. - Share it, what has changed, what influenced your perception? 2019-12-06 10:55:31
Open the heading # Klch_PP Watercolor lesson from Veronica Kalacheva Weekly We will post video tutorials with a new practical utility. Stay tuned! How do you like a lesson? Convenient format? Worth continue?
2170 123The first drawing classes artist Veronica Kalacheva conducted in the basement of the store for artists, and the disciples gained through his blog. Although the lessons were inexpensive, the group quickly fell apart: the course did not have a program, beginning and end. Four years later, Kalachev and her husband restarted classes in the rented premises, raised the price four times, came up with a course of study and called new teachers, spending only their money. Also, the spouses launched painting classes online - and the school turnover grew five times. Now to draw at School Kalacheva - Fashionable, and for four and a half years, more than 20 thousand people passed the program. Inc. He found out from the founders how to make money on free marathons, why people are more willing to learn if they pay more, and how to combine conservative drawing and progressive technologies.
Create a school drawing a "column and proteins" Artist-freelancer Veronica Kalachev decided in September 2009, when the number of subscribers in LJ increased to 3 thousand people. Kalacheva earned on individual drawing classes and decided that if so many people were interested in her blog, it makes sense to scale. Conduct classes decided in the store for artists "Colored Mondays", belonging to her husband Veronica, Matvey Kalachev. But the idea failed. At first, 12 people were written to classes, but in a month only five remained. Did not hold down even the low price of lessons - 3.5 thousand per
8 classes. The course did not start and end, new students came to the group, when classes were already launched, and as a result, some yawned from boredom while others tried to catch up with the material.
Courses in the basement existed about six months when it became clear that the idea was not very good and it's time to close. In addition, Veronica was in the position and at some point the doctors just forbade her to lead classes, prescribed to take care of themselves. The store "Colored Mondays" also stagnated. In this business, it was necessary to invest a lot of working capital, remembers Matvey Kalachev to keep the goods in the warehouse.
Three years after an unsuccessful attempt to train the drawing by Matvey Kalachev decided to open school in a new format. In the summer of 2013, Matvey created a simple page of the school on Lpgenerator. On the site cyan, the spouses found a studio in the house of the artist - 70 square meters. m for 80 thousand rubles per month. The room was large windows that had to draw painting. The founders decided to radically change everything and began with the fact that they raised the cost of training for the same 8 classes of 2.5 hours from 3.5 thousand rubles to 20 thousand rubles. Veronica wrote an announcement on his blog about the set to the watercolor course since September, and then the couple went to rest to stop worrying that nothing would work with business.
Courses promoted only through LJs, and a group of 12 people gathered by autumn. Rent paid for two months ahead, bought furniture (they spent 25-30 thousand rubles for it). Paints and paper remained since the time of the art store.
The Kalaacheva did not have a business plan, but there was a feeling that at school it is possible to earn 200-300 thousand rubles per month. To scale the business, it was necessary to search for teachers, and Veronica Kalacheva began to write familiar artists. By the end of 2013, four more teachers appeared at school. The school launched courses on the history of arts, children's groups and classes on different drawing styles.
Two years later, in 2015, Marat Nigamezyzyanov, a former designer "Studios Artemy Lebedev", the author of the GETCOURSE platform for online learning of a wide range of customers - among the projects there is a school of Alexander Vasilyeva, Non-Art, Style, and even sex .
"At the time of dating with Veronica and Matvey, we immediately agreed to make a course - and made it for the month. We sold the first stream for 1.5 million rubles. Veronki had a training program, we made Landing, shifted it online. We started in September 2015, "said Marat Nigamezymenanov.
Added online classes: increased turnover five times
We found out what to do online is more efficient. Someone late for the lesson, somehow swollen a long time, someone shy to ask a question. There are active students, and there are those who only at the end of the classes receive inspiration.
On the online lessons, we smash the process into small details so that students are stepdown by step by step up the simplest things. For example, you need to make a fill in watercolor. Everyone thinks that it is very simple, everyone wants to write Notre Dame to draw immediately. But we build a training process in your own way.
Our competitive advantage is that we offer an individual approach - the student has the feeling that he is with a teacher one on one. Nobody is engaged in Coursera individually with students. And we have 30 teachers who verify work on online courses.
Online classes are good because one teacher can lead 100-150 people. If only 5 minutes per person spend, only one comment leave, then it turns out 12 hours of work. It is beneficial in terms of business and comfortable for students. After launching online school turnover, the school has grown five times.
School economy Veronica Kalacheva
million rubles - Turnover in 2017 (growth of 14% compared with 2016).
million rubles - Profit before taxes in 2017.
turnover spends on the promotion.
Opened second studio: Customer stream increased by 1.5 times
In January-February 2015, we had to remove the second studio - there were many wishing to do in the evening. One month went 6-7 courses, and they were hard to post in one studio. Moreover, no one will go to the academic from the north of Moscow, no matter how he loved Veronica. We looked at three premises and chose one on Novoslobodskaya (35-40 square meters. Meters), near the subway, for 80 thousand rubles per month.
The basic course is designed for newcomers - this is a large audience, perhaps with an average income. In fashion design, our audience is professionals who want to work for example with Alena Lavdov, they are ready to pay more. For example, she led Extreme during fashion week and taught to draw an image immediately from a living person. The group drew on the Kenzo show. There were about 1 thousand people - it's all the same as a bit of a clouded club on a rock concert.
We advertise only in social networks: attracting customers pays off in 3-4 months
Social networks are the most effective customer attraction channel. It gives a conversion of 41% of visitors to registration. How much in the purchase - we did not measure. From the search - 10%, from advertising systems - 2.4%. We believe that this is a high conversion, but we work on its increasing. An increase of 1% can give an increase in 1 thousand orders.
Veronica Kalacheva. Photo: Nikita Geese / Inc.
new Year holidays for those who did not want to lie face in a salad. It cost an advertisement 800 thousand rubles - the rotation was every day. There was also a clock interview with Veronica. But we love advertising that you can draw through the metric.
We want each dog to recognize our school. We have 400 thousand people in the database, and it should be - 140 million (Russian population - Inc.). Everyone should try to draw, and everyone should learn from us. We are planning sales growth by 40% per year, but as we will do it, we cannot tell.
Invested in offline events: customer base increased by 250%
To attract people, we have come up with your format for promotion - the online marathon "Extreme". The bottom line is that the participants should go outside and draw, and this should be done quickly. In total, these marathons have already passed nine, more than 100 thousand participants were recorded on the first, but 20 thousand of those who invited three participants were held, the marathon was held for free. Those who could not attract acquaintances could not participate. After the first extreme, the base rose from 80 thousand to 200 thousand people.
To enhance the awareness in October 2017, we conducted the Moscow Watercolor Festival in the Central Telegraph (DI). 19 foreign artists from the UK, France, USA, China, Italy, Turkey, India arrived there. All of them are known in the large watercolor world, give master classes, make exhibitions. Some we knew, follow some of the social networks. Some refused or not responded, but those who needed were all arrived.
The main costs of the event of this level are fees and rental. We paid invited artists
Matvey Kalachev. Photo: Nikita Geese / Inc.
the cost of the hotel and flights, and the fee for each master class amounted to more than $ 1 thousand. 9 months and 5 million rubles took preparation, and the festival itself lasted 3 days. We spent 22 master class at 2.5-3.5 hours, participation in which cost 2 thousand-4.5 thousand rubles. Just the entrance to the festival cost 300 rubles. It was possible to visit the exhibition of these artists and some school teachers - they brought 96 works and there were also about 10 works of our teachers.
We managed to sell all the tickets and go out in zero thanks to promotion through mailing. But it is no longer a risky to repeat this experience - it's still very expensive. But we managed to get acquainted with foreigners from the big world of watercolors, and now bring them outside the festival to master classes. Participation in them costs from 7 thousand rubles.
How to make money on learning adult drawing
(Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)
First master classeswatercolor Veronica Kalacheva In 2013, they did not use special success, despite the fact that the LJ Blog of Veronika, the artist and teacher of painting, there were several thousand Follovers."There was a strange model: people paid for several classes and after some time stopped walking - it was hard to discipline them, because the course did not have the beginning and end, all this was sporadic," - remembers her husband Matvey.
Master classes for spouses were then something like a hobby, however, it could hardly claim themshop goods for artists "Colored Mondays". Matvey decided to take more seriously to the courses - first of allsystematize the lessons and relieve a constant studio.
They launched everything literally on the knee, remembers Matvey: He personally created a simple site, where the set on the watercolor course was announced on September 10, 2013. The ad duplicated Veronica in his "live journal". "We have announced the launch of the course, although at that time the studio has not yet been removed: they feared, to do enough people for this," recalls Veronica Kalachev. The course was led she herself - from the very beginning, the spouse decided that Veronica would be a school face.
Kalachev immediately decided to make a school for adults. "I am attracted to students who know why they need it, who are ready to learn after work. They have burning eyes, they fulfill their dream, "Veronica Kalacheva explains. - And children often learn, because parents sent them, is a slightly different motivation. "
Veronica Kalacheva School in numbers
5 Studios In Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg
From 1.8 thousand before 27 thousand rubles. Prices for courses vary
12.5 thousand rubles. - average rate of course
1000 man on average study at school at the same time
More 85% Customers learn online
57 million rubles. amounted to revenue I. 27 million rubles.- School Profit for 2015
Source: Company data
From adults
Kalacheva's starting investments were not expected to pay for the rental of studios and all related materials as participants will be recorded and made payment. However, it happened quite slowly - as it turned out, people did not want to book a place in advance, but preferred to make money on the last day before the start of the course. "This is a little strained, because we counted on them who wanted to declare themselves, and no payment did not go," recalls Veronica.
At the first time, all those who have noted, called Matvey personally - already for this, hired an administrator employee. "I was the first salesman," he remembers. - Communicated with those who left the application to somehow enhance the conversion. It was, for example, 20 applications, and paying only five. I wanted at least ten people to pay. " As a result, a group of ten people came to the course. "We have a stock of money, about 200 thousand rubles, on which we could remove the room and organize work. So twisted, "recalls Matvey Kalachev.
The first studio for the school drawing Veronica Kalacheva was removed in the house of the artist on Vavilov Street in Moscow, where she still works. "There are high ceilings, large windows, staircase, atmospheric space - I really like the students," says Veronica. The main cost of expenses was lease - it had to spend 80 thousand rubles for it. In addition, as money arrives for the new studio, there were tables and easels, as well as basic materials for drawing - pencils, paper, coal, watercolor brushes, as well as tea, coffee, hired administrators. General expenses accounted for approximately 200 thousand rubles.
The main thing was to make a program that the course had the beginning and the end, clearly set goals to motivate the visitor, Kalachev say. The themes came up with Veronica: started with watercolor, then added graphics, feshene-illustration, lettering (drawing letters and learning fonts). Subsequently, they began to add other courses depending on the preferences and hobbies of teachers. "For example, I met our shelter Elena Tatkina, and we decided to draw a course on painting Pastel," recalls Veronica. Now the school will also go courses on sketching, botanical illustration, basic drawing courses, as well as on calligraphy and the history of the visual arts.
At first, Kalachev was experimed with a lot with the formats of lessons: tried to make long courses in length for three to four months, a series of Saturday master classes, exit pleniers in Italy. Large format did not go, explains Veronica: "People quickly burn out: eight-ten classes are a maximum of how many people can pass without missing classes, but to a greater subscribe hard." As a result, they stopped on the Golden Middle - a typical course of eight-ten offline classes in Studios Kalacheva stands on average 12.5 thousand rubles. In addition, there are master classes and intensives of the weekend and courses for continuing: for example, after the basic course on watercolor or pastels, you can take the next, more complex course to improve your skills.
The matter went. Kalachev sold the artwork shop and took up the school seriously. Now the drawing school has five offline studios, two of which are located in other cities: in March 2016, a studio has opened in St. Petersburg, and in April - in Yekaterinburg. In Moscow, one offline drawing studio brings an average of 80-100 thousand rubles. Profit per month, says Matvey Kalachev, and it takes from three to five courses (in the morning, evenings and weekends). In Yekaterinburg, prices are 20% lower, but the studio is the only one of all has not yet become profitable. The most profitable studio - in Moscow at Novoslobodskaya - brings up to 150 thousand rubles.
Veronica Kalacheva and Matvey Kalachev, Founders of the School of Drawing Veronica Kalacheva (Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)
Watercolor online
Shortly after the first few courses, Matvey Kalachev realized that it was necessary to withdraw a business on the Internet. "We received meals" What a pity that I am not in Moscow! " From people in various cities of Russia and abroad and thought that the online course could solve this problem, "recalls Veronica.
As an experiment, Kalachev was filmed on the video a small course of the invited teacher for academic drawing and posted on Vimeo. "It was, of course, no online education, but just a lecture with paid access. We wanted to make a full-fledged online platform, but it was incomprehensible where to start, "recalls Matvey. Cased: a husband of one of the school teachers was engaged in a platform for selling online courses and trainings GetCourse. Kalachev met three founders of the platform, and soon they decided to work together - according to Spark, now Matvey Kalachev belongs to 25% of GETKURS LLC (this Orthodox owns a platform for online learning I) , and the same shares belong to TimurKarimbaev, Marat Nigametyanov and Dmitry, the remaining. "Hiring the team of programmers themselves and develop everything from scratch was difficult, and so we united and by the fall of 2014 were ready to launch Veronikin a watercolor course online - and launched it," says MatveyKalachev.
Calachev with partners decided to make a full range of online drawing courses based on GetCourse. The platform allowed to create a course as close as possible to normal education: in particular, to split it into separate video tutorials of increasing complexity, according to the results of which the student must publish under the video performed tasks that comments on the teacher. The course there is stop lessons, without passing which it is impossible to access further classes. In addition, access to the course is not infinite: in a few weeks, while it is open, the student must pass and complete the training (or extend access for a fee). "The course lasts a month and a half, and the teacher at this time checks the work without the weekend, because people have different crazy graphs, and everyone needs to have time to check on time," explains Veronica Kalacheva.
Soon it became clear that the golden lived hiding just in online. The number of students began to grow as on yeast: Online now account for 85% of the entire audience of the Kalacheva School, and the popular online course accommodates an average of 60-80, and sometimes 120 people. It costs at the same time no less, and sometimes more than in theline: the cost of certain courses comes to 27 thousand rubles. And marginalness is much higher than in theline: no need to spend money on renting studios, administrators and materials, Kalachev is recognized. "Here all expenses are the salary of teachers. Well, the shooting itself is a dear thing. Plus the costs of programmers are their five people, "he says.
To promote online education, it had to be invested. The first shooting was made to a regular camera and wrote a sound through a petitioner's microphone, but in the future at school on Novoslobodskaya equipped a professional studio. On computers, light and equipment for video filming took about 3 million rubles, says Matvey Kalachev. The week of shooting of one course can do about 280 thousand rubles. At school, the Kalacheva Separate team of three people organize video shooting courses and the work of teachers on them.
In online and offline, about 30 teachers are already cooperating with the school, including in the regions, and taking into account the online audience at school, about 1000 people can be trained at the school. Basically, it is 25-35 years old girls, says Veronika Kalacheva: "These are the people who have once been drawn long ago, and then went to another profession - or did not decide to draw, but this thought lived with them for many years. Now they came to fulfill their dream - and we took to help them. "
According to Kalachyev, in 2015, the school revenue was 57 million rubles, and profit - 27 million rubles. It was mostly possible precisely thanks to online courses.
Fashion for creativity
At the request of the "School of Drawing in Moscow", Google issues hundreds of references to a variety of drawing schools and artistic studios - from the major state-owned lots of Watercolor School Sergey Andriyaki or schools in art universities to small art studios or private courses. Their accurate amount is difficult to calculate, however, according to Veronica Kalacheva, with several pieces in 2013 it increased to several dozen.
The demand for services for adults for adults over the past two or three years has grown several times over the past two or three years, confirms Evgeny Slasarev, the founder of the project "Art-Vacation", which since 2012 organizes paid artists in Moscow in Moscow. Now, on average, 16 people come to one master class "Art Vacation", and prices for them vary from 7 thousand to 15 thousand rubles. Over the weekend, she says. Sometimes you have to cover the cost of the artist's arrival and its accommodation in Moscow. "If four years ago we made six master classes per year, now we spend two or three times a month on a two-day master class, and each time they are written in two or three times more people than the group can accommodate," Says Slesarev.
In Moscow, artistic studios became popular, because people were tired only to work, the desire to do something creative, Evgeny Leshareva believes. Many discover the talent for drawing and subsequently begin to do this professionally. "I know at least two studios, which appeared thanks to my former student," says Veronika Kalacheva. Those students who are particularly well obtained, Kalachevs themselves often attract themselves as teachers - engage in checking work in already reaching courses or lead their own lessons.
Over time, Kalachev plan to expand business to regions and to other countries - a page appeared on the site offering a franchise. "We wanted to test the demand and found that it is: we are coming on 20 letters per month from those who want to open our school on a franchise," says Matvey Kalachev. However, it is a troublesome thing to expand into the regions, he is recognized. "In Yekaterinburg, in general, the field is Nepakhan, there are no watercolor schools there, but at the same time such a trend on the opening of drawing courses, as in Moscow, not yet. Therefore, our studio is still only in zero and everything, "says the entrepreneur.
Nevertheless, Kalachev is planning to open new branches of the school in Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod in the next few months. "Even if these studios will bring small money for us - this is the popularization of the trend and the demand of the drawing schools, for us it is always plus," says Matvey Kalachev. In addition, they expect to start translate online courses into English and thus become a truly international project. "If we talk about a strategy, then in the world many countries in which we are not yet present. I would like to fix it, "says the entrepreneur.
Veronica Kalacheva is an illustrator, watercolor artist and founder of the drawing school, illustrates books, magazines, cooperates with different companies, and is taken for the most diverse, but certainly interesting projects. Took Veroniki interviews for the blog.
Veronica, now your school is quite famous in Russia and not only. Tell me how your car career started?
It is difficult to understand where it was beginning to be on the one hand, the beginning can be considered the day when I left the office and decided to become a free artist. On the other hand, everything that was before this moment is definitely taught me a lot. Without this experience, I probably draw dull still lifes, as in the university.
When I became a freelancer, I realized that such freedom was not for everyone. You yourself are the owner, without any intermediaries and bosses, but on the other hand you are the manager and accountant. It's complicated.
All illustrations in the article - from Instagram @KalaCHEVAVERONIKA
The first time was not easy: orders were a bit, but they were. I tried to be understandable and punctual, destroying the image of the "crazy artist-freelancer" and eventually my efforts paid off. Customers have become a lot, I stopped drawing everything, it became picking and listened to myself: what do I want myself? where am I going? Whether that's what I dreamed of?
At about this time I tried to draw to the order watercolor; Computer graphic has soldered asked and I realized that I want to spend more time with live materials. Watch how watercolor flows, and not to create it imitation in Photoshop.
Once I illustrated the Children's Book, then painted several covers for adult books, drawing for magazines, promotional products.
Now I came to the fact that I want to devote more time to my self-expression. I rarely take the orders. I am mainly engaged in teaching and personal projects. I see in this height and food for the mind.
Are there any projects other than school?
To begin with, I want to clarify. After all, the school is not my personal project; I am an inspirer, a co-founder of the school. I am engaged in developing programs, looking for teachers, I am responsible for the educational part. But the whole of our project is the result of the labor result of 30 employees of the back office and 28 teachers. Therefore, I feel one of the important links of our chain.
We tried to do something else, but quickly became clear - while you are not passionate about the idea itself truly, while the very desire to dive into the theme for the most paincow is better not to be taken and not to spray. Surface interest is always felt.
Now I am engaged only by the school and its projects and its work.
What is the place of creativity in your life? How many hours a week do you dedicate him?
I believe that the desire to be creatively self-confined is also important as the desire to sleep or eat. This is the basic need of a person. I draw whenever I have such an opportunity. And if not drawing, even when I look around, I think about the patterns in color or rhythm in the composition, for example.
But creativity is not only about drawing. Creativity it is everywhere and everywhere: both in the kitchen and in the garden)
How did you produce your style? How would you characterize it? What is his features? And how do you develop it?
I don't even know) I often say that my work will be recognized by stylistics. But I'm still looking for myself. Perhaps my stylist can be called realism with elements of shortness. I just try to reliably portray what I want to draw the attention of the viewer, convey my feelings and feelings in the drawings. For me it is much more important than just to portray something photo-realistic.
How are ideas for your work born?
Often I am inspired by the light. If you look at the same subject with different lighting - it is perceived in different ways. I like long sunset shadows or soft openwork light, I love simplicity in everyday.
It seems to me that my main idea sounds like this:
Happiness is everywhere, it is in trifles and already next to you, next to me. I love him to look everywhere, wherever I looked and in my works I tell about what I saw.
What do you like to draw most? What is your favorite part of the creative process?
I noticed that periodically such topics replace each other. At one time I was inspired by the sea, water and reflection, then the city and landscapes. Now I returned to people again. Again - because at the university I loved portraits very much. It seems to me that through the image of a person you can show the whole range of feelings, and it is very interesting. It is difficult, but when I manage - I am happy.
What materials do you use to create your work? What tools can you recommend?
I use professional series of brushes, paper and paints. In the colors I do not see a fundamental difference, I have many different brands and everyone is good in your own: Schmincke, Daniel Smith, Sennelier, WinSor & Newton, Rembrandt.
We use cotton paper. Favorite brands: Arches, Canson.
Brushes: Escoda, Da Vinci, Raphael, Leonard.
It is difficult to advise something invisible artist 🙂 But I can tell you that once turned my idea of \u200b\u200bwatercolor. To begin with, it is a good cotton paper of large format, paints from tubes and a spray gun 🙂
I really like the idea to draw abstract paintings. Try to express graphically some word, pass it out through color, textures and composition. It is very tightened!
What is the most difficult in the life of the artist?
Stay open and sensitive as a child, but at the same time be extremely honest and demanding. This is a combination of vulnerability and honesty - the most difficult. Change to be sensitive, you will become a craftswoman.
It is logical to assume that the artist should sell his paintings, illustrate, draw to order; Making the fact that you are best able to.
Many artists create their studios, looking for students and teach. But I believe that teaching should be engaged only when you feel this vocation: to transfer knowledge, share them and enjoy the growth of students.
Please advise books and benefits to help create pictures?
I really liked two books Juliet Aristid. Everything is like I love: understandable live language about the most important thing. The approach from the author academic. And I also like it very much. I think that anyone you dreamed of becoming, a constructive drawing has not interfered with anyone 🙂
What is your favorite book of myth?
Here, perhaps, one of them is my favorite today - "classical painting lessons."
Whose works do you inspire yourself? On the pages of which artists go regularly? Works of whose authors - among contemporaries and classics - are you inspired?
Watercolor: Alvaro Kastaniet, Ali Kavano, Andre Penoz, Atanas Macurev, Lars Lerin.
Graphics: Julia Blucher, Lena Tatkina, Casey Baugh.
What plans do you have for the future?
Passe the book on watercolor, illustrate the children's book, make an exhibition, remove the new steep course 🙂 and then see.
In October, the Moscow Watercolor Festival will be held. It will not only have Russian teachers, but also foreign, such as Felix Shainberger, author of watercolor sketching. Tell me about him a little, what and how will it happen there?
The festival is, of course, a big event for those who are passionate about the watercolor. In Moscow, this so far nobody arranged, and we hope that everything will turn out as we have conceived, and that we will repeat and again 🙂
At the festival, which will be held on October 20-22, in the very center of Moscow, there will be several zones in the beautiful space of the telegraph: an exhibition area, a zone with master classes and demo classes, a lecture zone and market.
From morning to evening we will talk about watercolor: there will be creative meetings with artists and speakers, ready to answer the tricky questions about the materials. At demo classes, you can see the magic process: how work is created in your eyes. This is a very convenient format, because you can communicate with the artist live, ask him questions and see each stage of work. The difference with master classes is that we can place more viewers' participants. On the demo-class participants do not draw, but are observed. In master classes, you can plunge into the atmosphere entirely and completely. Participants perform work with the master.
Felix Shainberger is a great narrator, I adore his books and is very glad that he will arrive at the festival. I am sure that he will have an inspiring lecture.
And please, please, a short answer "Creativity is ..."
Creativity is a passion.
I am often asked how to learn to draw? And where?
It is worth recognizing that in our city there are not so many schools ... although you will define ... There are almost no schools to, for example, learn the basics of illustration or creating stories, so good exit - online learning. I want to tell about my experience and resources that I had to learn: for a fee or free of charge.
School Veronika Kalacheva. Cost 15000-50000 rubles
I'll bend, perhaps, from Mastodont - Veronica School Kalacheva, informably known for its courses. I bought an express course on watercolor for 990 rubles from them to see how much such a format suits me and how the school and teachers are generally organized.
There was only three lessons in the course, with which one of them was somehow in a free webinar, but not the essence. We painted: tree on the background of sunset, rose and house. Every job commented on the teacher, for clarity I will have my work and feedback here, as far as I remember it, because access to the lessons, they naturally closed, and you can not find anything.
I don't like this work, I plan to burn them, so that the descendants did not see this shame, but I will show you :) 
Let's start with the fact that in addition to the house I did not like anything: a tree is too simple, roses have a strange green stain on the background.
1. I specifically bought a floss brush for 800 rubles to make the fill.
Feedback from the teacher: For the future, do not leave the gaps between reflection and wood. Everything.
2. Instead of roses, I tried to draw Peony.
Comment from the teacher: Make more contrasting petals, the green stain does not touch, it is now asbased and looks good.
3. Let's start immediately with the comments: too green bush on the right and the shadow in the windows too turquoise.
This course was completed, but there was an additional webinar for the course participants with work parsing. I did not like the tasks and feedback was not sufficiently voluminous. Much more I liked the free course "Akarean Winter", which was held in January. Here are a few works, there were more diverse techniques, references. 
I recently passed another free course on the summer extreme-sketching: I am sure that he participated in the floor of the world, and the rest heard about him and informed in instagram from the number of black and white trees and people. I expected that we would work in color, markers, and not just liners and brashpen. Very upset that in the lessons were called to not go into details and professionalism, and in Periscope Anna Egida celebrated the work performed at the highest level. On July 9, the winners will be announced, let's look at how much the choice will be fair.
I will show you my work and the final task (I think with him a trip to Paris you will not win), so I didn't even put it in Instagram. 
I thought about buying a course on watercolor painting or drawing by markers, but thought about feasibility and compliance with the price and quality.
In principle, you can replace these classes with a huge number of practices. And do not like that access is limited during the course. In other online schools, you get access forever.
Do you have something to say about this school?
Amlav.me. Cost of courses 2500-5000 rubles.
I bought a subscription (more precisely, I presented her lashienk) for the sake of Sophia lessons Miroyedova. But there are other teachers there. I "listened and looked through the course on the basics of illustration, digital painting, character and environment. Honestly, learning is similar to lectures, there are no homework or feedback. Therefore, it is necessary to work out everything yourself. So it is more likely the theory, not practice.
Here are my two work on the results of the course "Digital painting in Photoshop". 
Lectoroom. Cost 3000-4000 rubles
I bought two courses onions, garlic, eggplant and "watercolor commercial illustration - Flowers" magnificent Tatyana Shirbidova, better known as Pictta, she has an offline school in Barnaul and I want to go there if the occupation is in the weekend. What we have these 300 km. ?
I like that in the colors of Tanya explains everything with the basics and tells about the materials. Learn to make fills and tells a lot of useful things.
But! There is no reference from which it would be possible to draw, the teacher draws from nature and it turns out that you also need to buy vegetables to repeat the seen and work out skills. Suppose onions, garlic and eggplant I will find, but the peonies have already been blowing away.
The course on the course has not yet fulfilled.
Bang Bang Education. Cost from 4500 to 20,000 rubles.
Just standing this school here, I did not study in it, but maybe you will express your feedback :)
