Figure drawing class encourages participation from artists of all experience and backgrounds

The Art department hosted a three-hour open figure drawing class in Kittredge Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The class featured Odie De Blume as the model. The class was open to the public, and gave both students and community members a chance to fine-tune their drawing skills.
In attendance were a Puget Sound Communication Studies major and Art minor, a former art teacher and a man who made beautiful drawings of De Blume’s poses, obviously having a sizable artistic background. About six minutes into the class, another man came in, and so did another University student near the end of the class. De Blume began with several two- to three-minute poses, most of which involved standing with her arms out. After a break, she began doing five-minute poses.
These were more relaxed, often consisting of De Blume sitting or lying down on the mattress behind her. As the poses grew to be 10 minutes long, De Blume suggested the artists “work on your shading.” But for the most part, the class involved much less teaching and allowed the artists to do what was comfortable for them. De Blume began the class by asking the participants how long they wanted her poses to be, and the posing and drawing started from there.
De Blume would go around during her breaks and ask to see everyone’s drawings, but she would not critique, only congratulate. The atmosphere was not intimidating, but instead inspiring and encouraging.
The class is open to anyone interested, and this certainly includes more than just those studying art. “In figure drawing,” De Blume said, participation is open to more than just people “going into a field pertaining to the arts.” Other subjects of study, such as architecture and biology, also relate to figure drawing, especially those concerning the human anatomy.
The class also includes people who do not attend the University of Puget Sound. The former art teacher noted that she was excited “to find out it’s open to the public,” and mentioned that “the first class I attended was over at PLU.”
Both Pacific Lutheran University and Puget Sound offer these public drawing classes. This may inspire some competition, but on the whole it seems encouraging to those wishing to refine their art skills or just find a place to draw.
“I didn’t think anyone would be here tonight, actually,” the former art teacher said, and admittedly, there were only five people attending for the sake of drawing. However, De Blume and her partner noted that “before, there were about 20 people here,” both from the local high schools and those just interested in open figure drawing. De Blume mainly led the class, mostly holding poses and taking short breaks to talk to the participants.
“I started modeling in 2008,” De Blume said, although she usually models for classes taught by professors rather than these public classes.
“The question I get asked the most is ‘how do I hold still?’” De Blume said. She also mentioned that she is “one of the only models who actually smiles.” And this appears to be true; in many of her poses, she smiles, even if the poses require standing or stretching out her arms for a while.
“It’s a matter of controlling my thoughts,” she answered. She keeps her thoughts positive, letting the smile show. Many paintings, especially those of early politicians and royalty, feature subjects with straight-lined mouths or even frowns. We see a hint of a smile on da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which is one reason why the painting is so notable.
The smile De Blume gave to the artists during those long, 15-minute poses seemed to emulate the encouraging feel the class provided, where people drew (or in my case, did not draw) at their own paces. There was little judgment about talent and experience. The open figure drawing class is just one way Puget Sound allows students from different backgrounds to come together, as well as those who are not students. As a campus, and as students, we place an importance on inclusion, on emphasizing the fact that wherever you come from, whoever you are, we include you.
Even if you sit in the back and end up taking notes on the blank paper you specifically bought at the bookstore to draw on, as long as you at least try to outline the model’s body—and I did try, to no avail—you are welcome.
The art department will hold future drawing classes on Nov. 14 and 28. The figure drawing classes are held in Kittredge Hall.