Creating Art at Life-Drawing Session
by Thomas Winterstein
I have been drawing from the life model, that is an unclothed model, for over 30 years and I meet many people who think that a life-drawing session must be either sexy at some level or perhaps unseemly. But that is not the case.
In this short essay I will (a) describe what creating art in a life-drawing session is like, (b) describe the roles of the model and the artists in the session, and (c) describe the relationship between the artists and the model.
I’ll be describing open-studio life drawing which are open to all artists, who pay a fee to participate, bring their own art supplies, and where there is no instruction. I will be using the term life-drawing because it is the term commonly used to label these studio sessions even though artists may not be drawing but using other mediums such as paint or clay.
THE LIFE-DRAWING SESSION
When the artists are working the room is quiet. No one is talking. The only sound you may hear are: music from a CD player or a blue-tooth speaker, the sounds of the fans or heaters used to make the model comfortable, the rustle as artists move at their easels or tables while they work.
The artists are gathered in a semi-circle or circle around the model; intently observing the model and concentrating on their work. The furniture they are using, the easels, tables, and drawing benches, is a motley collection that the has been accumulated by the studio over the years. Below is a photograph of a
THE MODEL
The job of the model is to hold a pose without moving; a pose that the artists find interesting. The pose may be selected by the model, selected by the life-drawing session organizer, or suggested by the artists. The model will hold the pose from about 30 seconds to 4 hours. If the pose will be held for over half an hour, the model will take breaks; typically an 8 minute break after posing for 22 minutes although the model can be asked to pose for 45 minutes followed by a 15 minute break. When the model does a long pose the model is expected to get back into exactly the same pose the model held before the break. But this is never possible, something always changes after the break: the position of a hand, the angle of the back, for example. As the model gains more experience they learn how to minimize these changes.
Being a model is hard work. Even if we are sitting quietly, perhaps watching television or reading a book, all of us never really sit still; we will shift position as we become uncomfortable. But the model is expected to pose without moving.
This can be painful as hands, feet, arms, legs go to sleep or muscles cramp. But the model continues posing without moving even though they are in pain. Also, holding a pose is made more difficult because the pose will begin to change while the model is holding the pose as the model tires and muscles relax.
A good model is not the most beautiful or handsome model; but one that can hold interesting and inspiring poses. I’ve drawn attractive models whose poses had all the interest of a potato on a log and I’ve drawn models that were definitely not beautiful but inspired me to create art better than I knew I could do. Good models take pride in doing the job well because modeling is their craft.
THE ARTIST
The artist is at the life-model session to become a better artist, to hone their craft. It is work for the artist and artists are often tired at the end of the session. The artist, to use a golf metaphor, strives to make par during the session, hopes to hit a hole-in-one, and is all too familiar with hitting the ball into sand traps, water hazards, and the rough.
When we, as artists, look at a naked person we are aware that there are breasts, genitals, bare bottoms exposed to our view. But these are not important to us. We are most concerned in improving our craft, in becoming better artists. As we look at the model what we may be concentrating on is things such as: getting the proportions correct, cool and warm colors, getting the correct skin color in the light and shadow, delineating a lovely line such as the line of a leg as it flows into a gracefully turned foot, and capturing the grace or essence of the pose.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARTIST AND MODEL
Artists who draw or paint from the life model value the contribution the model makes to their growth as artists. Many artists have posed, at least for portraits, and appreciate the work and pain that is involved in being still and the skill and knowledge needed to hold an interesting, motivating pose. I’ve noticed an increasing trend for the artists to not only thank the model at the end of drawing session but to applaud the model.
Life drawing is hard work for both the model and the artist. Each have a job to do at the life-drawing session. Both are needed for a successful session, and each respects the role of the other.
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