Andrew Wyeth created a series of 240 paintings and drawings of his German neighbor, Helga Testorf. Picasso painted photographer and poet, Dora Maar, repeatedly during their nine year love affair. Modern day oil painter, Jeremy Lipking, frequently uses his wife, Danielle, as a model. So why would we return to the same subject again and again? It may be partially about convenience. It is sometimes about love or lust. However, a certain type of magic happens when we truly begin to see and understand a specific model. When we repeat subject matter, it frees the artist and allows us to simply focus on skill and process. Rather than comparing beauty from one model to the next, design and concept becomes the highlight within a body of artwork.
In Greek mythology, the muses were the children of gods who inspired and embodied the arts. For figurative artists, our “muses” are the models who bring that certain beauty and energy to the artwork. We share a friendly rapport and they often surprise us with a thoughtful expression, the perfect costume piece, or holding the hardest poses for hours.
So how do we find, and keep, our muse? Here’s your checklist:
“Quiet Fire” By Kirsten Savage
Don’t be creepy. Most people will not respond to a stranger’s request to model. There are better resources found within your community. Local art colleges or universities may allow you to advertise a job posting on their message boards or websites. Ask other artists if they will share their contacts. Seek out friends of friends. Avoid Craigslist- there are a lot of weirdoes out there. If you want costumed models, talk with the administrators at dance studios and theaters.
Pay well. Modeling is harder than it looks. Prices vary city by city. Depending on where you are located, models get paid $15-$50/hour. Check with your nearest college art program to see what they pay models. That’s usually the low end of the scale. If you can’t afford to pay a model a decent hourly wage, get a couple other artists to split the fee with you and do a group session. If they have to travel far, compensate them for these expenses and tip generously.
Be clear in your expectations. How exactly do you want their hair or make-up? For clothed models, have them bring a few options. How long of a session should they expect? If it’s a group setting, let them know how many other artists will be there and ask them to show up 15 minutes before others arrive to show them around and get the pose and lighting sorted out.
Get it in writing. Example Model ReleaseHave the model clearly state and sign something that says “Artist is hereby authorized to use Model’s name and likeness in all forms and media for art sales, advertising, and any other lawful purposes.” A more detailed model waiver should also outline pricing and expectations. See an example model release for artists.
Remember that their comfort is your responsibility. Have a space heater, fan, and extra pillows on hand. Provide a comfortable, private place to change. Depending on the pose, agree on a reasonable time to take a break and set a timer to announce it. If the model looks uncomfortable, encourage mini stretch breaks and give more frequent breaks. Provide coffee- a comfortable model can easily fall asleep naked in front of a room full of strangers.
Repeat.
There has to be a mutual trust between the artist and model. They need to be comfortable and understand your vision. When that happens, all you have to worry about is finishing the painting. “Puddle Jumping” by Kirsten Savage
“Alone In Warsaw” by William Schneider OPAEspecially since the advent of good, inexpensive digital cameras, the debate about whether to use photo references has become almost sectarian. Purists admonish us to paint “only from life.” Yet the instructional art magazines regularly feature artists whose methods start and end with a photo reference. Certain subjects (squirmy kids, transient light effects, horses in motion etc.) almost demand photographs. Even great masters like Fechin and Zorn clearly used photo references for some of their paintings.
There are a host of good reasons to use photos:
They’re convenient
The light doesn’t change
You can blow up small details
You can be comfortable
There are no bugs, wind, interrupting strangers etc.
The model doesn’t move or get tired
There’s only one really good reason to work from life – it will make us much better artists.
Over time, we representational artists become skilled at rendering what we see. The problem is that even high-quality digital photos lie to us. Think of the four elements of a realistic painting: shapes (drawing or proportion), values, color temperature relationships, and edges. Three of the four are always wrong in a photo… and sometimes it’s all four.
The two or three darkest values turn into black and the lightest values become white (photographers call it “blowing out” the lights). The color temperature relationships are limited by the dyes used to make the prints or the phosphors in our computer screens. Also, the camera sees edges as equally sharp (not at all like the human eye which focuses on a sharp area in the center of our visual field surrounded by fuzzy shapes on the periphery). “Platinum” by William SchneiderEven the shapes may not be accurate. If you photograph a person six feet away, you will probably get an image of a normal-size face but legs and feet that appear tiny. In other words, the foreshortening distorts the proportions. So, if we work exclusively from photos, we become extremely proficient at painting subjects that don’t look real. We don’t even notice the errors.
When I critique portfolios at various art events I often see paintings where the shadows are black, the lights are white, all the edges are hard, and the light and the darks are the same temperature. I ask the artist, “you work mostly from photos, don’t you?” I often get the astonished reply, “how did you know?”
The pros work primarily from life: For one, it’s much easier to develop good edge control. Also, our sensitivity to nuance of color and temperature improves exponentially. We just can’t see those nuances in photos… I know; I’ve tried! Working from life, we learn to see the elusive, sparkling color in half tones. Our shadows start to have a sense of light and air in them instead of being dense, opaque blobs.
So, if you’ve decided to go the extra mile, how do you break free of the photo? The still life is easy. Just set it up and start painting. Likewise, there’s little excuse for trying to paint a landscape from a photo. If you’re nervous about going out alone, find a painting buddy or group. There are Plein Air groups in most areas now. OPA sponsors paint outs all over the country. Seek, and ye shall find. “The Mercenary” by William Schneider OPAIt’s a little more challenging to find place to paint the live model but a little digging will yield results. Local colleges or art centers may sponsor open studios. I paint with a number of groups in my area. In fact, I started hosting a group in my studio. We all chip in to pay the model. If you can’t find a group, start one. Finding models is relatively easy. Most people are flattered if you ask them to sit for you. There are even model websites.
Once we start to see the benefits in our work, we want more. The little bit of extra effort to paint from life, pays off tenfold.
Happy painting!