What sort of person would stand naked and still for hours, often in agony? Nude models talk about how tough yet life-changing the work can be, even when posing for hen parties
The first time Dominic Blake took his clothes off in front of an art class was, as you might imagine, a daunting experience. “I was still wearing my gown,” he says, “and I had beads of sweat pouring down my face. There were about 40 people and I was looking at the doors and windows for escape routes.”
If you have an image of what a life model might be like – someone with a toned physique, perhaps, and an exhibitionist streak – then think again. “At the time I had the most negative attitudes about how I looked,” says Blake, 40, seated in the Royal Academy’s life drawing room where he often works. “And those attitudes crippled me. I didn’t have the normal experiences people usually have growing up. I didn’t have a girlfriend until I was in my mid-20s.”
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KyCuIM
