Here’s What It's Like to Be a Figure Drawing Model

Photos by Andrew Johnson

Nora McKeown

Figure drawing model Ashley Eastman was nervous the first time she dropped her robe for a group of artists. She's been modeling for about 15 years now, but says she still gets a little apprehensive with each new group.

“Because removing one’s clothing has a bizarre premise of being sexy or sexual, it’s important that that be eliminated in a setting, such as a drawing class, that includes nudity but is not about sex,” Eastman says. “That’s why models undress in a separate space, put on a robe, and enter the drawing session in their robe.”

Nude models of various body types come to sessions and give artists the chance to explore beauty and expression through different figures.

Eastman models for the figure drawing group at The Dairy Barn Arts Center that meets every Tuesday. Coordinator Gary Coombs says he works hard to create an accepting, comfortable and respectful environment for the models.

The artists who attend the sessions come from a variety of backgrounds and artistic abilities, and Coombs says they're there to challenge themselves and create art out of appreciation for the human body.

The artists each have unique styles and bring their own supplies to the class, such as graphite or watercolor.

Eastman says she's only seen a few of the drawings of herself, and while she is admittedly self-conscious at times, she recognizes the artists may also feel anxious about their work.

“I know in the class, they are so concerned about the drawing … and they're trying to get all the measurements right,” Eastman says.

Coombs says models of various body types and ages come to the meetings and the artists enjoy drawing the beauty of all their different figures.

“You come to appreciate every model’s body for what unique attributes they give you to draw," he says. “If someone's very thin, maybe you're getting a little bit more of the bone structure. If someone's a little bit heavier, you get more of the curvature, shadowing and shading ... So, that's what's fun, getting to say, 'How am I going to take on this challenge?’”

Local art center, The Dairy Barn, hosts the community figure drawing group each Tuesday evening.

Artists who attend the sessions come from a variety of backgrounds, but share a desire to create art from the human body.

The session coordinator works to create an open and accepting environment for models and attendees.