be a figure drawing model

I have modeling experience for bodypainting only, but now I as Im unemployed, I sort of took this opportunityas a last resourt. Lucky me I had a friend who connected me with a drawing class teacher, so I got my first assigment in 2 days,. I am very nervous as I don’t think I’ll be able to figure out 18 poses in 2 hrs. Holding a pose for 15-30 min is not a problem for me as I know the last ones are ok to be easy, plus I do yoga regularly and I have good blood circulation.
I am not worried about being naked, it’s just the logistics of everything that scares me – who’s gonna tell me when to change a pose., how fast am I expected to change, what is a good pose, and a bad pose, like what artists want to see from a model… I googled images, but I didn’t find more than 5-6 poses with variations … so yeah. If anybody has an idea of . what are artists looking for let me know!

Thanks

Actually, I’ve modeled for three different classes this week alone. I can do yoga and dance poses and can be immobile for an hour at a time. I agree that some poses cannot be held for long periods, so you need to really think out how you want to arrange yourself if you’re not going to move for long periods of time.

I find it to be an incredible workout, because I do hold fairly strenuous poses for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and it also gives me time to meditate, which helps me not to think about the odd cramp.

Kudos to you for helping students by being their subject. I know the students really appreciate it. :)

how would one go about finding the opportunity to be a figure drawing model?

I too saw a flyer at my school where the art department was seeking people to model for the figure drawing class. Although at first I wasn’t aware that it was for nude modeling, I’m still very glad that I did it. To prepare I googled “figure drawing poses” and came across SEVERAL different poses to choose from. Standing up poses were most difficult because the class I took was 2 hours long. So I tried to keep it simple. A tip would be to try poses with your arms down for the first couple of times- ones with your hands held up are brutal. Other than that make sure that your comfortable- weight isnt a huge concern, true artists find beauty within and don’t focus on physical flaws :)

I’m fairly confident in my body and am muscular enough to hold poses. I love the feeling of modeling (I’ve done many clothed sessions). This seems like a great choice. My question is, do I have to be…thin? I’m overweight (not obese, but definitely not slender) and wondering if I have to be “atomically correct” to model. Personally, I enjoy drawing people of all shapes and sizes, but I don’t know if colleges share my feelings. So…help please :)

I’ve been my own model for thousands of black and white photos. I’ve modeled for student photographers and body painters. I have yet to model for a drawing class.

I was in touch with a reputable artist but he was a little flaky when it came to communication. In the end, I let it die on the vine.

I would like to model for a drawing class. Anything from university students to community groups to private classes.

The only thing that concerns me is that which concerns many prospective models, the ability to successfully hold a long pose. Being a photographic model, I’m used to very short, dynamic poses.

Who knows? Maybe one day.

I want to feel what it’s like to be looked at and studied while naked in an open environment

I’m currently at an art school and attend life-drawing lessons so know, from an artist’s point of view, what to expect. A couple of times a life-model hasn’t showed up and the tutor has asked us to do short 15min clothed poses instead. I couldn’t believe how a pose at first so simple could aches so much after only quarter of an hour!
I would like to give life modelling a try – I’m slowly gaining a lot more confidence in my body and wouldn’t mind giving it a go. The only problems are first how to keep a pose for an hour without being in pain? We had one model who moved every ten min and it was infuriating.
The second is convincing my boyfriend to be kay with it – at the moment he’s not thrilled about the idea so I’m trying to get him to come along to a drawing class with me so he can see from the artist’s side of things what I’d be doing and that it’s perfectly acceptable.

figure modeling has been the best thing i could have ever done for building my self-esteem. knowing that people are creating beautiful art and using me for inspiration is such an honor. since my drawing and painting skills hit their peak when i was 4, i like that i can still contribute to the world of art as a model.
if you’ve ever wanted to give it a try, but are afraid for this reason or that, i encourage you to face your fear and just do it. you’ll be proud of yourself and you’ll be able to say that you are one of the minority of people who have had the courage to shed their clothes in front of a group of strangers and lived to tell about it. :)

How would one go about getting involved in Figure Modeling specifically? Do you need to belong to an agency?