A Typical Day of Modeling

Hi everyone!

It's Saturday, which means that the weekend is finally here!  I don't know about you, but this past week has been pretty busy for me.  Between the time shift from Daylight Savings Time, working other jobs, and going to different modeling sessions, I'm happy to have some time to myself to relax and recuperate.  And to write another blog entry, of course.  ;)

Today I want to take some time and answer a question that a lot of people have been asking me lately:

What's a typical day of art modeling like?

I had considered answering this in another Q&A, but I quickly realized that this topic deserved a post of its own.  So, I’m going to do my best to tell you all what a modeling session is like in detail.

I feel like every time I try to answer a question about my job as an art model, my response always starts with the words “it depends.”  This might seem like a cop out, but it’s the truth.  A lot of what happens in regards to my job depends on a variety of factors, such as where I'm modeling, what kind of class it's for, what the instructor wants, etc.  Every class is unique, with different objectives and demands.  However, the following is what tends to happen in most of my sessions:

When I have a modeling session, I always try to get to where I need to be about fifteen to twenty minutes before the class begins.  This gives me plenty of time to get changed and to find the classroom I need to be in.  Once I'm situated, I like to introduce myself to the instructor and ask if they want me to do anything specific for the class.  Some will have a very clear idea of poses, such as something where the body's tilted, something that elongates the body, etc.  Other times, instructors will direct the models to be creative and do whatever's best for them and their bodies.

Once it's time to begin, I start off with a series of short poses, usually about a minute to two minutes long.  This is always my favorite part of a session, because it allows me to be creative and dynamic while warming my body up for the longer poses I'll do at the end of class.  I'll do this for about twenty minutes before I get my first break.

Speaking of which, I think it's important to mention that art models do get breaks in their sessions.  As much as I wish I could stand perfectly still for three hours with my arms up over my head...yeah.  Not possible.  Models typically get breaks every twenty to thirty minutes in an art class.  Granted, they are short breaks, only about five minutes each.  However, when you've been holding still for an extended period of time, getting to move for even just a little bit feels great.

When I get back on the stand, I'll start doing some longer poses, usually about five to ten minutes each.  These poses aren't as dynamic as the shorter ones, but are still visually interesting.  This tends to be where I really try to pay attention to how my body's feeling, because I know twenty minutes poses aren't too far off.  This is also the part of class where I start to play the mind games I mentioned in my last post.  Hey, a girl's gotta kill time somehow!

The last part of class concludes with twenty minute poses.  It's important that the poses I choose from here on out are comfortable, because there's nothing worse than holding a pose that creates a significant amount of discomfort.  Case in point: I made the mistake of sitting down in an awkward angle in one of my first sessions.  The result was a tight, shooting pain in my lower back for the next three days.  At some point, the instructor will ask me to hold one of these poses for the rest of the class.  When this happens, they'll start marking out where my body is with pieces of tape.  This helps remind me of how to re-position myself after my last few breaks, and helps the students recapture the pose in their work.  I'll do this until the end of class, and then I'll thank the instructor and students for their time. 

And there you have it. A typical day of posing, summarized and sufficient for your reading pleasure (at least I hope so.)  Be on the lookout for a new post on Wednesday, and don't hesitate to keep your questions coming!  I always love hearing from my readers, and thanks again for stopping by.  :)

See you soon!