31 December, 2007

Update - Nude Modelling

Excited by the idea of modelling nude, I've done a bit of web research, which is something I do extensively when I find things that I want to try. I have to plan everything ahead, and I like to know exactly what I'm getting into beforehand, else I get incredibly nervous because I don't know what to expect or how to act, and I become paralyzed by the fear that I'll do something wrong or stupid and embarrass myself. Ultimately, I can only know so much by reading about things ahead of time, and the one thing I really need to do is actually go out and try it. But you know, that's really, really tough for me. Especially something like this. I've toyed with the idea of modelling nude for an art class in the past, but every single time I've considered it, I haven't gotten nearly close enough to actually try it. I wish I was back in college right now, because I remember them sending out campus-wide emails asking for models, and if I was in that situation right now, I think I'd actually try it. But where I am now, it might be a little harder, and until I find something I'm comfortable with, I'm bound to read up as much as I can about it.

I seem to possess the two most important attributes to being a nude model, according to one person whose account I've read - that is 1) owning a robe, and 2) being willing to take it off. Believe it or not, it's not the idea of getting nude in front of a room full of strangers that concerns me the most. But rather, it's having to strike artistically interesting poses on command, and to a lesser extent, holding them for potentially long periods of time. I'm pretty good at keeping my body still, although that doesn't necessarily mean it's comfortable. But I can remember general moments in my life where I'd get all nervous being in a room full of people, and I'd freeze up. I'd be too scared to even move. I wouldn't want to do so much as shift my foot, or scratch an itch, or move my head the slightest bit, for fear of attracting attention. I guess it sounds like I'm the right man for the job, then? But still, how am I supposed to know how to pose? I don't want to pick something terribly uninteresting, and I don't want to put myself in a position where I'd get incredibly uncomfortable after an extended period of time holding the pose. I guess it's just something I'll have to think about.

2 comments:

  1. I have pretty limited experience with nude models, but I can say it's not all "interesting poses". The people that run those classes know the limitations of the human body as well; what they're looking for, usually, are natural poses (i.e., comfortable ones) that present interesting dynamics with shadow and contrast, the muscles of the body, and form.

    The other part of the challenge is up to the artist -- how to present the model well, crop the image, and use design theory to create a coherent composition.

    Basically, rather than buying a really interesting vase and suspending it in midair, they're usually looking for lots of ordinary vases from which the interesting traits are drawn (pardon the pun) by the artists in question, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And of course, go for it if you find an opportunity.

    ReplyDelete