http://www.karinadickerson.com/art-department-jobs/
Being a nude model at my school?
So I am a full time college student. I need a job that isn’t time consuming and not tiring because i have studying to do. I stumbled across an add from the art department looking for Life Models(nude models) and i’m kind of interested. It seems like an interesting experience and i’m comfortable with my body. anyone have experience in this? have any tips? do’s and don’ts???
not looking to be a long term nude model. im majoring in molecular biology. so yea.
I don’t have any personal experience being a nude model but I go to art school and am constantly meeting up with them. There are a lot of different types of people that take up the job, from fat to old, pregnant (she was the most comfortable with her body), to young. It’s good to keep in mind that when you model for art, the people drawing won’t really judge you in that way as whether or not you have the perfect and socially accepted body type. In fact, I would much rather prefer having a nude model that was old and saggy because I find that it makes a drawing more interesting that way.
To all of those people who say ew to the idea, I think a lot of people misunderstand nude models and people who are willing to be one. Serious art students require a nude model in order to analyze and study the human figure and anatomy. When we see a pelvis or breast, we are mostly concentrating on lighting, how that shadow has fallen and how we can sculpt that one paper. We try to figure out how that bone is angled so that arm can look that way. Most of the time, we lose sight of the fact the model is even a person. They are flesh and bone for a few hours in that day and not until does the session end or we break for a few minutes do they turn back into a person with a mind and a life story.
A lot of times I have overheard the models talking to my instructors about keeping a comfortable but interesting pose. You’ll be posing sometimes for a time of quick 15 minute drawings or even an hour long drawing. Make sure that when the instructor asks you to do a pose for her to make it interesting but yet comfortable for you because you’ll be needing to hold that pose for a long period of time occassionally.
The key thing to being a really good nude model is to be able to keep really really still and to remember your positions. Let’s say you are told to do an hour long pose. Obviously the instructor is going to give you a break in between to use the facilities or just to rest. The problem with most nude models that I have drawn is that they always forget that their hand was just a little bit lower or higher or their head was tilted a little more towards the right. People who draw are very sensitive to this fact and usually nude models won’t even realize that their is a change in their stances. It gives us students a much easier time if nude models remembered exactly where their positions are.
I’ve seen incredibly adept nude models mark their positions after a break so they remember exactly where everything goes. I mean if you do a good job they will always be asking after you. That’s how my instructor does it anyhow. Good comments equals more money.
Another thing I would suggest not doing is to constantly interact with the art students while you are posing. While it is nice and friendly of you to care about the people drawing you, and it might even calm any nerves you have, this can be pretty distracting. Especially if we’re trying to draw your face and your mouth keeps moving, or if you accidentally make a hand gesture. If you really feel more comfortable interacting with people I suggest doing so during the break. That way you won’t seem cold and unfriendly. But really though, we won’t judge you any more if you don’t talk. It gives us a much easier time during class.
Another thing to avoid doing is to be late for a session. We once had a model do that and basically class couldn’t start until they showed up. We once had a model not show up. That was even worse and we all ended up drawing a tin can instead.
But basically a really good nude model comes down to the ability to pose in interesting ways while maintaining that pose for a long period time. It is definitely a much harder job than it seems to be and I think it’s great that you’re comfortable with you body. I would go for it but not to expect it to be a breeze.
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