following this change in his behavior, alexander was transferred to a less restrictive hospital in 1953. it was there that he was introduced to drawing by himself. for over fifty years he produced hundreds of works with very little variety in style or content. his tools were consistent, staying with ink, pencil, coloring pencils, and felt-tip pens throughout the years. his subject matter strayed little from his taste for detailed self-portraits, often with himself being portrayed similarly to russian revolutionary icons, almost always carrying or surrounded by rifles, machine guns, swords, and other various weapons. hunting dogs and hunted animals, such as birds and deer, were often depicted with lobanov being accompanied by groups of other hunters.