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Life Drawing Models Well, scratch THAT off the bucket list...
| Dennis, it sounds like you are off to a good start! The first time is the hardest, and it gets easier every time you model. I didn't start modeling until I was 40, and I am still doing it in my 50s. When I was starting out, some of my poses were vetoed too. Even as an experienced model, sometimes teachers will veto a pose because they want something very specific. I prefer not to have the teacher define the pose, because some of those poses can be unnatural and uncomfortable to hold. So, even if they specify a pose, I may ask them if I can modify it for my own comfort, which they will usually allow. Even though there are a lot of photos of drawings/paintings of me out there on the Internet -- on Facebook and on artists' web sites -- I only post photos to NCH that I have copyright permission for: (1) Photos of drawings that the artist gave me. (2) Photos I took of drawings/paintings where the artist gave me permission. (3) Photos I took of drawings/paintings that were displayed in a public place (in the halls of the art school). Also, I will not post photos of two-model poses unless the other model gives me permission. I didn't tell my family that I was an art model until I had been doing it for years. Even when I told them I worked as an art model, I didn't mention that I model nude over 90% of the time. But back in the 1990s, I told my family I was a nudist. My mom disapproved, and my dad laughed and said that he had been to a nude beach in Europe (but probably not as a participant). I tried to explain that I go to nudist resorts to relax and get away from it all, but I don't think they understood. | |
| I think that artists have various reasons for not wanting us to take photos of their drawings (and then share those photos on the Internet): (1) The drawing might have commercial potential. (2) The artist is not pleased with the drawing, and doesn't want the world to see it. (3) The artist thinks that the drawing is too personal/private. Sometimes, I won't even *look* at an artist's drawing, if I sense that the student/artist is uncomfortable with that. And when I look at a drawing, I usually try to find something nice to say about it. | |
| I really want to see the drawings too. I like to see how the pose looked from the different perspectives / angles. Also, it is very interesting to see how other people see me. While most of the students/artists are fairly open to letting me look at their drawings, if I sense that someone is uncomfortable with that then I won't look out of respect for their privacy. It may seem strange, but I feel that the artist's drawing reveals more about them than my naked body reveals about me. I am quite sincere when I give a student/artist positive feedback on their drawing. In my opinion, just about every drawing has both its positives and negatives, and I choose to focus on the positive aspects of the drawing. If it feels phony to give someone a compliment, then I wouldn't do it either. I detest phonies, and think that wearing clothes can be phony too, but that is a whole nother discussion. Artists come to open life drawing sessions for many different reasons. The spectrum ranges from professional artists to people who draw strictly for recreation / therapy. There are many different styles too -- realistic, idealistic, abstract, etc. Some people just want to draw portraits (and portraits sell a lot better than nudes), and an open life drawing session may just be the most convenient way for them to find models for portraiture. I know one artist who comes to an open life drawing session every week to work on her art project. She does not draw from the model at all -- I guess it is just a good place for her to work. | |
| Dennis, The drawings are lovely. | |
| Hi there. I am renewing my interest in fine art modeling after several years absent and I just HAVE to mention a few things. I just read the thread and a few things are disturbing. One, is that in over 20 years of modeling, I have only VERY RARELY been told what pose to assume, and then usually rejected it. The teacher, students, and other observers cannot and will not hold still for long periods because it it is PAINFUL and potentially harmful to do certain things with your body for extended periods. "My shoulder still hurts from one pose", you said. Your poses being "shot down"... and the strange animation of the poses, as in, you have to be "doing something" to make the pose "useful". That is baloney. I have worked at the finest art institutes (arguably) and with excellent and successful artists, sculptors, and animators. Only animation artists need those types of poses, and they are done for seconds, not minutes, shifting rapidly in a "storyboard" format. I have held poses for up to two hours. I did a kneeling pose during the 9/11 disaster. Had to get through those first few hours somehow, they didn't cancel class. I have an understanding of my own physical strengths and limitations that NO TEACHER or student could or would be willing to comprehend. I also meditate while posing. Art modeling is a labor of love. No one is in it for the money. Artists and groups can be ignorant and unfair if you let them. They will occasionally see you as "less than" a person, because you are essentially doing something that no other person can or will do. They cannot relate. They simply draw what they see. They do not feel you in the classroom, they are not experienced enough. Neither is a new model able to express their needs, most often, due to being unsure of the situation. Teachers LOVE new models with no experience because they can make them do difficult poses. Artists are strange people, that's why they become artists. Art teachers, especially in large institutions, teach for a living because they cannot be successful artists. "Those who can, do, those who can't, teach" has never been more true. I have worked for dozens of schools, groups and individuals in numerous states. There have been several exceptions to that fact, and I am a better person for having known these true artists. They were the very best teachers, by far. A true artist/model relationship is one that is massaged by the artist in search of inspiration, and also is one of deep respect, mutually. It is pursued by the model because it is immensely satisfying, while also being challenging, and bringing a sense of really contributing something to the world. Fine art is about the beauty of the form. Sketch groups are there to improve their technique, not to asses your fitness level. The person on the stand posing is doing their job if they are nude, still, and professional in demeanor. Nothing else. You do not have to be fit, thin, well-proportioned, male, female, or any other specificity. The nude model will do dynamic or active poses for the beginning of a gesture group, to warm up the muscles. These poses are weight bearing or unassisted overhead poses (arms up, with no pole for support) These range from 2 minutes to 5, to 10, with lesser difficulty as you progress in time. Long poses are chosen BY THE MODEL. You are being severely endangered by their choosing the pose for you, ESPECIALLY if you are just beginning. It takes many, many poses to find out the limits of your own body, and if you make an error, YOU DO NOT PAY FOR IT WITH SUFFERING!!! Please forgive my extreme distress over this. I caused immeasurable pain and suffering to myself over the course of many years by trying to be a more "devoted" or "better" model. You will never be paid extra for the pain you experience. If you are a masochist, then admit it. If not, don't act like one. This statement is general, not directed at anyone, especially a new model just stating out who simply doesn't know any better. I dare say the art teacher is sadistic. It has been said that restraint of pen and tongue is wise. I am not always the wisest person. ;) |
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