Okay, so I’m in an intro to art course, and we spend most of our time drawing fruit and school supplies and things like that. We’ve had a substitute professor for the last few weeks, since our normal prof is out on medical leave. Anyways, we come into class today, and this sub tells us, “We’re going to be drawing a model today.” And this skinny bald guy flies in and strips down and strikes a pose on a stage. I don’t even know why, but I FREAKED. I was so nervous I was shaking. I was raised in this really religious family, and I’d never even seen a guy naked before, let alone posing three feet in front of my face. I couldn’t get over it, and it sure didn’t help that the prof kept standing over my shoulder, telling me how to draw different body parts. I am so embarrassed by my immature reaction to this! I’m usually pretty composed, and I know this shouldn’t have been anything to be flustered about. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I can’t be the only one who broke down. (Gosh, I hope nobody in the class noticed…)
It is okay. It doesn’t really matter if anyone noticed or not. You were not prepared for this kind of assignment and were shocked. In a few days you are likely to be over your shock and be able to accept it as a drawing subject. Don’t worry. You feel what you feel.
OP, it is an understandable reaction if this happened out of the blue, and it was the first time, and if you were raised in a religious family. S is an artist and at art school started drawing figures at a young age. It was really, really weird to us as parents. Except that I took an art class in my own college days. Our teacher told us from the beginning that the class would culminate with our last project, a figure. No one opted out but they were told ahead of time. It was strange to me the whole thing but amazing bc the work that we did was phenomenal. If you had been a bit more prepared it would have helped. Maybe bc it is a substitute there was not enough advance notice.
It quickly became apparent to me watching S advance so quickly once he started figures that there is a reason the human form is the best teaching technique. It’s the same reason S came home from the Met as a kid one winter day and instead of making a snowman sculpted a Greco-Roman torso in the backyard. The human body actually teaches you. Working with the figure teaches you to become an artist.
Don’t be upset with yourself OP. If you love art, keep at it. Figure drawing is not the only way to learn but it is worth trying.
That’s really bizarre that they didn’t warn you ahead of time and it’s totally natural to be caught off guard.
My then-boyfriend, now-spouse did nude modeling in college for art students. Lots of students had a really hard time looking at him, especially in the lower level classes where students were less likely to have encountered this before. It’s totally normal and understandable.
I even remember walking around campus with him and seeing a few people blush when they realized he was their nude model lol
I’m pretty sure you weren’t the only one. Lots of people would’ve had that reaction. I’m one of them, and I wasn’t raised in a religious family! That’s crazy, though, how the sub sprung that on you.