Nude Modeling in classrooms

[CLANLESS]

I will call local colleges and studios for high school artists to see if they are seeking nude models. What is the appropriate to say to them? I have convinced others to pose for me with clothes on before, but I am clueless on what to say for my own exhibition. I would explain to the school or studio that I am a learning artist myself. I would also have to state that I have never been a nude model before. I have not been to a model session before, but I have seen videos online.
How long does a session usually last for a classroom setting, and how much should I get paid per hour as amateur? I have never have posed professionally before, and I can hold a stretched out arm only for about five minutes. Then, I begin to shake a little. For less strenuous poses, I can keep for longer than twenty minutes. I cannot hold a pose for an hour. I will likely work with young artists.

It is great if I get to model, but I must know if this might hurt my career in the future. I wish to learn from the same schools myself and work in film or animation someday, and the students who see me nude will likely be my coworkers in the future. Unless, they don't recognize me with my clothes on.

[dpaint]

I would never hire you as a model if you can't hold a pose for the required 20 minute increments. A full session is usually three to six hours with ten minute breaks every twenty minutes. Models are professionals, not people who just like to take their clothes off in front of people. I've run a few models classes in my time at most of the companies I've worked at. Most models are pretty physical and have some background for what they do.

[Black Spot]

There are model pose books that show you poses which can be held for certain times. Can you do it silent or do you need music to concentrate on. Great models are brilliant, but figidity ones are a pain.

[CLANLESS]

dpaint, if I was the one choosing my own poses, I believe I can last hours as long as I avoid rigid positions. Using a chair or a wall to rest my hand on solved most of the posing problem I had. I had posed for a friend once for twenty minute intervals. In a comfortable pose, I lasted in each interval, even though I cannot say I was photo perfect. Nonetheless, I am exercising for better endurance. Thanks for the information.

I try posing in silence. As long as I don't have to hold in the air, I can stay in a trance for quite a while. I got better slowly, so hopefully weakness will not be a problem once I step into the classroom.

[sanya]

If you know any experienced models, they can likely point you in the direction of someone who can offer you a bit of training. That alone, if nothing else, makes you a lot more marketable.

[JeffX99]

You won't find any nude modeling in high schools - nothing is really appropriate to say to a minor about nude modeling.

These should help though: http://societyofartistsmodels.org/modresrc.htm
http://www.bayareamodelsguild.org/

[Praemium]

You should definitely try to attend a few modeling sessions, even though I know you have already said you've seen videos online. It's REALLY important to know which kind of poses make for good, ARTISTIC poses. Stress on the word artistic--I keep getting models in my classes that have no idea what poses are good poses for artists, and instead just make crazy (albeit interesting) poses that they just cannot hold.

I agree with Dpaint. Definitely should be able to hold a 20 minute standing pose minimum. I've had models doing an 8 hour standing pose in one day... they had long breaks (10 mins for every 30 and 1 hour lunch break), but it's still very tiring. Ask the studio what the normal routine is.

Some studios may not allow you to use chair/wall to steady yourself. If possible, try to ask them for music in the room... it usually helps for concentration & relaxation in both model and artists. Hope that helps and good luck, modeling is not an easy job.

[Flake]

modeling is not an easy job.

Absolutely not, great models are as rare as unicorns. I have massive respect and admiration for good models.

I find artistic types who are into dancing, ballet something like that are always the best bet.

Yay models!

[cro-magnon]

You won't find any nude modeling in high schools - nothing is really appropriate to say to a minor about nude modeling.

i had nude sessions at school aged 16+. that never happen in the US?

[[email protected]]

The longer poses are typical for the more traditional courses; in animation, they are usually shorter. I would love to work on longer poses, but in my animation program, typical pose lengths are 1, 3 and 20 minutes.

[CLANLESS]

There are private art studios around where many high school age students practice or get help to prepare for college.

Hopefully it will not cost much if I do get trained. What is it like? Is the trainer an artist him or herself who can critique my weaknesses in posing? I would not mind training then, but the cost I am concerned with. I don't aim to be an expert, as I want to do this for small income on the side for several months. Perhaps few years. It seems that modeling is, at the base, having endurance and posing. Most models were previously trained in gymnastics, bodybuilding, and other physical activities. But, I am also sure there are lesser models out there who began as average joes. I want to do well because my performance will affect others' time and artwork, but I am hesitant to invest money unless it is cheap. I would rather use that money to learn at the studios myself.

I try poses that are casual, flexible, relaxed. I can hold those for a long time and 10 minute break is plenty to recover. The sketchbook forum on this website has a lot of nude drawings I find relaxed and interesting. I understand why I haven't found many action poses yet. Posing with arms sprawled in the air is hard to maintain for twenty minutes, so many models avoid that, I assume.
Watching a live model may be best, but I have to convince the instructors to let me watch if I don't have the money to pay for lessons myself. Shall I ask to watch for free anyway? I am a complete stranger to them for now.

[dmitri]

I think you already have one important thing going for you - you are INTERESTED (in both doing your job well and art)! You don't have to be a ballerina or a body builder to be a good model, enthusiasm does wonders already. Artists need different types of models, not just the superanatomical ones, and if the model is interested in doing the job well, that positive vibe will pass on all the way to the work being done!
I have been lucky to get to draw quite a range of models, and a good figure or a dancing background does not yet make one a good model.

A lot of the posters here must be from big cities where models are a-plenty, or something... Breaks my heart to see someone basically being discouraged from even trying because they might not be perfect. :X

/Well, not directly discouraging... but I think people are overcomplicating things here. Modeling is hard work and I too have great respect for models, and not all models are equally good, but still stuff like getting training to be one... seems a little... much? For most places at least. But I suppose it's a matter of perspective... for me, "good model" starts with "shows up"! Hehe.
(Not that whether one is a good model had anything to do with the topic start, now...)

Oh, about asking to go watch over a modelling session: probably not going to be possible... of course it varies with places and people, but especially when it's nude modelling, a person just standing there not doing anything tends to disturb the model.

[JeffX99]

i had nude sessions at school aged 16+. that never happen in the US?

Not very likely...especially in today's paranoid climate. There may be some exceptions but I doubt it.

I haven't seen any one be discouraging - quite the opposite. And I provided two of the best links that directly relate to how to be a model. The rest of the advice has been spot-on. Modeling, and especially modeling well, is a very difficult thing.

I second Flake's respect and thanks for people that model.

[Praemium]

i had nude sessions at school aged 16+. that never happen in the US?

I live in the U.S. I'm currently 17, but have been doing life-drawing since I was 15. I haven't found any teachers who *only* do life-drawing with high-school age kids, but some specialty teenage programs do use clothed models. (Unless this is an intensive pre-college type of program, where nudes are used.)

Oh, and I don't know if anyone has mentioned that lots of local artists groups need models. Definitely call your local arts council/art league. Google is your friend.

You definitely don't need to be some sort of macho body builder, in fact this is kind of a worse body-type to have than a sort of moderate athletic build. As long as you have a teency bit of muscle tone, you should be fine. I've had old models, fat models, super-skinny models and once, a pregnant model. I don't think you need to attend model training... just try to attend a local life-drawing session if you can (where I live it costs 10 dollars for 3 hours) and take notes/draw. That would be my suggestion. Besides, your employer will know that you've never modeled before, so don't worry yourself too much. You will learn on the job very quickly. Casual, flexible and relaxed is perfect... you will be fine & you won't waste anyone's time with inexperience. Believe me, as everyone else has said, we artists rely on and appreciate models so so much!!

[M.A.C.]

Not very likely...especially in today's paranoid climate. There may be some exceptions but I doubt it.

By this you mean public schools specifically right? I've attended a number of programs for high school students that had nude models.

and yeah, twitchy models are a bit annoying...

[JeffX99]

I'll be darned, I stand corrected. I'm quite surprised but glad to hear there are programs like that around.

[cro-magnon]

old people are my favourites. there's so much more to look at

[Mirana]

Yeah, I went to nude modeling sessions from 15 onwards (in the US...southern US, even), and with other HS-aged kids, at a community art center. You just had to provide a note from a parent.

I also modeled for a class of high schoolers that was held at a college. I was semi-clothed, but there were nude models too.

[alesoun]

DM Perhaps your best route in would be simply to offer yourself as a model, rather than a nude model. I'm not sure why the "nude" part of your post is so important to you.

A pose is just as difficult to hold clothed as it is nude. In a classroom situation whoever is in charge should tell you what pose they want. As for payment rates, I'm sure they vary. Why not start by contacting a local art club and see if they need a model, whether clothed or nude, and take it from there?

[CLANLESS]

Mirana, tell me about your experience. How did you begin? Did you make any mistakes?

I may model full cloth, but I had in mind that nude meant higher pay. So, I thought, sure why not? I have read the Bay Area model guide and the minimal pay is $25. That seems to be for professionals. I expect to be paid as an amateur who can hold a pose still for 20 minutes. I am thinking of asking for $12/hour. I am sure I will be better once I step into the classroom, since I still have a month or two. The pay varies, but I wanted to know the estimate of what I should expect before picking up the phone.

[Mirana]

Mmm, it was a long time ago DM. I didn't seek out modeling. A professor of one of my college classes asked if I would be interested. The pay was $18/hr. I had been to modelling sessions as an artist for years before that, so I can't say that I made any mistakes I'm aware of. Hold your poses, don't talk too much, and do interesting/varied poses. Holding poses is much, much more important than interesting ones. If you can't hold a crazy pose then don't do it at all.

[duztman]

It's REALLY important to know which kind of poses make for good, ARTISTIC poses. Stress on the word artistic--I keep getting models in my classes that have no idea what poses are good poses for artists, and instead just make crazy (albeit interesting) poses that they just cannot hold.

when was it ever the model's responsibility to choose a pose? they're glorified store mannequins, they're not supposed to know how a pose looks from 15 different angles. that's why you have a teacher to set it up.

[Meloncov]

when was it ever the model's responsibility to choose a pose? they're glorified store mannequins, they're not supposed to know how a pose looks from 15 different angles. that's why you have a teacher to set it up.

Wait, what? I've never been in a life drawing class that works like that. For one, the teacher can't know what poses the model can hold for how long. At most, the teacher will suggest a general type of pose and work cooperatively with the model to figure something out.

[Chris Bennett]

That's exactly how it should work Meloncov.
I have a fantastic model I use in a monthy class I take and although I decide on the general shape of the pose I'm constantly in dialogue with her about how comfortable she feels and how long she thinks she can hold it for. She is an absolute professional but I NEVER take her for granted. I pay her £15 an hour, get her coffee at the half time break, repeatedly ask her if she is warm enough and insist that if she needs to rest, even after 10 minutes to do so and not feel bad about it.
This is how all models should be treated. For as I remind the class, it takes two to Tango.

[CLANLESS]

If the teacher wants me to use a pose that I don't think I can hold, I will simply tell the teacher and work it out from there.
Thank you all, I have a better grasp on what I will do.

[Flake]

when was it ever the model's responsibility to choose a pose? they're glorified store mannequins,

That might be the single most offensive post of the last 6 months..


If I was admin I'd ban you on the spot, just for sheer stupidity.

[Conniekat8]

when was it ever the model's responsibility to choose a pose? they're glorified store mannequins, they're not supposed to know how a pose looks from 15 different angles. that's why you have a teacher to set it up.

Actually, the models we've had so far know a LOT.... I swear, they and the teacher have some sort of a code language developed, they don't have to say much to each other, and the teacher gets exactly what he was aiming for.
I gather these models have worked for students for many years.

[Flake]

Most of the great models I've encountered were artists (painters, dancers, whatevers.)themselves, that's why they were good.
I would maintain that what was needed in "duztman"s scenario was mostly punching..