Slava Ishenko

I’m a professional artist and painter from Dnipro, Ukraine, with a background in academic drawing and painting and more than 10 years of teaching experience. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach students of many different ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience.

​My education is rooted in the traditional academic approach to drawing and painting. I began studying art as a child and later studied easel painting at the Dnipro Theatre and Art College, where I had the opportunity to learn from experienced Ukrainian artists, including Ivan Kovalenko and Leonid Antoniuk.

​I continued my education at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (NAFAA) in Kyiv, graduating from the Department of Easel Painting. My academic training gave me a strong foundation in drawing, painting, composition, anatomy, perspective, form, light, and color.

​At the same time, I have always continued to develop my own artistic practice. I believe that being an active artist is an important part of being a good teacher because I’m constantly working through the same artistic problems that my students encounter.

For my lessons, I don't rely on rigid textbooks. Instead, I use a combination of structured practical exercises, visual references, and step-by-step demonstrations tailored to each student's current level and goals.

​Depending on what we are studying, we may work from still-life setups, classical casts, anatomical charts, or carefully selected photo references. For students who want to deepen their theoretical knowledge, I also recommend focusing on foundational observation principles, master studies, and analyzing light and composition in historical and contemporary art.