His drawing teacher there noticed Kernumees's artistic talent and advised him to continue his studies at the State Industrial Art School.
[5] In 1925, Kernumees, together with Erich Leps, Kaarel Liimand, and Andrus Johani, went to study at the Pallas Art School in Tartu.
In 1932, the Estonian Government Foundation for the Fine Arts [et] acquired four of Kernumees's works: Külakõrts (Village Inn), Põrgu (Hell), Peaparandus (Hair of the Dog), and Tulekahi (Conflagration), and he was awarded a scholarship for six months (his fellow scholarship recipient was Eduard Timberman.
He mainly portrayed villagers, whose monotonous everyday life was enhanced by a bottle of vodka and a song accompanied by an accordion.
[7] Nationalism also characterizes Kernumees's fantastic grotesque drawings;[7] for example, Põrgu (Hell; 1931, ink, Art Museum of Estonia), created at the same time as Eduard Wiiralt's etching of the same name [et].