A notoriously rebellious youth with a penchant for drawing, he was sent by his father to study art with George Allief (also known as "George Aleef"), a former Russian officer with the Tsarist army. Allief taught him the basics of watercolor, drawing and painting, and the European understanding of perspective. These lessons with Allief marked the young artist's transition from childhood drawing to the disciplined work of a professional artist. According to Dura's memoirs, Allief taught his students to meticulously render a matchbox as an exercise in perspective.