That Time I Tried Live Nude Sketching

I like to try a lot of things. Sige lang nang sige! is also my personal mantra. So… I was scrolling my Instagram feed when I saw the post below on Lifedrawing Setup (hosted and organized by WHOAREMARO). Without hesitating, I inquired and eventually registered. Just like that (thanks to impulsive me) I was registered to a live nude sketching workshop!

The thought of it made me really anxious. Not because of the nudity but the part that I had to draw quickly. I had none to little experience in live sketching. My last fast sketch was two years ago when I was still taking art classes. I didn’t draw bodies and my forte were portraits. Faces to be exact, not to mention it would take me hours to finish a drawing!

Should I push through with this? I tried asking my friends to come with me but no one was available. I’m an over-thinker but I’m always up for a challenge. I’m used to doing things alone anyway.*sighs* An “artist”‘s gotta to do what an artist’s gotta to do!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJHHOcIhe67/

I arrived late, which was out of my character. I headed straight to the venue from watching Ako Si Josephine. The traffic was awful and I got off my uber before the call time BUT AT THE WRONG VENUE.

Tip#1: ALWAYS double-check your Uber destination before closing your eyes to take a nap.

I arrived at Warehouse Eight at about 7:30PM and it was packed. Good thing, I found a tall stool to sit on. The male model was already at his nth pose when I started getting my groove. The first hours featured Michael and the next featured the female model Talia (if I remember their names correctly).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKdP-18gjI-/?taken-by=whoaremaro

Michael did different poses. One that stood out was the “Spiderman pose,” which I overheard from someone whispering behind me. I didn’t bother to draw his body then since I expected the pose to change anytime soon (because nakakangalay kaya!). I just focused on sketching the model’s face. LOL.

Tip#2: Manage your time well.

Since I was late, I wasn’t sure if the event had house rules. Just to be safe, I did not take pictures of the model. I just focused on the task at hand: sketching. I thought I did a fair job. Don’t ‘ya think? HAHA.

My art teacher would get mad at me for not remembering how to draw the human body. HAHA. I just followed the lines and curves. I shaded the parts the light didn’t touch. That’s usually how I draw.

Tip#3: Forget the figure you’re sketching. Get lost inside your imagination, and transform the figure into a set of lines, shadows and highlights.

For the female model, I learned my lesson. I decided to draw at a smaller scale. It’s easier and faster. Talia was doing DIFFICULT yoga poses and holding them for a long while like it’s nothing.

Tip#4: Just draw. Don’t stop.

The event was sponsored by Bombay Sapphire and during the break, I got a free cocktail since I was wearing black. The Life Setup also invites artists to take part in a mini art fair on the side. The artists sell art materials and art prints.

Overall, I did enjoy my first experience in live nude sketching even if I was alone. If I needed to say something constructive was that I expected the people to be more quiet especially those who were not sketching. The models were already in a vulnerable position and the noise, for me, was not helping them as well as the artists. Just my two cents. Then again, I should’ve expected that since Life Setup is also a party. Can’t wait for the next one!

Would you try or have you ever tried live nude sketching? Sound off in the comments below.