What sort of person would stand naked and still for hours, often in agony? Nude models talk about how tough yet life-changing the work can be, even when posing for hen partiesThe first time Dominic Blake took his clothes off in front of an art class was, as you might imagine, a daunting experience. `I was still wearing my gown,` he says, `and I had beads of sweat pouring down my face. There were about 40 people and I was looking at the doors and windows for escape routes.`If you have an image of what a life model might be like - someone with a toned physique, perhaps, and an exhibitionist streak - then think again. `At the time I had the most negative attitudes about how I looked,` says Blake, 40, seated in the Royal Academyīs life drawing room where he often works. `And those attitudes crippled me. I didnīt have the normal experiences people usually have growing up. I didnīt have a girlfriend until I was in my mid-20s.` Continue reading...
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