Hi everyone, i just wanted to say that i have just done my first session as a life model for a class of degree art students. It was really intense and a great experience and made me feel really good about myself Woopee! I definitely recommend it as it helps to get rid of body image hang ups, and it is so cool to see your body as art instead of feeling ashamed or embarrassed like we are expected to in this world. The drawings and paintings were incredible and some of the students gave me their sketches after the class. yippee!
That's a really cool experience. Thanks for sharing! That was really nice of those students to give you their sketches!
Always wanted to enjoy doing this, but am afraid of getting an erection the whole time from feeling so sexual about being naked in front of everyone who is not.
As a guy who's done a fair share of life modeling (and drawing) I can tell you that this should not be at all a concern. First of all, life modeling isn't easy. If you've done a lot of yoga or your job requires you to stand in one pose for 20 minutes or more, then you MIGHT be able to relax enough to get an erection. But if you're new to life modeling, just the work it takes to stand in one place, not move at all, and focus on controlling your breathing and your position...suffice it to say that getting hard is the last thing that tends to happen. Now of course, if you end up in a recline pose, and it lasts for a while, something may happen...but it's been my experience (and yes it's happened to me, as I think it has happened to any male life model) that it's more embarrassing than arousing. Besides that - students are there to draw. They're not there to look at a naked person, except to study it for form, and to practice their skills. The atmosphere isn't the least bit erotic. If it did happen, it probably wouldn't last long, as either the instructor would put a stop to the session (if it was blatant that you were TRYING to get hard) or it would just be ignored until you calmed down. But greentree, congratulations. Not everyone has what it takes to "dare to bare" like you did. Glad to hear you enjoyed the experience, and hope you get to do it again sometime!
Barefoot Matthew, Thanks for the great input. Having an unexpected erection and yes, being"embarassed" is the only thing that holds me back. I would just love to do this, and make money at it too. You know the "dare to be bare" part isn't even the main concern for me, since sure, I would be nervous, but that's the fun part. I just still can't stop thinking about how I'd feel if I became hard, and what people there would think. I would be so embarassed if they stopped the session because of it as well.
D, I couldn't have said it better myself! I remember how nervous I was the first time. Congrats! Mike
D, I couldn't have said it better myself! Were you nervous the first time? I remember how nervous I was but now it's natural. Congrats! Mike
I've been life modelling on and off for the past couple of years (good way to fund my degree), so I can also add that the whole boner issue is not something to be concerned about. I've heard of one instance of this happening, and that was a story I heard from somebody in the States. I've even done intimate poses with naked ladies and not had anything happen! As Barefoot Matthew said, the concentration required to maintain a pose usually cancels out the possibility.
My best friend at university was also a life model in the School of Arts. I did not know for some time. For him it was a way to make money : the fact that he had to take his clothes off was incidential, though I regarded him posing naked as rather courageous when I did find out. More recently I discovered that a aquaintance of mine was a life model at the local polytechnic. It also was a way of making money, but in his case he was into nudism and so was comfortable being naked in the front of students. Gerald.
How do you get this job? I've been wanting to do it.. I'd love to use my body as art. Nudity is a beautiful thing and I love my body.. Thats really cool that you did that, how did you go about getting that job though?
Colleges are always looking for life drawing models. You can simply call the local uni's and colleges and ask to speak with the art department...they should be able to hook you up. Even if there's nothing immediate they can put you on the list as an alternate for models who flake out or get sick. I got started that way...was attending class and one week the model cancelled at the last minute. The teacher asked if anyone wanted to volunteer, and I had always thought about it so I volunteered and have been modeling frequently ever since. All the better if there's a fine arts or commercial arts school nearby as well (like Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Fire Lady) !
I'm sorry, but if I did this (and I really want to), I would be oozing all over the place, and that's whether I managed to stay soft OR got hard.
Haha eww. =P Just kidding, thats natural I guess. Yeah I think I'll probably wait till I'm a bit older though, I always thought 18 was still too young to be doing nudey things and I wouldn't want to be a hypocrite..
It's the equivalent of when you girls get wet when your excited. Guys (well most guys anyway), will ooze and it's probably gonna be too noticable to be in front of a class that way with it oozing. It happens to me hen I excited, whether I get hard, or manage to stay soft. I still ooze when I'm sexually excited.
You were right when you said it's natural. It just sucks that I can't model nude because of it. There is a local community college that I could do it at too, if I didn't have to worry about the oozing.
I use to do it years ago, but resently did some modeling for a photographer who was working on a project in figures. She had never done nudes with men, only females. So it was a new experence for her. Me too, in that I had never been photographed for art, only paint and drawings.
