Figure Drawing: Week 23

HEY GUYS WE’RE BACK IN ACTION WITH A PLUS-SIZE MODEL YEAHHHHHHHH I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS!

.. that is, I was until she turned out to be total asshole lmao what a thoroughly unpleasant person. She kept getting vocally agitated over phone use, and I don’t mean being understandably angry at people taking photos of her (which doesn’t happen), I mean the timer starting and a person quickly finishing what they were doing and putting their phone away. That kinda thing. ANYWAY LET’S BEGIN ANYWAY I’LL COMPLAIN ABOUT IT DURING COMMENTARY

Here are the 1s and 2s. I was giddy at this time because as I mentioned before, haven’t actually done a plus-sized model before. Anything new is interesting! The human body is interesting!!

A recent habit I’ve made regarding life drawing is that inbetween breaks, I take a picture of what I’ve drawn and then write a blurb about it, that way my feelings are fresh in my head. For a long time before that, I’d put off commentary over these drawings until Souppy is nagging me about the Patreon buffer ending. My commentary used to be THAT last minute. It hasn’t been for a while, and I feel that’s benefited these posts.

Which leads me to the 5s. The model had a go at me even though I was literally putting my phone on airplane mode in the PROCESS of putting it away which I always do, and have been wrestling with its slowness all day. So taking a few seconds longer got her to notice and get angry. It was a shock, I obviously quietly complied but I was mad.

Like, what I was doing with my phone was literally writing commentary about the session?? I was using my phone……. for the class???? I wasn’t on Facebook or fucking around on twitter, the 5min break doesn’t allow that if I’m writing commentary on what I’ve been doing.

So by this point I was pretty frustrated. And also terribly paranoid because now my anxiety was through the roof - should I never write commentary again? Should I leave it for when I get home? Should I go back to the previous method of commentary even though that wasn’t ideal? Am I even allowed to take a photo of my drawing during the break? Will she have a go at me for that? I don’t want to make anyone else angry with me, what can I do??

It didn’t help that the instructor at one point implied if people wanted to use their phones during the break they should do it out of sight at the entrance of the building to placate the model? Is this a new rule??????? “During the break”?! You mean the 5-minute break? Is the model anti-phone for the entire three hours??? What the fuck???? Should I be this way from now on even though this is the first model who has given an attitude about this??

This is why the 5s look a little messy with splotches around. I was terrified of using my phone during the break, even if it was to take a picture of my board. I love taking a photo during the breaks because once you turn the page, and because I use both sides of the paper when drawing, charcoal will inevitably mess up the paper. So the best time to take a photo is right when the break starts. I am now under the impression I can’t do that, and I don’t want to get yelled at again for having my phone visible.

Also during one of the 5s, someone’s phone started ringing in his backpack, which made me cringe. The model was all “what was THAT?? A freaken earthquake?” in this not-very-jokey tone and the guy floundered as he turned it off.

The instructor always says that if your phone rings, it’s a $5 fine. Which I mean, fair enough, because you SHOULD put your phone on silent/airplane mode, and it makes the ringing not be a common occurrence. The guy was not really receptive to doing that when the instructor approached him and mentioned that, so she acted like it was a jovial jokey thing that she might enforce more in the future, and moved on lol

Really freaken awkward experience all-around

This is why the 10s here also look a little messy with some charcoal residue

Note that during this drawing the model had a go at someone else, because she happened to be using her phone ten seconds after the session began again. I was livid by this time, full-on angry.

After the first 20, there’s a 20 minute break. I used that opportunity to take photos of the 5s and the 10s and the 20 once I saw the model walk off in the opposite direction. I ended up thinking that during the 5-minute breaks, I take a photo of my board while she isn’t looking, and quickly shove my phone back into my bag. In a sorta “fuck you” kinda way, I’ll use any opportunity to at least get a photo in. I want the drawings to look good and not be messed up by charcoal residue!

It’s funny because I did notice people using their phones during the break, so I assume the instructor misspoke earlier? I figure she meant the phones shouldn’t be remotely visible while the model is modeling. The model didn’t have a go at anyone during the breaks.

Here’s the 5 2s and 2 5s. It’s funny, by this time the instructor was stressing to hide your phones as soon as the session started again lol

First 20. Sorry to keep going on about the phone drama, but this time she model called out the INSTRUCTOR. The session started again as the instructor was trying to get in contact with a model scheduled for the next day and she explained that, and the model was all “I bet you are” or some shit. One of the regulars made a joke that the instructor now has to pay $5 because the instructor was hoping to call the model she was trying to get in contact with. The instructor ended up going outside to call.

Which to me was so freaken offensive. This 82 year old instructor woman having to walk out into the absolute winter cold to make a call to what is essentially HER JOB, the job PAYING for this phone-hating model to be here. She’s called people before during sessions with other models, with absolutely no problem.

Which takes us to the final 20min drawing, after a session fully ends people do a clap for the model and I freaken didn’t lmao

This was the worst experience I’ve had in this drawing class, and has genuinely got me reconsidering going back, or at least finding another venue to go to :\ she had a go at multiple people, including the instructor???

And for what?? Just some lackluster samey poses. The model would spend every break trying to make a really intricate background for her to sit in front of, so it was clear she was taking this all super goddamn seriously like some freaken primadonna. Maybe focus less on the backgrounds nobody is going to draw and focus more on not making Generic Sitting Pose #30 you cranky shit

Anyway that’s that, sorry for the negative post. Hopefully I’ll feel better next week.