I took an individual course in props making for shooting sessions. In a nutshell and without overwhelming emotions: all the explanations were straightforward with full information on the materials and techniques. During a 3-day course we learnt to make crowns and armour and use tools, Olya even helped us to buy the materials for further work. What really struck me was that I was doing almost everything myself, Olya just guided and sometimes corrected us. She was ready to help even after we finished course, so even now (and it’s half a year after the course) I get elaborate answers if anything is bothering me. Keep in mind that when you enroll on individual course, you should set a realistic goal: try not to choose something too complicated (I myself was able to choose what I wanted to focus on) as it is a good way of making your techniques perfect. You will always be able to experiment with difficult things later knowing Olya is always ready to give a helping hand. Now with all my emotions: it is a sheer joy! Olya is an outstandingly cool teacher: everything is so accessible and simple than even I who can be rather slow understood 100%. These were 3 days of complete immersion into creativity full of pleasure and joy. Now I think I am bound to take more and more courses as now I am her loyal fan and student. Lots of love.
Although I have been following Olya for a long time and was eager to do her courses myself, I only managed to do it last autumn. I am absolutely gripped by harmony, style, colour and texture in Olya’s works– she doesn’t have any luscious ones, everything is just sheer aesthetics (no matter whether it is a fantastic body art beast or one of her mesmerizing cakes). They are full of smoothness, airiness and ideal finish – this is her unparalleled style that she have been working on hard for many years. Some words about the masterclass: only good vibes from Olya, lots of new knowledge about using new materials for props making, right detail colouring, plaster casts, sculptural modelling, prosthetic gelatin and dozens of other things. I also practised everything I already knew about constructing, asked tonnes of questions and got comprehensive answers. Olya’s bundle of knowledge is enormous and she easily shares it with her students. I highly recommend her courses and masterclasses!
