Art school admission prep in Almaty: what a teenager needs on the entrance exam
Art school admission prep in Almaty usually starts a year before the exam, and a parent's first question is always the same: what exactly does the child need to learn. Point by point: what the panel looks at, what a portfolio is made of, and how long the basics take.
What the panel actually looks at
The panel checks craft, not imagination. Can the applicant construct an object, lay in tone, see proportion. Imagination belongs in composition, and it comes after the craft rather than instead of it.
| What is checked | How it shows on the sheet | How it is built |
|---|
| Construction | the object sits on the plane and does not tip over | plaster solids, still life from life |
| Tone and light | it is clear where the light falls and where shadow lies | hatching, tonal gradations |
| Proportion | the head is not larger than the shoulders | measuring with a pencil, checking from a distance |
| Composition | the sheet is filled, nothing is cut off at the edge | quick sketches before starting |
| Neatness | a clean sheet, even hatching, no smudges | time and habit |
Not one of these five can be picked up in a month. All five come calmly, though, if you start early and come regularly.
Portfolio: what goes in the folder
A portfolio shows range rather than one best piece. The panel wants to see that the applicant worked from life instead of copying from the internet: a drawing made from a photograph gives itself away through flat light and cropped proportions.
The usual set looks like this:
- a pencil still life where construction and tone are visible
- a plaster rosette or simple geometric solids
- at least two paintings in gouache or watercolour
- a couple of compositions of the student's own
- figure sketches, even quick and imperfect ones
- all of the above from life, not from a phone photo
The exact list of requirements differs by institution and changes from year to year. Get it from the admissions office before assembling the folder, or half the work will turn out to be in the wrong format.
How long the basics take
The honest answer: a year of unhurried lessons gives a solid base. Three months give a crash course you can walk into an exam with, though any teacher will see the gaps.
How it breaks down over time:
- first months: line, hatching, simple solids, the habit of looking at the subject rather than at your own sheet
- mid-year: a full still life, tone, plaster casts, first independent compositions
- final two months: working against the clock in exam format, so the exam itself is not the first time
Nobody guarantees admission, and neither do we. What can be promised is different: the teenager arrives at the exam with a folder of work from life and an understanding of how a sheet is built.
How teen lessons run
A lesson in the teen group lasts 1.5 hours. The format is a small group: everyone has their own setup and their own pace, with no single task for the room. The programme is built around the student, because one arrives from zero and another has drawn alone for a year and simply does not know where to go next.
What a student gets from the preparation course:
- a trained hand: even hatching and the ability to work a sheet from the general to the particular
- the ability to construct an object and check its proportions instead of guessing them
- a folder of work from life instead of loose pages from a school notebook
- practice against the clock, because the exam is timed
All materials belong to the studio: paint, brushes, canvases, palettes. There is nothing to bring. The studio does not hand out aprons, so dress simply. More about the order of a lesson is in the how a lesson is built section.
Who teaches
Lessons are taught by Anna Chernysheva: academic training at the Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, eight years in the studio. Her own work can be seen in the portfolio, and it shows the same school a student gets: construction, tone, light.
What art school admission prep in Almaty costs
There is no separate admission prep course with a separate price list. Lessons run in the teen group for ages 12 and up, and the programme inside it is built around the student's goal.
| What | Price | Frequency it is meant for |
|---|
| 1 lesson | 5 500 ₸ | one-off |
| 4 lessons | 21 000 ₸ | once a week |
| 8 lessons | 29 000 ₸ | twice a week |
| 12 lessons | 33 000 ₸ | three times a week |
A pass is valid for 30 days, so the 12-lesson package makes sense at three lessons a week. It can be frozen for health reasons and over public holidays, provided a missed lesson is flagged in advance.
The free trial lesson exists only in the children's groups and does not apply to teenagers: they get to know the studio at an ordinary single lesson. Check current prices on WhatsApp at +7 707 413 32 05, and all packages are listed under lesson prices and packages.
Teen groups meet on Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30, on Wednesday and Friday at 10:00, 15:00 and 16:00, on Saturday at 13:00, and on Sunday at 13:00 and 14:30. The full list of times is in the group schedule.
How to find us
ArtMix art studio: Almaty, 69A Satpayev Street, corner of Gagarin, 1st floor, office 101. Bostandyk district, landmark: the Satpayev and Gagarin intersection. From schools around Abai and Rozybakiev a teenager gets here alone, and over a year of preparation that matters more than it sounds: almost nobody keeps up driving a child across the city twice a week.
Lessons run Tuesday through Sunday, and the studio is closed on Monday. Booking ahead is required, and the address and map are in studio contacts. If you are not in Almaty, there are online lessons, with terms discussed personally.
Questions and answers
How much does art school admission prep in Almaty cost? A lesson in the teen group costs 5 500 ₸, a pass for 4 lessons is 21 000 ₸, for 8 lessons 29 000 ₸, and for 12 lessons 33 000 ₸. A pass is valid for 30 days. Check current prices on WhatsApp.
How many months before the exam should preparation start? A year gives a calm base and three months give a crash course. If little time is left, starting is still worth it: a folder of work from life and an understanding of the sheet beat nothing at all.
Is there a free trial lesson for a teenager? No, the free trial works only in the children's groups from age 5 and from age 7. Teenagers get to know the studio at an ordinary single lesson and decide about a pass afterwards.
What should an admission portfolio contain? Work from life: a pencil still life, plaster or simple geometric solids, gouache or watercolour painting, figure sketches and a couple of the student's own compositions. Get the exact list of requirements from the admissions office of the chosen institution.
Can a teenager prepare for admission from zero? Yes, the teen group includes students who have never drawn before. The programme is built around the student, so it starts with line and hatching rather than an exam sheet.
Where in Almaty can a teenager prepare for a drawing exam? ArtMix studio works at 69A Satpayev Street, corner of Gagarin, 1st floor, office 101, Bostandyk district, Almaty. The landmark is the Satpayev and Gagarin intersection.
Where to start
Art school admission prep in Almaty starts with a conversation about timing: which exam we are aiming at and how many months are left. Write to WhatsApp at +7 707 413 32 05, give the age and the expected exam date, and a lesson frequency will be matched to that window. The setups students are working on right now go up on the studio's Instagram.