Viviene Astakhova is a mixed-media artist from St. Petersburg who has a talent for creating beautiful and elegant illustrations of European architecture. Her unique style lends her works a kind of lightness to them, while still maintaining a technical precision that exudes quiet sophistication. Astakhova primarily works in watercolor and ink to achieve this look, a testament to her talents as an artist and her love of beautiful architecture.
After nearly two decades learning and working as an artist, Astakhova makes her online teaching debut with My Modern Met Academy. Her course, Architectural Watercolors, is the Academy’s newest online, on-demand course. Sure to become a new favorite from fans of Demi Lang and Victoria Beyer’s classes alike, Architectural Watercolors combines the detail and technique of architectural illustration with the colorful and challenging medium of watercolor painting.
In Astakhova’s course, students will learn how to work with granulated watercolors to achieve beautiful washes of color and harmonious gradients to emulate the feeling of taking a quiet afternoon stroll in a European city. Viviene explains best practices for selecting urban scenery, and then transferring that subject into a sketch on paper. To breathe life into the illustration, she also reveals techniques for building up color and depth. Astakhova ends the course by meticulously inking in details with pens, giving students tips and tricks for working with the medium to achieve maximum results.
Architectural Watercolors is now available for immediate purchase at the My Modern Met Academy website. With nearly one hour of lessons and resources, this course is a steal for its price of $34.95. Whether you’re an illustration pro or someone with an art background wanting to expand your horizons, Viviene’s course is a great place to explore a new medium and challenge yourself.
To celebrate the launch of our newest course, we had the pleasure of speaking with Astakhova and learning more about her journey. Read on for our exclusive interview, and get inspired by her story.
How did you get your start with art?
I started drawing long before I learned to speak. Perhaps it has something to do with being on the spectrum of high-functioning autism—from the very beginning, I seemed to feel more connected to art than to conversation. No one in my family was ever an artist, but my grandfather, a serious military man of high rank, once gave me the most meaningful piece of advice: no matter how well you draw today, you can always do better. If you truly care, you can achieve more, and in doing so, become prouder and more grateful for your own efforts.
What attracted you to watercolor and ink illustrations, especially in relation to architecture/urban architecture?
Watercolor is light, airy, and transparent, while ink is its opposite: dense, absorbing, and absolute. Yet when these two contrasting mediums are combined under careful control, they beautifully highlight the precision and grace of classical architecture. Together, they reveal both fragility and structure, chaos, and order—much like cities themselves.
Do you have any artists specifically who have inspired you?
There are so many talented contemporary artists who inspire me—such as Thomas Wells Schaller (@thomaswschaller), Alex Hillkurtz (@hillkurtz), Vicente García Fuentes (@vicente_art), and Andy Evansen (@andyevansen). But above all, my biggest inspiration is my dog, Fox. He’s my service dog, and sometimes when he looks at me, it feels as if he’s saying: “Mom, I’m doing my best so you can feel well and create—please never give up. Keep painting. You make the world a little better when you do.”
What was the most challenging part of working within the watercolor and ink mediums for you when you started, and what challenges you now?
The biggest challenge—then and now—is the fear of “what if I fail?” Watercolor is a demanding medium; it doesn’t forgive mistakes. In the beginning, it was hard to accept my choice—among all the techniques I studied at university, watercolor was the one I loved most, yet it was also the most difficult. Over time, I learned that the only way to truly understand it is to embrace that challenge.
What is your favorite part of your artistic process?
My favorite moment is when the watercolor layer is finished and I can move on to the ink—that’s when everything comes together into a complete composition. My second favorite part might sound funny—it’s shopping for art supplies! I can spend hours in art stores, feeling endlessly inspired. We’re so lucky to live in a time when we have access to such incredible materials—it’s a small everyday joy that keeps me creative.
What prompted you to begin teaching your art to others, and what is your favorite part about teaching?
What motivates me most about teaching is seeing that someone genuinely wants to learn—that they’re drawn to my techniques and eager to try them. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness those first moments of success, when a student’s eyes light up because something worked—and they want to go further. That joy is contagious.
Do you have any advice for people who are starting out with architectural illustration or watercolor painting?
My advice is simple: practice. You’ll never find your style by reading theory—your hands must learn what your eyes admire. Only by observing your own results on paper will you discover something truly unique. Making mistakes is uncomfortable, but essential—it’s how you grow and find your artistic voice.
And remember: what feels like a failure to you might be beauty to someone else. Don’t be afraid of critique, and never hide your art from the world.
What do you hope that people take away from your new class with My Modern Met Academy?
I hope people discover how delicate and light ink can be when used carefully, and how architectural and precise this technique can become. It’s amazing how the combination of ink lines over watercolor can guide the viewer’s perception—how a few controlled strokes can transform the entire mood of a piece.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Watercolor is a quiet form of competition with yourself—a path toward self-confidence through effort. It’s the most honest way to earn the right to be proud of your own persistence and growth.
Watch a sneak peek for Astakhova’s new class, and enroll today.
Viviene Astakhova: Website | Instagram | YouTube
My Modern Met Academy: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Viviene Astakhova.
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