would love to pose

[mark444]

would love to pose for photographer,painter,or sculptor .in pretty good shape

[Baron Lake]

Why does the photographer, sculptor, or artist need to be in reasonably good shape?

Check with local art galleries and art teachers. Be prepared to expend some effort. As a model, "standing around naked" dosen't quite describe the situation. Can be fun and challenging though. Good luck.

b.l.

[nuovonudo]

hey mark,

i started modeling this semester for a drawing class at a local college and it has been great. i got the art department's phone number from the college's listings in the white pages, called, said i was interested in modeling, and was referred to the prof who teaches the figure drawing class.

since then i've called a few other schools in the area, as well as the local art museum (which offers drawing classes) and i've landed an additional gig at another school, which will start out clothed (to allow the students to get used to drawing from a live model) and then go unclothed next semester.

it has been an extremely positive, affirming experience. get busy--and let us know how it goes for you.

regards,
--N

[Mike2Nude]

I'm in shape too...round is still a shape, right?

[nakedpoet]

Totally agree, at least I hope round is a shape anyway!

[MJ_KC]

I wouldn't have any issues with posing nude in front of a group of artists, but I might not be able to hold some of the longer poses. The ability to hold a specific position for quite awhile is fairly important from what I have read on this subject.

[David77]

I wouldn't have any issues with posing nude in front of a group of artists, but I might not be able to hold some of the longer poses. The ability to hold a specific position for quite awhile is fairly important from what I have read on this subject.

Fifteen to twenty minutes is the longest a model holds a simple pose before given a break. An "egg timer clock" is set to ring, signaling your and the artist's break.

If a model gets a rare cramp, he/she requests a short time out to alleviate the cramp, but if merely moving the muscle position a minute will do the trick, no big-time-out may be required. The model would possibly ask the artists whether he/she is back into the exact, same position - but may get many diverse judgements from various artists, until the group comes to a consensus, - or the artist with the most dynamic personality prevails.

For the more difficult poses, which are hard to hold, a shorter timing is set.

[polutropon]

Having posed for both nude and clothed, I have found that nude is easier.

First, staying completely still in one position is hard work, which actually has caused me to break out into a sweat. Sans clothes, it is much easier to stay cool and dry.

Second, posing nude, I do not need to worry about what to wear, i.e., do I want to be immortalized in cargo pants and an old t-shirt in an art student's drawing?

Third, I find that I get fewer cramps/aches if I don't have restrictive clothing on.

Fourth, I can (read: have to) wear clothes all the time, posing can be a good way to get some "naked time."

Unfortunately, I still tend to get cramps and aches even for fairly easy poses, and even when I stretch beforehand. Do any other models have suggestions on how to avoid these? That is one of the reasons I don't seek out modelling work more actively. (That and I can make more tutoring math and physics.)

[slapshot]

I have been modeling for an art class near me, and it is great. The students are so appreciative and its a really neat thing to do. Everyone should try it!

[unitednudist]

I see nothing wrong with it. As long as its for all the right reasons.

[cgynotanlines]

I've been a figure drawing model for a couple of years. I found my first connection through meetups. It's a great experience. Most artists aren't looking for the perfect body, the poses or gestures last between 2 and 10 minutes and it'w erally interesting to see what the artist has drawn.

[Josh-here]

I would love to do something like this! No, artists certainly aren't looking for only the "perfect body". I have heard in some cases it is very hard work as the sessions in one position can be be very long!

[David77]

the sessions in one position can be be very long!
Wrong! The longest poses do not last over 20 minutes, but usually the "long" poses are about 15 minutes.

[swnudedude]

I model quite a bit for artists, sculptor, painters and photographers...everyone works differently. Typically at the colleges, you only hold a pose for 20 minutes and then get a break. I've held standing poses up to 30 minutes. The gestures poses -- usually done at the beginning of class are shorter; one to two minutes. Some of the reclining poses are held for 45 minutes. It's demanding work but incredibly rewarding. So wonderful to be part of the creative process and truly to understand the beauty of the human form. I've even started to draw myself

[nudenwv]

feel free to paint,draw,sketch,doodle,sculpt me "as is" lol......

[Procrastinator]

Wrong! The longest poses do not last over 20 minutes, but usually the "long" poses are about 15 minutes.

That's far from correct. Open sessions usually start out with short gesture poses of 1 to 3 minutes, then they get progressively longer, ending with a final pose which is usually at least 30 minutes, but typically 45 and sometimes longer.

When posing for a college class, a 3 hour pose would not be unusual. This pose (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/62057191_167ddaef13_o.jpg) lasted 3 hours. I held it for 25 minutes, then took a 5 minute break, then another 25 minutes, then another break .... and so on. I decide how long between breaks, and how long my breaks are. The professor set that pose up, which is somewhat unusual. Most of the time, poses are entirely up to me, or the prof will tell me what he wants to accomplish with a pose, then I come up with something suitable.

My avatar is also from a 3 hour pose, but that's not unusual for a sculpture class. It's not a pose that I would have chosen to hold for 3 hours, but that was the same prof that I did the toga/suitcase pose for. He likes to choose poses and he's very demanding. I've heard that a lot of models won't work for him. Last year, I started one of his classes with short gesture poses, then he came over and whispered that he wasn't going to tell the class what was going to happen, but he wanted me to do a few more gesture poses, and the last one I was to hold for the remainder of the class. It was a 3 hour class! No wonder people won't work for him.

Joe

[missyd]

I have to confess, posing nude for art and photography has also been an interest of mine too.

[JohnE44]

I think posing would be somthing fun to try I will have to check around the collages near by

[Sanslines]

Wrong! The longest poses do not last over 20 minutes, but usually the "long" poses are about 15 minutes.

I have done long poses for a three hour class with one short break in the middle of the class. I rarely do a class with the longest of the poses less then 30 or 40 minutes. Artists that I work with really appreciate when a model does NOT take a break every 15 or 20 minutes.

I also do duo poses with a fantastic partner and we won't take any break until at least an hour has gone by. It would be virtually impossible for us to ever get back into the exact same positions after break even with extensive marking (tape) given the complexities of our poses. I am a weightlifter and my partner is a professional dancer and the combination has worked out to be for some very outstanding poses.

What seperates an average model from a fantastic model are the difficulty and length of poses.

[toadfish327]

I would love to pose as well. I will check with local colleges and see if I can do it for an art class. Anyone have any suggestions on how to start?

[bendigonudey]

naked for a photographer on Friday.

It was all over in about 15 minutes - hopefully the result will be displayed for all to see on the wall of the Ballarat Art Gallery, as part of a local contribution to their major "Naked & Nude" exhibition:

http://www.balgal.com/


(And if I do get displayed, at the conclusion of the exhibition, I will get the enlarged copy to keep - but I doubt that I will win the negotiation to display it on the wall at home!)

Rob

[Larry Sam]

I would do it if ever had the opportunity

[Josh-here]

Me too. Never heard of any opportunities around here.

[steve-o]

There are several art colleges here and I am considering volunteering to be a life model for their drawing classes. I did it once a couple years ago and I've always wanted to go back but never took the opportunity again.

[BareItNZ]

Besides for Spencer Tunick, I posed nude for an artist and a student photographer. Not much to it and wouldn’t mind to do it more for art classes or so.

[JeepNude]

There are already so many nude pictures of me floating around, what is a few more??

My mom takes great pride in dragging out the photo album for guests, just full of pictures of her kids growing up. I think the clothed/unclothed ratio is about 50/50. Most of her friends have had an eyefull of me before I ever meet them, and I somtimes get fully looks. MOM!!!!

[Procrastinator]

I would love to pose as well. I will check with local colleges and see if I can do it for an art class. Anyone have any suggestions on how to start?

I just ran across this excellent site. It's pretty much all you need to know. The pages are excruciatingly slow to load.

Joe

Info for Male Nude Models (http://members.aol.com/blueskyfox/page5.html)

[JeepNude]

Your link gives this response-

Dear AOL Hometown Users,
We're sorry to inform you that on Oct. 31, 2008, AOL® Hometown has been shut down permanently. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
-- The AOL Hometown Team

Hey, talk about SLOW pages, this forum is PAINFULLY slow! I live in the boonies so am stuck with dialup. It takes 5 minutes on average for a page to load of this forum. I rarely surf this site because of that. Also, let my membership lapse because I don't use this site much anymore.

[Josh-here]

That was a quick shut down! I just read those pages yesterday, the link worked perfectly, but there was a warning at the top that AOL was closing them down in the near future.

[Procrastinator]

Aw jeez, what a shame. That was a great site. I had only skimmed through it, planning to go back and read all of it when I had more time. I've been modeling for about 5 years and am always open to new ideas.

I did some searching, but came up empty. Google didn't have a cached version and it wasn't in the Internet Archive's 'Wayback Machine'. I did find an inactive blog that the guy has. It seems that some of the same info is on that.

Joe

Figure Drawing Journal (http://fdjournal.blogspot.com/)

[Pants off]

Like most of us, I think, I'd love to have the opportunity!

[Flogger]

I have come close many times to contacting the local university. I guess the thing that threw me off in the past is that I worked with a lot of students and though I am totally comfortable being nude in front of them, I am not sure they would be as accepting. I know that it's in my head and I've since overcome that feeling but I have yet to join the artistic ranks in person. I have drawn others nude and others have drawn me nude from an artistic photo pose but I haven't had the joy of experiencing it first hand. As an appreciator of art both creating and being created, I am sure I will do this one day. It's on my "before midlife crisis" bucket list.

[nosockstoday]

I think modeling for an art class would be a cool thing to do under the right circumstances.

[Cheri]

It can be hard work...sitting/standing/laying in one position for a long time (15min. to 1-1/2hrs.) It's not nudism; it's nudity. It can be darn right chilly. I've modeled in a photo studio as well as for classes at the Museum of Art. The museum was kept at 68 degrees, and let me tell you, that is chilly when you're in one pose for over 45 minutes.

Contact your local art classes, at Universities/colleges, local museums to find available spots.

I sat for a Potrait class, more comfortable, but still chilly even though I was clothed.
Cheri

[Pete Knight]

in one pose for over 45 minutes.



I don't think I could sit still that long!

Pete Knight

[David77]

Surely she took breaks in the pose instead of posing for 45 minutes without a break.

Otherwise it would be like "cruel and unusual punishment" and she should never pose for that sadistic jerk again.

[polutropon]

Surely she took breaks in the pose instead of posing for 45 minutes without a break.

Otherwise it would be like "cruel and unusual punishment" and she should never pose for that sadistic jerk again.

Not necessarily. I have held 45-minute poses before. The instructor usually asked if I could hold on a little longer, and if I could, I did. There are many poses for which this wouldn't be possible, but for some (even standing!), it is.

[Cheri]

Having posed for both nude and clothed, I have found that nude is easier.
(snip)
Unfortunately, I still tend to get cramps and aches even for fairly easy poses, and even when I stretch beforehand. Do any other models have suggestions on how to avoid these? That is one of the reasons I don't seek out modelling work more actively. (That and I can make more tutoring math and physics.)

Make sure you've had enough water to drink that day. I have cramped a lot just trying to stay still. When you strike a pose, make sure it's one that will be most comfortable for the amount of time required. Even sitting on my legs was not a good idea. However, sitting, with one leg bent and one sort of straight was comfortable for an hr. Just remember to not put weight on your hands if you lean back. If they allow you a chair, just sitting with feet flat on the floor with my towel under me was the most comfortable.
Cheri

[Cheri]

Surely she took breaks in the pose instead of posing for 45 minutes without a break.

Otherwise it would be like "cruel and unusual punishment" and she should never pose for that sadistic jerk again.

No break was allowed during the nude posing. One sitting was over an hr. When I did head/shoulders (clothed portrait) sitting, I did get breaks.
Cheri

[David77]

No break was allowed during the nude posing. One sitting was over an hr. When I did head/shoulders (clothed portrait) sitting, I did get breaks.
Cheri

In my mind, this was certainly not ethical behavior for "no break was allowed during the nude poses". I assume that some were long poses, such as the previously memtioned 45 minutes and more.

At Washington University I have taken a number of sculpturing classes, drawing class and many drawing group gatherings using models and none were required to hold a pose more than 20 minutes.

Also at St. Louis Artist's Guild I participated for years in drawing, painting and sculpturing groups and none required the model to pose more than 20 minutes at the most.

I was coordinator of the Tuesday night drawing group for some years and acquired model for each evening. To time the model's poses, we set an "egg timer" for 12 or 20 minutes, and when the "egg timer" bell went off, the model took approximately a five minute break. If a model got a cramp during this time while modeling, they massaged the area that was cramping without getting off the modeling stand.

Before the model gets off the modeling stand for a break, we take a piece of chalk or strips of masking tape and roughly outline the positions of the feet and any other body part that is against a hard surface, so the the model can put their feet etc. at the same locations when they come back to pose.

We get a consensus from the group as to whether the model has taken exactly the identical pose, before we continue.

When we first start drawing, we have "warm up" poses of from 30 seconds to one minute and two minutes each. These various "warm up" poses contines for only about five minutes, before we get down to the "serious business".

For a sculpturing group, the model uses the same pose for a number of weeks, as it takes much longer to finish a sculpture. However, here again, the model never poses for over 20 minutes at a time.

[David77]

Cheri states;
The museum was kept at 68 degrees, and let me tell you, that is chilly when you're in one pose for over 45 minutes.

Yes, it is too cold for many nude models (unless in the very warm summertime with no air conditioning on). Our group has readily available, an electric heater that blows warm air onto the model when placed near the model, whenever a model requests it.

[David77]

I suppose that the models need to unite and form the AANM, the Association of Nude Models, and draw up a "Bill of Nude Model's Rights" to which both parties would have to adhere.

Of course, this will never happen.

[Procrastinator]

I suppose that the models need to unite and form the AANM, the Association of Nude Models, and draw up a "Bill of Nude Model's Rights" to which both parties would have to adhere.

Of course, this will never happen.

It has happened, with the London based Register of Artists’ Models (http://www.modelreg.co.uk/2.htm). I haven't heard of any similar organizations in the US.

I don't know if I would want to join such an organization if one was in my area. After going through their site and seeing some of the problems that they try to change, I have to say that I don't see similar issues around here.

One thing that could stand improvement is pay, as the average rate of $20 per hour hasn't changed in the 5 or 6 years that I've been modeling. Lafayette College just bumped theirs up to $20.50, but the other colleges haven't followed suit.

Joe

[David77]

It has happened, with the London based Register of Artists’ Models (http://www.modelreg.co.uk/2.htm).

Procrastinator;
Thank you for this very interesting website.

It all seems realistic but for two points concerning making exceptions to the rule for sculpturing 1)of more need to photograph the model, and 2) to touch the model - to discover the planes of the body, for instance.
Our sculpturing teacher at the university told us that it would be helpful if we ran our hands over a persons head when we are doing a portrait of that person, to get a tactile sense of what we must duplicate.

However, over a many year period, I have never seen anyone run their hands over a models head and body in sculpturing, drawing or painting. The model might consider this sexual harrassment. Our models are usually nice looking college students. We are afraid to tell them that they are beautiful, so we merely tell them that they do a good job modeling.

It might be nice for some artists to have a photograph of the model to finish some art project at home, but taking a photograph of the model is not essential. Some models fear that their nude photo will find it's way onto the internet, and other models do not care or worry about their being photographed. Some models may be willing to be photographed in nude poses in a photography class.

[David77]

The London based Register of Artists’ Models (http://www.modelreg.co.uk/2.htm) website mentions the use of "white spirits", but I have never heard of it.
The long article does not mention turpentine. Unless the odor free kind is purchased, turpentine is very odorous. It burns some artists eyes if around it for long, and may clog up the sinusus.

("Its vapor can burn the skin and eyes, damage the lungs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungs) and respiratory system, as well as the central nervous system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_nervous_system) when inhaled")

I suspect that "white spirits" is the UK name for "turpentine", or else is used instead of turpentine.

[Naturist Zoar]

excellent points, David.(as usual).

[Procrastinator]

David:

I had a British professor for two classes today. I asked him what white spirits were and he confirmed that it's paint thinner.

About having a sculpture student running his hands over a model's face, wow! That would creep me out. I don't think I'd let anybody do that to me.

I did allow myself to be photographed last week. Halfway through a long pose for a painting class, the Prof decided that I was going to continue the same pose today (which I did). Since a week would go by, I suggested that he take a picture of me with my cell phone camera to help me get into the same exact position. He asked the class (about 8, all female) who had a cell phone camera, saying to me, "I'll let them do the work". As an afterthought, he asked me if I minded. I said I didn't. I don't know how many students took a picture because the pose had me looking away from them.

Another first for me last week was being touched. I had a class with a very young associate professor last week. I did a long, reclining pose, pretty much flat on my back. I hate doing that, mainly because there's an excellent chance that I'll fall asleep and start to snore. Since I was flat on my back with my arms spread out, and couldn't tape myself, I asked the teacher to do it. It took her quite a while. I found out why when I got up - she completely outlined me in masking tape. It looked like a murder had happened on the model's stand. I had to make an effort to hide my laughter. When the break was over, I got back into position the best I could, but guess it wasn't quite good enough. The teacher moved my arms around and lifted my legs by the ankles to reposition them, at the same time apologizing for her cold hands. And they were icy. I don't know why she didn't just say "move your legs to the left a little", instead of moving them herself.

Joe

[David77]

I did a long, reclining pose, pretty much flat on my back. I hate doing that, mainly because there's an excellent chance that I'll fall asleep and start to snore.
A few times I have seen models go to sleep while in a comfortable pose, but they didn't happen to snore. Some others just close their eyes and rest while in a pose. When painting, we may ask them what color of eyes they have and this causes them to open their eyes for awhile.

One young man, nude, went asleep while slumped in a chair with his head on his right arm/hand. This was an interesting, very unusual pose, so we did not wake him until we finished our drawing.