Since becoming self employed I’ve been trying to put as many fingers in as many pies. I recalled a friend a few years back, telling me she had tried Life modelling, and how liberating it was… and well paid. I’d been to a class and felt the experience comforted the possible thought of modelling myself. At the time I didn’t need to make money, steady job, and not enough time to experience new things.
As soon as I got back from China I emailed Jake Spicer, a Tutor for Draw Brighton. He forwarded me to the person who manages models for Draw and she put me on the database. Within a few days I had been booked for my first class; 2 hours, 8 poses, and nothing in between me and scratching pencils, eyes following lines, on and off the paper. I wasn’t afraid at all in the running up to my first class. not when I got there, and not when I got my kecks of and popped my onesie on, in the scantily covered changing quarters. It was when I sat in my first pose I heard a little voice say “you’ve got to pull more poses and be naked”, I got a little flustered, but, I was here now, and they’d seen everything, and it was just my body.
As the minutes flew by for the first set of short poses, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The artists were barely paying attention to my body as a whole, I could see eyes flicking up and down more focused on recreating what was before them, on this sheet of paper.
In the break it was interesting to see how people perceived my body, and it was great to get to know the artists behind the easels, it made the second half even more enjoyable. The drawing you see above is by Alistair Whitby, a very talented artist and I felt honoured to be drawn by him for my first class, and I can’t wait to continue working as a Life model.
If anyone wants any advice or to chat about thinking of becoming a Life model, don’t hesitate to comment or contact me on my contact page!
Jade Hylton 