Nude models sought for BU drawing class

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This article was published 06/09/2024 (396 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University art professor Lisa Wood is looking for four people willing to pose nude for students in her Figure Drawing classes on Thursdays from 2-5 p.m. The work pays $25 per hour.

Wood, who is IshKaabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg department of visual art chair, said the models are providing the students with a valuable experience to learn the structure and anatomy of the human body.

“Some models have shown interest in the task already,” she told the Sun on Thursday. “I make sure to meet with any potential models in advance of their first time modelling at the university. I have created a “Modelling Guidelines” sheet that outlines what the model can expect, and what is expected of them in the classroom.”

The guidelines, she said, help to make the experience more transparent.

“I keep clear communication with my models before and during class. I email them the class agenda in advance, so they know what to expect in terms of length of poses.”

During class, Wood said, she works with the model to find poses that are interesting for the artist and as comfortable as possible for the model.

She said it’s important to represent diversity through the models in class — from gender to size, race and age.

“I want the students to see a range of bodies represented, just as we interact with a wide range of people in our lives,” she said. “It is important to work from the nude figure as the students can see the underlying forms that make up the body, whereas clothing often hides or obscures things.”

Modelling is difficult, she added, as staying perfectly still in a pose for an extended period is challenging physically and mentally.

“Many models relish that challenge. Some models also feel a sense of pride or comfort in their bodies through this experience.”

Wood expects up to 17 students in the Figure Drawing class that relies on nude models.

Figure Drawing, she explained, is a foundational course for further art classes, such as Experiments in Figure and Form, which conceptually investigates contemporary applications of the figure in artwork.

“The human form is used in so many different artistic practices, and so learning to see the figure and understand the anatomy is important for moving forward,” she said. “Matching the colour and texture of hair and skin, following the sweep and curves of muscle, bone and fat, and capturing facial expressions all require deep and careful technique.”

Attempting to meet that challenge also requires students to develop a keen eye, patience and an artistic detachment from their subjects, Wood added.

“That’s why studies of the human form, and especially nudes, have been so well represented across the entire history of art. Nudes are important in every medium and every style, going back thousands of years,” she said. “This exercise connects students today to that lineage and helps bring them into that continuing community of artists.”

One BU employee, who asked not to be named, said she appreciated the experience of posing nude when she was a student.

“It was a great experience. It’s not sexual and you know that you’re helping students learn significant fundamentals of drawing,” she said, “Students don’t care about your body — they are there simply to learn to draw.”

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