This year's model

Over the past two months, I've had several friends ask me about the modeling I do for an art school. Turns out people are intrigued by the idea of standing still and getting paid for it :) Plus there's the fact that doing all this in the buff, and in front of an audience, has just the slightest taboo to it.

At first, I had composed a massive email that I shot out to people wanting to know more. Then I figured I could easily post it here and expand on it a little.

First of all, it’s harder than it looks! You’ll find muscles you never knew you had, and you’ll discover the joy of having various parts of your body go to sleep on you. It’s definitely work. I happen to like art, but I also suck royally at it, so the fact that I can do something to actually contribute to the field really excites me. It’s intangibles like this (along with getting paid for it!) that drive me. If you’re just looking for a quick paycheck alone, there are probably easier things you could do, and you’ll probably get bored quickly.

I think if you’re a guy, it’s more of an uphill battle to get that first gig. Given the limited experience I've had, I'd say that there are more male than female models, so naturally women are going to be in more demand. And let’s face it: women are more fun to draw! And while it’s never happened to me, I’ve heard that homophobia isn’t exactly unheard of, especially if you’re modeling for a large, university Intro to Art class. Someone once told me that they got up on the podium on several occasions and he could see one or two males in the classroom pack up their materials and walk out. He basically said that if someone’s homophobic, that’s their cross to bear, and it shouldn’t affect you in any way. It’s their problem, and they have to deal with it. Don’t let it get to you. Frankly, they’ve clearly got a whole host of issues.

Pretty much all of the models I’ve seen by me are white, so you’re at an advantage, I think, if you come from a diverse background. If I had to make a random generalization about the models in my city, I'd say they're a mid-20s to late-30s officeworker, in decent shape, but starting to get some of the rounded edges that come with a desk job.

There’s two kinds of modeling I’ve done: portrait modeling and figure modeling. I’ll talk about portrait modeling first. At least where I work, they pay the same.

Portrait modeling: you’ll generally be seated and will keep the same pose the entire session (usually about 3 hours in length, and you’ll go about 30 minutes, take a quick break, and then resume for another 30 minutes until the session is over). Once the prof has you in a pose he or she likes, you’ll find a spot on the wall and focus on it. Doing so helps you hold your pose. Make sure that you’re not focusing on something like an easel, someone’s head, etc. Not only is it distracting to the artist, these things move, and if they do, so will your head. The trickiest thing about this is coming back into pose after the break, since you need to get into the exact same pose. It becomes easier with practice, and of course people in the room can help guide you back into position. If you’re booked for several sessions, make sure to find out before you leave if they’ll be doing a new pose or will continue to work on that same pose. If it’s the latter, you need to remember what you wore that day, because you’ll need to wear that exact same outfit for the rest of the sessions you’re booked for.

The hardest part of portrait modeling (at least from my perspective) is that it’s real easy to drift off after the first hour or two, especially if the lights are bright. Aside from some short breaks, there really isn’t anything to break up the monotony. Fortunately, they’re only drawing you from the chest up, so at least you can adjust your legs. Since they’re not doing your hands, sometimes I’ll take the knuckles from one hand and drag them against the flat of my other hand. Hurts a little, but it also helps to keep me awake!

Now I'm getting to the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for: figure modeling, which is done in the nude.

Usually I'm on a small, elevated stage that's flush against the wall. But one time, I was in a small room and was on a podium that measured about 2X2 feet. And it was in the center of the room, so everyone definitely got a damn good look at me. You've just gotta be able to shrug it off and realize it's art, not smut. The students in class have probably seen enough naked people by their senior year than most people see their whole lives. It's totally professional. And no, you don't need to have a 38DD rack or be hung like a horse or have rock hard abs or anything. Students need a wide variety of body types to draw in order to gain experience.

Once you check in with the artist or professor, you’ll be shown to an empty room or bathroom for you to get changed in. Then it's a matter of awkwardly hanging out in a bathrobe until the class is all ready to go. It's kind of weird the first time this happens, since everyone knows it's coming off in a few minutes, and you've gotta just nonchalantly hang out and maybe bury your nose in a book until kickoff.

Usually, the professor will have the class warm up with some gesture poses. These are poses that are 1-2 minutes in length, and you’ll generally do about 10-15 of them. You’ll count both the length and number of poses off in your head. I like doing these the best because you can get really creative, and because you’re only holding poses for a short period of time, you can really have some fun. From there, you’ll often do two 5-minute poses and a 10-minute pose. For these, you’ll need a timer (your cellphone may have one built in). These are often reclining poses. The person you’re modeling for may have some suggestions for poses, especially if there are certain concepts or techniques he or she is teaching. After that, you’ll either do one long pose for the rest of the class, or a few 20 minute poses and then some more gestures to close with. You’ll usually work for 20-30 minutes at a pop and then take a 10-minute break.

You’ll want to adjust your poses so you’re not facing the same direction all the time. When I go into a new pose (especially with the gesture poses), I make sure to adjust my body so that I’m not standing in front of the same people all the time, and so others aren’t stuck drawing the back of my head.


Basic tips:

If you do decide to go the figure model route, you’re going to want to assemble a model kit. First thing you’ll need is a cheap bathrobe. Get the flimsy kind that feels like it’s made out of pajama materials. Don’t spend a lot of money on it, as it’s going to get paint or charcoal on it at some point. You'll also be using this to drape whatever chair or stool you sit in. Get a cheap pair of flip flops, as most studio floors are dirty and attract an inordinate amount of thumbtacks. You’ll want a medium sized gym bag to hold all your stuff, and I keep a little kit with some bandaids, hand/foot wipes, Kleenex, etc. Get a cheap timer. And toss in a paperback you’ve never gotten around to reading, since you’ll have frequent breaks.

Don’t wear your best clothes to a modeling session… in most cases, they’re coming off anyways. Don’t wear anything you’d be pissed if you got paint on.

Be prompt. I usually get there 15-20 minutes early so I can talk to the professor and find out what he/she is trying to accomplish with their class that day. I did a class one Saturday morning and the prof stated that the week before, the model was an hour late. Running late seems to be a habit for a lot of models, so if you get a reputation as “that guy/girl who’s always early,” you’ll probably get recommendations to other artists and professors.

Be upbeat. This is something that you’ll hopefully enjoy doing, so keeping a positive, upbeat attitude will translate to better poses. Plus, if you get their early and the professor sees someone who’s got a good attitude and is taking this seriously, you’ll get a reputation as someone who’s mellow and easy to work with.

Plus, students can usually tell when someone’s enjoying themselves, and I think it helps them to bring out the best in their work. There have been times where I just finished cinching up my robe or just left class for the day and people came up to me and thanked me for modeling that day. That's a real rush, and it's a good way to find out you enjoyed yourself enough to the point that other people picked up on it :)

Don’t criticize anyone’s work. This is a major no-no. Also, if you’re really vain, this isn’t the job for you. Even if you’re buff and studly, I guarantee you someone will exaggerate your features or flat out draw them “wrong.” I like to think of it as a way to keep me humble.

Don’t do this to stroke your own ego. You’re there as a tool and an inspiration to the artist. If the professor has a suggestion for a pose, do it (unless it’s causing you to be extremely uncomfortable or in pain, in which case speak up).

Carry your cellphone with you (most people do this anyways, but I’ve never been much of a cellphone talker and have to constantly remind myself to keep it on me). Models are always going to get sick or have family emergencies, and you can often get a booking out of the blue if they can get a hold of you in time.

Don't quit your day job. I had about 12 bookings last semester, and absolutely zero this semester (one's coming up in the next few days, and the other sometime in May which will be done with another model). Even at $20 per hour (which seems to be the max in the area), you'll most likely find this an enjoyable way to augment your income or pay back your student loans as opposed to a fulltime job.