When we speak about nude models, most people think of magazines like Playboy that feature nude pictures of hot models.
However, this is not the only thing the models do.
Posing seductively with steamy expressions in a photoshoot is just a small part of their job.
These nude models sometimes pose for the artists who take an interest in sketching, painting or creating any form of art.
Also, sometimes you would see them posing for photographs that are usually displayed at an art gallery or exhibition.
Often, these models take up any assignment related to nude photography because a single kind of work is not enough for them to keep busy throughout the year.
Therefore, these models generally work on a contract basis with agencies who give enough work for a year. In return, models have to pay a small part of their earnings to these agencies as commission.
Art teachers of fine art colleges or universities also hire these models. Here, they become a subject for the students who are keen on sketching down all the nuances and details of the human body.
Some people might think of becoming a nude art model as getting paid for just sitting without clothes, seems to be fun. However, it is not an easy task. There are various other qualities and skills that a nude art model should possess that we will be looking at in the later sections.
Today, we will provide you with numerous tips and details required to become a successful nude art model. We will also cover the essential concepts that one must understand for getting hired as a nude model. So, let's jump on to these ideas without wasting any time!
Understand the requirements first
A nude art model is not necessarily a typical hot-looking, gorgeous or handsome model who poses for the leading adult magazines. Nude art covers all the types of the human body, including different races, ethnicities, hair colors, body shapes, sizes, etc.
Therefore, you do not need to be slim and suave for becoming a nude model. Models who have something unique in their bodies are usually preferred more than those who have regular fit bodies for nude art photography or drawing assignments.
We can also find them in anatomical lectures of the colleges where the students study the finer nuances of a human body.
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Getting Comfortable with one's own body
Before even dreaming of becoming a nude model artist, you need to get comfortable with your own body as much as you can. Some models try to hide their bodies, or they will try to show only the parts that they do not mind flaunting.
Moreover, posing nude in front of an artist or group of students is a daunting task. You can easily get embarrassed or feel conscious while doing so. To become the best nude art model, you must be confident enough to strike different kinds of poses and give various types of expressions with ease.
You must be bold enough to interact with different people, like model agencies, artists, art teachers, etc. Some of them might seem to be vulgar or mean, whereas some people might come across as rude or unprofessional. Therefore, you must be smart enough to deal with such kinds of people.
You must know how to flaunt body parts beautifully without looking vulgar or seductive.
Some photographers might ask you to give expressions while some preferred plain or expressionless faces.
So, you need to adjust your face accordingly.
Blushing, making faces, unnecessarily smiling while giving a pose, etc. are not expected from a professional model.
Therefore, you must avoid unprofessional behavior if you want to become a successful nude art model.
Never show any tantrums at work because the artists or students might not like to work with you again after such an incident.
These are the various behavioural characteristics that one must possess, which will hamper your professional career.
Educational background
One does not need to be highly qualified to become a nude art model. A diploma course or even a high school certificate would be enough to get nude art or nude photography assignments.
A good physique, unusual features and bodily characteristics, charming persona, and professional attitude are more than enough to find a decent amount of work. Also, the ideal height and weight required for posing in magazines.
People with short height or excessive weight can also become nude art models for those artists or photographers who are interested in drawing or clicking nude pictures of different kinds of people.
However, aspiring models can enroll in the courses offered by the modeling schools and agencies. They help the models by building their confidence and make them comfortable while posing naked in front of a camera or artist.
Not just, they train you to give different kinds of facial expressions smoothly, but also they teach you how to create your portfolio.
This will helps you to earn more contracts and assignments. Apart from that, you will learn to prepare your composite card there. These composite cards and modeling portfolios serve as marketing tools for the nude art models and help them to reach people and professional groups more easily.
Should you work through an agency?
Numerous models who pose for nude art and photography assignments work under an agency during the initial phase of their careers. Because at that point, they do not know how to approach professional artists, art colleges, and related groups.
These agencies charge a small fee for every assignment from the models. In return, they provide enough work to cover their expenses. Therefore, it is not a bad deal at all, especially for the newcomers. However, many models manage to find work on their own.
Social media and networking apps are proving to be excellent platforms for budding models.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, etc. are now trending these days. Therefore, both newcomers and established nude art models have created their professional page to gain more opportunities and exposure.
Even the established models upload posts of their upcoming assignments, current assignments, some behind the scenes photos, etc. to attract both fans and professionals. Some models manage to get huge contracts from corporate companies or famous artists with the help of social media networking.
So, these are good ways through which models can have a successful career.
Is it essential for a professional nude art model to draft a resume?
Most artists and professional groups will not ask for resumes from nude art models. However, some might ask for a resume for record purposes. Therefore, it is always a good idea to make a detailed resume about your details, your educational background, professional information, and experience.
Some models even attach a resume with their portfolio to balance it with enough information.
Video: How to Format a Moddel Resume
It is important to know each other before engaging in any profession. A resume will give some insights to an artist or photographer about your behaviour, hobby, and many other personal traits. Furthermore, it seems to be more trustworthy and professional.
You can also mention other activities or hobbies in your resume. Some models also mention about their school activities and things that made them choose nude modeling as a profession.
How can nude art models find work by themselves?
If you do not prefer working with an agency, then you need to procure ideas before jumping into this profession. The work will not start flowing automatically towards you in the starting. Here are some tips and ideas that might help you to find work:
Find all the nearby art schools, colleges, and universities. Check whether they are hiring models for nude art or not. You can also go through their websites to get some useful information about the teachers who are looking to work with nude art models.
You can even contact the teachers directly if you do not find any useful information on their website. Some instructors or art teachers tend to choose the models by themselves. So, contacting them directly with a detailed portfolio, or composite card would prove to be a smart idea.
Many photographers hire models who are comfortable doing nude photography. These photographers either have their website, or you can reach them through third-party sites that bring photographers and nude art models on the same platform.
Once you start connecting with artists and photographers online, you will slowly figure out how the industry works. However, you might have to meet them in person before getting actual works and assignments.
Video: How do I Find Nude Model Jobs?
Therefore, be prepared to meet them in their studios or at some other place like a coffee shop or restaurant. Avoid meeting artists and photographers in their home since it is not considered to be a healthy sign for a professional.
Classified ad sites often post the requirements of nude models. Therefore, you should check them regularly to find work near your hometown or in any other comfortable location. We recommend you to work with artists who engage in nude modeling in private settings at first.
Because might be you will not be comfortable in front of too many people, especially during the initial phase of your career.
After getting sufficient exposure in the field, you will begin to understand the finer nuances of the work. Once you are confident about yourself and your body, you can begin performing in art schools or in front of hundreds of people.
We recommend you to discuss all the details about your fees and payment procedure with the artist or photographer in the first meeting itself.
Also, it is advisable to keep some advance with you. Nude photography usually requires a few minutes to half-an-hour, whereas nude art might take a couple of hours as well. Therefore, they demand fees according to the schedule and duration.
In prior, you should always discuss things such as the break schedule, the number of poses, length of the poses, etc. upfront to avoid confusion later on. It will help you to get mentally prepared before every session.
Do not forget to charge on an hourly basis for paintings and drawings, whereas you will get paid for each pose and photo you do for nude photography.
Different Types of Poses
A model has to strike different poses, especially while posing for nude photography. However, he/she needs to sit or stand in one position for many hours while posing for nude art.
It is not easy to maintain a particular body posture and expression for hours without moving or relaxing. Therefore, we can say that a nude art model requires much more patience and skills than a regular model.
You will have to endure a wide range of poses to become a professional nude model. These poses can be in standing, sitting, sleeping, or in a reclining position as well. Semi-reclining postures are also required, especially during nude photography sessions.
Standing position includes numerous poses in which you are not allowed to take any support of the things around you.
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Sometimes, you need to hold a prop while posing in a standing position. Standing during nude art sessions requires much more grit and stamina, as standing for long hours is not a joke. It requires immense patience, as well.
Sitting and reclining positions are more convenient than standing ones. However, semi-reclining positions are a bit tough as the models need to take the support of their stomach while lifting their chest above the ground.
These are some of the most common poses, but a nude model has to pose many more poses that are difficult and require much more patience. Therefore, joining a modeling school is not a bad idea as they train you to master different types of poses and facial expressions.
Avoid locking knees while you are posing in a standing position. Standing still for an extended period without moving the feet and legs can result in a lockdown that can make you fall or cause severe knee pain.
To prevent locking of knees, try to move your knees slightly by using the arch of your feet. Models can engage in different kinds of yoga postures to make their body flexible and strong.
How to work on expressions?
Expressions are vital, especially during a nude photography session. Also, a model must know how to use different body parts and how to point them at a particular angle to accentuate the expression of the face. Everything from the feet to the eyes needs to be expressive.
Some things can be learned only with experience, and therefore, joining a modeling school or agency is a must to learn the art of giving different kinds of expressions. Moreover, just giving expression is not enough, as maintaining them for a long time is an important aspect.
Therefore, the models must learn how to manage their gaze, smile, pout, or any other facial expression for an extended period without losing patience. Many types of facial exercises can help you to train your facial muscles.
Video: The Secrets to Decoding Facial Expressions
How to maintain poses for a long time?
An artist or photographer might ask you to hold your position for a couple of minutes. These poses are known as gestures. Maintaining your body and expression still for a couple of minutes is not a difficult task for an aspiring model.
However, the real test starts when the artist asks you to hold your pose for more than 10 minutes. Short intervals are given in between so that you can gather your core strength and stamina for a different pose.
Modeling classes first start with gesture poses, and gradually they ask you to hold your positions for more extended periods. Slowly, you will learn how to keep your body in a particular position without hurting or cramping your muscles.
Holding the body and expression for a long time requires physical strength, but your mind also plays a crucial role in it. People who tend to give up easily will find it much harder to hold a pose as their minds are not trained to bear too much pressure.
A model's ability is tested when he/she told to hold her position for a couple of hours. It requires a great balance of mind and body to complete such a task. However, it is not impossible as many nude art models have the skill of maintaining their poses and expressions for several hours.
Also, if a model gets uncomfortable while holding a particular pose, she can ask someone to mark their position with the help of a tape. Therefore, it will not be the end of the world if you ask for help at that time.
What things should a nude art model carry in his/her bag?
A nude art model needs to carry many things in his/her bag. The first and foremost thing required is a robe, which you can wear at intervals.
It is a good idea to carry a robe in your bag because it will not look good to ask a photographer or artist for a robe. Do not forget to bring a pair of towels and a blanket, especially if you have been booked for a long session.
You also need to bring a pair of flip-flops or slippers, in case you feel like walking during the intervals.
Shoes and heavy sandals will waste your time, and therefore, slippers will be the right choice. Striking poses and maintaining them over several minutes or hours requires a considerable amount of energy. So, carry a water bottle and some snacks along with you.
Always carry something that will give full of energy and strength to you.
Chocolates having nuts, healthy salads, and even fruits can be the right choice for a quick snack. Moreover, do not forget to carry a diary and pen, in case you want to note down anything important, for example, the details about a future session.
How to groom your body before a session?
As a nude art model, you need to keep your body clean and fresh every time as it is one of the necessary aspects. Looking natural is equally important, and therefore, please do not use much makeup unless the artist asks you to do so.
Also, flaunting a simple hairstyle would be enough unless the artist invites you to do your hair uniquely.
If your skin is dry and sensitive, then you will have to apply some body lotion as too much exposure to light and air might make you feel uncomfortable while giving nude poses. So, it is advisable to carry a body lotion or moisturizer in your bag if the session is longer than usual.
Do not wear any accessories such as watches, jewellery, etc. unless the artist asks you to do so. Also, wearing heavy dresses before the session is not at all recommended as it might make you sweat a lot, which is not an ideal thing to do before a meeting.
Unacceptable Behavior Patterns (from an artist / photographer in the workplace):
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We recommend nude art models to voice against the red flags immediately as their silence can be taken in the wrong sense. The environment of the workplace should also be discussed before fixing a deal to avoid confusion later on.
For example, in a classroom session, the models might face a lot of disturbances while student’s talking to each other. So, everything should be clear in prior. If this distracts you or if you do not feel comfortable in such an environment, then it is better to back off from the project.
If models are posing nude in front of a class, then the teacher must ensure that the students do not carry a cell phone inside the classroom. The students can misuse the pictures of the model and can share it on social media. This kind of thing is strictly prohibited.
You cannot expect the students to draw correctly in the art schools or even colleges. However, the students cannot bring something objectionable and show it to the model. Also, the instructor or teacher must maintain the dignity of the class.
Final Verdict
These are some of the ideas and tips that aspiring models can follow to become a nude art model.
However, there is no perfect roadmap that will make you a successful nude art model as the journeys differ from person to person. Some people tend to learn only from their experiences, but they must be aware of things, they might have to face in this profession.