Who Can Be An Art Model?

Hi everyone!

I know I'm usually the one asking for questions on here, but today, I have a question for you. 

When you hear the word "model," what do you think of?  Chances are you probably picture a tall, slender, and attractive female, ideally someone who could be in a Victoria's Secret ad or on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Or maybe you think of someone like David Beckham, a chiseled and athletic man with perfect features to match.  The one-in-a-million, insanely attractive people, so to speak.

For a long time, this is what I thought all models had to look like. I'd also be lying if I said this thought didn't make me question whether or not I could even be an art model.  But now that I've done consistent art modeling work, I'm happy to say that my perspective has completely changed.  Which is why the topic for today's post is:

Who can be an art model? 

Admittedly, I don't get asked this question a lot, but I think it's one worth answering.  The short answer is anyone can be an art model.  That's right, folks.  Anyone, regardless of gender, skin color, height, and/or weight, can be an art model.  Don’t believe me?  Let me give you some examples:

DISCLAIMER: The following examples contain paintings with nudity, and are NSFW.

#1: Victorine Meurent

Édouard Manet chose French model Victorine Meurent to be subject of one of his most famous works, “Olympia.”  Meurent was born in 1844, and began art modeling at the age of sixteen.  She eventually went on to become an accomplished artist herself while simultaneously serving as a muse for other works by Manet.  Meurent was known for her red hair and short stature (it was said that she was nicknamed “The Shrimp.) A short, red haired art model?  Sounds familiar... ;)

#2: Gala Diakonova

Muse of Salvador Dalí, model Gala Diakonova captured the Spanish painter’s heart the moment he laid eyes on here.  Despite the fact that she was ten years his senior and married to another man when  they met, Diakonova eventually became Dalí’s wife.  During the forty-eight years they were married, Diakonova was often the subject of Dalí’s works.  She was typically portrayed as a sensual goddess in his works, even through her advancing years.

#3: Helga Testorf

To say that painter Andrew Wyeth was enamoured by Helga Testorf is a gross understatement.  Testorf served as Wyeth's artist muse for fifteen years, during which he painted over two hundred portraits of her now known as "The Helga Pictures."  Wyeth admitted that he was drawn to her strong German features, such as her robust figure and blonde hair, which are frequently captured in his works.

So there you have it.  Three very different art models, all interesting and inspiring in their own ways.  That's truly one of the great things about art modeling; you don’t have to look a specific way in order to do it.  Artists learn to draw people of all shapes and sizes, all of whom bring something unique and exciting to the table (or model stand, rather.)

That being said, it’s important to note that no matter what an art model looks like, there is one thing all art models must have in common:

You have to be healthy in order to be an art model

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Being an art model is a very physically and mentally demanding job.  No matter what body type you have, you have to be in good health in order to do this job well.  That's not to say that you have to hit the gym whenever you have free time or eat nothing but fruits and vegetables.  (In fact, I think that sometimes does more harm than good in this line of work.)  But you definitely have to take of yourself.

What's the best way to do this?  The answer is different for everyone.  Health can come in a variety of forms, and it's up to model to figure out how best to manage their personal well being.  It's not always easy, to say the least.  But I will say that learning how to take care of yourself in order to improve your work continues to be one of the best parts about my job.  It makes me stronger (in all senses of the word) and happy to be in this line of work.

That's it for today!  If you're interested in reading more about the models I've mentioned in this post, here's a link that'll do just that:

http://flavorwire.com/146357/the-10-most-influential-artists-muses

I'll see you all on Saturday for another entry of "Model Behavoir."  Thanks again for stopping by, and as always...

See you soon!