Specific styles

Wang said the exams at well-known art schools tend to embrace specific styles.

For example, the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, prefers more impressionist work, while the colors favored by the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, Liaoning province, are bright, like those in comic books. However, that style is definitely not encouraged at the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Because of these different styles, studios train students specifically for the preferences of their chosen school to boost their chances of admission.

Ke Lin, a second year student at the Shanghai campus of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said she has always been passionate about fine art and told her parents she wanted to become an artist when she was a child.

She started painting in kindergarten, but when she entered a studio in Hangzhou three years ago, the intensive training made her feel tired of painting for the first time.

"At the time, I felt that I didn't love painting as much as I used to. The classes went on so long, and I didn't get to paint what I liked," she said.

The training, dedicated to preparing Ke for the entry exam at the China Academy of Art, featured three major elements: sketching; croquis (lightning sketches of scenes); and coloring.

Every year, teachers at the studio study the works that have been awarded high scores in the exam, analyze the trending style and train students in that direction.