Figure Modeling Follow-up

Last week I created a modeling resume to send off to a very serious art studio offering (blatantly, on their website) generous hourly compensation. Sadly, I have nothing to report as to its usefulness, because I have yet to receive a reply. And an attempt to follow up by phone yielded another swift trip to the answering machine. Not to fret! I don't give up easily.

The more I think about trying to model full-time, the more I like the idea. The compensation alone is a very good reason, but I like being in the art scene, despite not being much of an artist. It makes me feel close to my late Maren Grandma, somehow...the smell of paint and charcoal, the eccentric artists sipping cheap wine from plastic cups telling me stories of drawing caricatures on New York City boardwalks, the eclectic blend of classical and jazz bleeding from Bill's radio as I hold poses for evening class...But I digress.

Last week I promised a guide to avoiding creepy photographers (and they're out there!) when starting out as a photography model. That's not what I'm going to deliver this week, however. I realized that after a four-week series on breaking into figure modeling, I left you unprepared for what to expect when you actually start working. The lecture on checking references will keep one more week while I fill in some knowledge gaps, starting with a small glossary of the jargon you're bound to hear often.

Figure Drawing: put simply, is the study of the human form in various shapes and poses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_drawing)

Model Stand: a wooden box or block, sometimes on wheels, on which you pose.


Model Pad: heavy-duty quilted fabric used to pad the model stand. Or keep furniture from getting scratched when moving, whichever.


Croquies: not to be confused with the colorful straps that attach to your sunglasses, these are short poses used as a warm-up for the artists to get the creative juices flowing. Can be anywhere from thirty seconds to a couple minutes.

Reclining: not the same as what you'd do in the chair of the same name, this type of pose is actually one where you're lying down.  

Foreshortening: an artist has to deal with this when they're seated with such a perspective that parts of the object (or model) don't fall parallel to the picture plane. Example: you're lying on your side facing forward, and the artist is seated at your feet. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/foreshorten?s=t)

Protocol

At some schools the professor will have the model stand prepped for you and have a space heater ready. At others, you're expected to grab your own. At even others, there are no space heaters and no model pads and you'll be glad you brought a sheet. The model coordinator will usually fill you in when you're hired.

Unless I'm positive I'll be nude for class, I always check in with the professor before changing into a robe. My first class at the Institute was a figure sculpture class. I was eternally thankful to have checked in with the teacher first, because it turned out to be a class on portraits...meaning they were only studying my head. Get a general outline of how the session is going to run. An example: for one class I start out with two five-minute poses followed immediately by a ten-minute pose and a five-minute break. The following pose is twenty minutes, as is the one after that, with breaks in-between.

I've touched on this briefly, but use your entire break. Go to the bathroom. Get a drink of water.
STRETCH. 

Until recently I have held my poses still as a statue, sometimes in pain, limbs sound asleep, seconds ticking away. Then the other night a professor with whom I work often commented on a look of sadness coming over my face at one point. It was my leg falling asleep. In that moment he told me if something hurts in a pose, loosen it up. I would not recommend making this common practice, but remember no one wants you to be in pain. If you have to adjust a pose, do so as early into the pose as possible. 

Some professors will play music, many will not. Some studios will play music during workshops, others will not.

The studio monitors keep track of time for you, while every professor I've sat for has been grateful I could time myself.  

Etiquette

Students are given strict guidelines on how to respectfully treat models, including not speaking to you while you're posing, never making rude or offensive gestures or comments, and not touching you. In return, you are expected to be silent when posing, don a robe when not on the stand (or the box, as I affectionately call it), and abstain from making inappropriate comments or gestures yourself. When modeling for college classes, remember that the students are young people. Some of them have never seen a naked body other than their own. It's natural for them to be uncomfortable and embarrassed toward the beginning of their college careers.

I have never been in a situation where a student made me uncomfortable, and I'm told they're very rare. Should you ever find yourself in such a situation, privately tell the professor. They will relay the complaint to the head of the department, who will get to the root of the problem. 

You are permitted to walk around on your breaks and view the art. Remember to be polite.

It should go without saying, but it is inappropriate to date students or professors for whom you pose. Repeat, should go without saying.

It would be impossible to tell you every detail of a modeling session, as every professor, student, and artist is different. However, I hope this helps you visualize how a class or workshop might go. As always, if you have questions or comments I'm open to hearing them. And if you have an experience you want to share, I love the perspective of others! And yes, next week I'll move on to avoiding internet predators...I promise.