What a naturist must know to become a professional life model in the UK.

Naturism is a style of life and can become also work!

I become naturist eight years ago when I decided to start to work as a life model in London.

In the beginning, I was a bit scared to undressed and expose my naked body in the middle of a room full of unknown people but then I realize they were interested only in the shape and forms and started to relax.

From that moment I become more confident and very passionate about this profession and before the arrival of COVID I was working full time as a life model.

Anyway even if the COVID has stopped most of the work of the standard drawing classes, I am still working selling my professional videos or pictures through my website www.lauraartist68.com

What do you need to know to be a life model?

First of all, any shape, age, the colour of the skin is welcome.

The artists love the difference so do not be scared if you are obese or 80 years old!

It is a good community and you can meet very good artists that make you feel comfortable and welcome.

You increase your love for art and maybe you become an artist too.

Thanks to this work I started to paint my canvas with acrylics colours, selling them around the world or participating in art exhibitions in London, Swindon and Bristol.

Once you have decided to be a life model start to look around and send your CV with good pictures to art studios or colleges or schools.

Then when you are called for your first session, you need a bit of preparation.

I advise trying some pose in front of the mirror to see how your muscles are working and how long you can keep the pose.

Remember that you are the star of the session and the artists look for the best from you.

It would be quite embarrassing asking them to stop your pose because you can not keep the pose anymore for the pain in your neck or leg.

It is better starting with easy poses and gradually increase the power and difficulty.

The room must be warm and warm up your muscles before starting with a bit of stretching.

Cold muscles could be severely damaged and always keep an eye on the pain of your back and neck. A few life models had to stop forever for their back severely damaged due to years of wrong poses.

Try to ask what you deserve and do not feel guilty.

Often the tutor does not know you and can ask more than what you might offer.

An example

You can keep the pose also for 4 hours.

You will have some break but then that pose comes back.

So try to find one quite comfortable.

If it is a sitting pose I always ask a chair or something where I can relax my back and the heating must be enough for the whole session.

I remember it was a nightmare modelling in cold rooms and the day after I was always sick.

The head can become very heavy after a while so be careful also with the inclination of your neck.

If you are a woman and are booked for a portrait session you need to check with the tutor if with or without makeup and never forget to bring a Tampax with you if your period is not regular.

Do not eat a lot before going and try to drink only during the break. You are not allowed to go to the toilet during the session and if it happens, could be very embarrassing and annoying for the artists to be stopped by your pee.

How much is paid a life model in England?

People think London is the best place to be a life model but this is a big mistake.

I lived in the capital for 8 years and when I started I was paid £20.

But about 4 years ago this profession became very popular and everyone tried to do this profession without any clue and respect for those who were already working.

In the capital, a small group of friends started to organize low-cost drawing classes renting small rooms in pubs in south-east or east London hiring their friends, unprofessional people, and paying them 5 /8 pound less than the standard fare.

Gradually all the models were paid less and now the rate is around 12/15 pound per hour.

This is not enough for the costs of travel and the time spent to arrive at the destination in one of the largest capital in Europe.

More than once other people and i suggested in a FB group of London drawing classes to create a professional union to stop this shame but immediately the female life models, friends of the greedy organizers, attacked us trying to stop any further honest decision.

Why?

The vanity can kill a profession

Ugly, unsecured and unknown women that thanks to their friends found themselves in the centre of the attention treated like the Queens of Art are ready to kill whoever tries to block them. It is quite hilarious but can happen!

Secondly, they are not artists. They are living on benefits or have another profession. They do not want a UTR number as a professional life model should have, and therefore they want to keep the work more Unprofessional they can

it is sad all of this and honestly happy to be out from that shame of the big smoke . Just yesterday I discovered life models around Cardiff are paid £25 per hour to pose in colleges!

I just hope a nationwide union will be created to recognise the profession once forever, with artists and models paid fairly and stopping the black market of the capital

Thanks for reading