Be Your Own Model

This Figure Drawing course is based on how Old Masters used models. It may be a surprise but they often used themselves. Having a model pose for you is a luxury; they are expensive, not always available - you have to work around their schedule, they get tired and must take breaks; live models can be impractical if all you need is a specific angle of the face. You may think that painting your likeness in the mirror is always for making a self-portrait in a classic sense, but using yourself as a model can offer you much more. Old Masters used a mirror when they didn’t have a model. Artists paint themselves for different reasons: as a practice, as therapy, self-discovery, or personal myth-making. 

It does not have to be about you; you can paint any character using a mirror, it can be about your alter ego or imaginary character and not necessarily the same gender. 

• You’ll be introduced to less known artworks from various art movements in other countries;
• Look at how and why artists use themselves as models;
• create a work in color with yourself as reference;
• play dress up;
• choose your inspiration;
• Art examples will help you decide on the purpose of your study, who the person will be, what they’ll wear, hold in their hand, and surround themselves with;
• Learn how to utilize the model who will only take breaks when you do;
• learn how to seek visual information for any future work, be it illustration, portraiture, figurative or conceptual art. 

Appropriate for all levels; Essential Drawing Course graduates welcome. 

This project will benefit animators, illustrators, fine artists, portfolio students, cartoonists, tattoo artists.