In addition to perfecting their sketching techniques inside the classroom, Maksimov often took his students outside to learn how to capture the ephemeral qualities of natural light, which he believed to be indispensable. "Many life events happen on the streets: farmers work under the sun all day long, and construction workers pave the streets in daytime," he said.

"Painting outside and capturing the light are difficult ... painters need to work hard at that," he added.

He went with the class to sketch the rural areas outside Beijing and the factories on the outskirts of the city, where they would observe people and paint. He instructed the students to present the subtlety of the varying tones of light and enhance contrast between the warm and cool hues of daylight. He wanted them to learn how to capture the fleeting atmosphere surrounding their subjects during different times of the day.

Maksimov wanted his students to see and feel the world the way their subjects did, and to understand that technique serves the realities. "He (Maksimov) often asked us to see if our works would make sense and be persuasive," said the late oil artist Yuan Hao about his teacher.