<p>“I’ve heard that some art students particularly enjoy drawing older people because it’s easier to see the inherent beauty of both the body and spirit.”</p>
<p>In the locker room at the gym where I work out, there seems to be a positive correlation between how old and hairy a guy is, and how much time he likes to stand at a sink shaving/combing his hair/drying parts of himself with a blow dryer sans clothing or a towel. I’ve yet to see any “inherent” spirit or beauty, and they make sure everybody gets to look for those qualities from every possible angle.</p>
<p>Indeed, and because the students can give draw/paint their interpretation to what they observe, it’s far more potent than any old realist cell phone camera.</p>
<p>I know a couple of Carleton students whose student job was art model. I got the sense that they did it in part to reinvent themselves as risk-takers & free spirits. They talked very positively about it, actually, and said that after the initial discomfort it wasn’t such a big deal. Of course, this is a campus with a lot of streaking, so maybe it’s such a common sight that nobody cares!</p>
<p>I’d be a bit startled if my daughter decided to do this, because she’s both garden-variety shy and body-shy. But it’s art, not porn. I’d respect her decision.</p>
<p>The thrill of self reinvention wears off pretty quickly. It’s actually a pretty boring job. You can’t read, you can’t use your phone, and large parts of your body go numb. Especially if you end up in a painting class where you do the same pose for weeks. I liked the life gesture drawing classes better because you moved after a few minutes.</p>
<p>Back in the day (in the 70s/80s), we knew some kids who were rent-a-stippers, who took off clothes down to g-strings for rent. They often did on-campus gigs. I understand the pay was good & it was whichever gender was hired. One (attractive female) was hired to come to our law school ethics class for the prof’s B-day & it caused quite a stir–stopped her before she revealed ALL, but came close. Anotherr was hired for grad students–one male and one female. </p>
<p>Didn’t take art or know anyone who was a model or drew nudes. At this point, I can’t imagine either of my kids posing nude for anyone under any circumstances. Both are proud of their bodies but prefer them clothed. It would be their decision but I’d prefer that they not pose nude as that’s just me.</p>
<p>HImom, I know you didn’t say you thought it was OK, but being a stripper is completely beyond the pale for me. There’s no comparison to nude modeling for an art class.</p>
<p>I remember this came up in the course of conversation and a woman my age who I was talking to said she had been a nude model for art classes in college and that it paid well. She was not an artist but was from a family of artists and this did not upset her parents at all…</p>
<p>Some students may feel awkward about the nudity at first, but before long they are too busy trying to identify shapes, negative spaces, form shadows, cast shadows, proportions, etc. This is difficult to accomplish, especially within the time limits. Nudity is required to identify musculature, skeletal landmarks, etc. </p>
<p>Be serious… a classroom is not a strip club. There are professional protocols for how the model is to behave and for how the model is to be treated. </p>
<p>The Art Model’s Handbook is a good resource to explain why artists draw nudes, the structure of figure drawing classes, how to choose appropriate poses, and security concerns.</p>
<p>Eldest daughter does this at a nearby College of Art and Design, not at her own school. She makes $60/class. As a dancer, with artists among family and friends, she has no problem with this. However, she only does figure drawing classes, would never do photos and I doubt that she would model at her own school. Pity that she makes more as a model than as a tutor, teaching assistant or research assistant (other campus jobs that she has had).</p>