CONQUERING LIFE DRAWING: A PERSONAL JOURNEY AT ARTERLY OBSESSED

My view of the nude life figure drawing session

(Contributed anonymously by one of our students)

In the world of art, there exists a timeless tradition that transcends generations and cultures—the practice of nude figure drawing. The human form, with its intricate lines and curves, has been a muse for artists throughout history – the earliest such record dating back to ancient Greece – capturing the essence of life in strokes of graphite and charcoal. For me, however, nude figure drawing always felt like a highly formal challenge that I, a simple hobbyist, was ill-equipped to explore.

As a youngster, I used to draw constantly, doodling over everything – even on, much to the annoyance of my mother – our home’s pink wallpaper. As many of us do, I outgrew the hobby, until, in my twenties, I decided to try to revive it – and booked a life drawing class. What better place to reawaken an ancient passion? But the experience was not what I’d imagined. Surrounded by much more accomplished artists, who sketched lifelike renderings of the nude figure in front of us in a handful of strokes, I immediately felt out of my depth. As fifteen minutes elapsed in what felt like fifteen seconds, and as everyone around me gasped and nodded at each other’s completed studies, I hastily hid from view my own poorly proportioned scribbles – even from the teacher, whom I was ashamed to make aware of my shortcomings. As the clock beat steadily on, and the model relaxed into a new pose, it was I who felt exposed, my lack of technical skill on display for all to see. It was clear that I was not suited to the fast-paced nature of this exercise – in fact, it intimidated me – and so, truth be told, I slipped out of the class during one of the breaks, feeling myself a failure. Consequently, I distanced myself from this fundamental art practice, once again allowing my passion for drawing to die.

Or, at least, to sleep.

Over the course of the COVID pandemic, with nothing else to do, I started drawing again – simple figures, cartoons – nothing serious or important but it kept me entertained in lockdown. This year, perhaps foolishly, the idea to again try a nude figure drawing class entered my mind – which was when I discovered Arterly Obsessed.

Though nervous, as I entered the doors of the unassuming studio at Upper Thomson, the warm welcome from the instructor – complete with the offer of a glass of wine – immediately put me at ease. While pop music played, and as a diverse cohort of students filed in and found their places at the already set-up easels, I took in the beautiful views from their floor-to-ceiling windows, wondering if I’d made a mistake. As the model disrobed, and talk turned to timed poses, I felt my old anxieties return; but they were quickly allayed. “But don’t worry if you miss something, or run out of time…” assured the instructor, with a smile “this is about having fun, and experimenting… No pressure.”

This was a figure sketch I did of a 10 minute pose.

Though I admit I didn’t always complete a drawing per pose, I cannot say it wasn’t because my skill-level wasn’t well accommodated. Throughout the 2 hours, and even though there were at least 8 other students, the instructors paid me careful attention, offering consistent, non-judgemental guidance, encouraging me not to dwell on mistakes, or throw away sketches I felt were below par. The gentle, intuitive teaching, relaxed setting, sense of play, and overall atmosphere contributed significantly to me overcoming my apprehensions about nude figure drawing. I even left the session with one drawing of which I felt quite proud. 

But above all, it was the accommodation of my abilities, and the empowerment of those who draw at a slower pace, that really made this life drawing session special for me.

Arterly Obsessed's commitment to building a supportive creative space for all levels has equipped me with the confidence to conquer a practice I long felt was beyond me, allowing me to reconnect not just with an ancient art practice, but my own childhood joy.