Models sought to pose nude for Brandon University art class

Talk about a job with no dress code.

A Brandon University art professor is looking for people willing to post nude for students in her Figure Drawing classes — helping students with an essential part of their education.

About four models are needed for the class, said Lisa Wood, an Associate Professor in the university’s IshKaabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg Department of Visual Art. She’s offering $25 per hour to willing models, and is especially looking for gender diversity. The class runs Thursday afternoons from 2–5 p.m.

Models can expect a professional, welcoming and safe atmosphere of learning, she said, adding that before anyone poses, she gives them a personal overview of the process, which includes an introduction to the space and guidelines for the modelling experience.

Students and instructors are always respectful and very grateful to the models, as the human body is a difficult technical challenge for artists. Learning to accurately represent the human form includes both practical and thematic aspects for developing artists.

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

“In Figure Drawing the emphasis is on capturing the human form and learning about the anatomical structure of the body,” Wood said. “It is important to work from the nude figure as the students can really see the underlying forms that make up the body, whereas clothing often hides or obscures things.

Figure Drawing 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 in 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.”

Aside from its artistic value, people who are doing the modelling can take a lot from the experience as well. Not only is it a physical challenge to pose as still as possible for an extended period of time, it can also be a mental challenge to do so without the distraction of a smartphone or book. Doing that while nude in a roomful of strangers adds to the challenge, giving many models a sense of pride and accomplishment for successfully pushing the boundaries of their comfort zones.

One BU employee, who asked not to be named, said that she appreciated the experience of posing nude, which she did 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, adding that bringing a friend helped her get over some initial nerves. “Students don’t care about your body — they are there simply to learn to draw.”

Anyone interested in learning more can contact Lisa Wood at WoodL@BrandonU.ca or 204-727-7332.

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