Figure drawing is a widely used form of art education.
Figure drawing is a widely used form of education for art students. According to about.com, it has been for centuries (See Reference 1). Most schools offer figure drawing, but many of them have trouble getting people to model. You can be paid to be a model. It is relatively lucrative because it requires you to be completely nude most of the time. A good model needs to learn pose correctly for the students. Anyone can do this with a little preparation.
Instructions
1. Contact the instructor of the class and ask if you need to bring anything particular. The teacher may need you to bring something special or wear an accessory. They may want your hair to look a certain way or they may even want you to wear makeup.
2. Drink water the day before you're going to model. Although this may seem silly, figure model classes can be a few hours long, and you'll be posing almost the entire time, possibly in one pose. It's important that your muscles do not cramp during your poses, and water prevents this. The students will have trouble drawing someone who is constantly moving to relieve a cramp.
3. Practice in the mirror before the lesson. Find poses that give you a lot of lines, such as placing your hands on your hips or across your body. You can cross your legs if you know you will be sitting when you pose. This is important because students will need to draw lines of different directions.
4. Model in poses that seem natural, but with some interest. For example, instead of keeping your arms by your sides, create some angles and place your hands on your hips. Be careful not to put your arms above your head if you know you're going to be in the same position for more than an hour, because your arms will fall asleep. While you're modeling, do not move too much. You can breathe noticeably, but make no other movements.
5. Do not be embarrassed by being naked in front of such a large group. Art students will not be focused on you as a whole, but on the lines and shading of your body. They will be too focused on their task to look at you as a person (See Reference 1).
