If your Catholic and your in an art program where you gotta draw artistic nudes then?

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sidetrack

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Recently I spoke to some graphic design students and they told me that as part of a like life drwing class they got to draw nude models.My hope is that after this program I finally actually follow my heart for *once in my life in an art related program so as to finally have some like inner peace in contrast to the restlessness I currently feel in my more utilitarian by ends computer related program (;-_-) .

*That’s a long story ,maybe for another time like when I can frequent here more again]

I’m guessing what would be imperative about the situation is that for me I’ve got to be extremely responsible (and discreet?) about this.For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.

Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
 
I think many professors who use nude models will announce before the class day when the nude model will be present. After which, or after class for more privacy, tell the professor that you are not comfortable drawing a nude model. They may then be kind enough to give you an alternative project to do outside of class instead of going to that particular class.

This is what my wife’s younger sister has done before. Granted, since she is female, she didn’t shy away from drawing the female nude model, but she avoided the days on which a male model was going to be present.
 
As long as your don’t view the naked woman with a sexual mindset there should be no issue. Seeing a naked woman in itself is not sinful. It’s your response to seeing it. If you go about it in an artistic and business like way, I don’t see an issue.

If you can’t control yourself then by all means avoid those days.
 
sidetrack said:
For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.
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If I read you correctly, it sounds like you’re talking about shame. I doubt they feel that kind of shame. Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes, appreciating the beauty of the human form is merely that.
Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
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I’m confused, are you saying you are in such a program? If so, and if you’re struggling, is there any way you can do an alternate assignment?
 
There is nothing at all sinful about the human nude.
The human nude is us, as God intended!

ICXC NIKA
 
GangGreen said:
As long as your don’t view the naked woman with a sexual mindset there should be no issue. Seeing a naked woman in itself is not sinful. It’s your response to seeing it. If you go about it in an artistic and business like way, I don’t see an issue.
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This.

I’ve done it. Not weird at all. I learned so much about art by staring at naked people. 😛

Seriously, though, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not in a sexual context. They assign these models for a reason: it’s the best way to learn how to draw/paint. They’ve been doing it for thousands of years, and it works.
 
You’d treat the situation the same way as if you were Catholic and enrolled in medical school and had to examine intimate parts of the body of the opposite sex. In other words, you focus on your artistic technique (which is the purpose of this exercise in sketching nudes,) and maintain an attitude of detached professionalism and objectivity.
 
  1. It’s said that professional models have a gift for letting their minds go blank, because having too busy of thoughts disturbs their pose and their looks. (I expect it’s a sort of “flow” state of contemplativeness, or like being in the shower and suddenly realizing it’s ten minutes later than you’d thought.)
Anyway, holding a pose is difficult enough without thinking of what other people are thinking. Just try holding a pose yourself, fully clothed, for longer than a few minutes. It’s an athletic accomplishment.
  1. Most of the great Renaissance artists were Catholic.
  2. If you worry about reproducing the light, you won’t worry so much about the rest.
 
sidetrack said:
Recently I spoke to some graphic design students and they told me that as part of a like life drwing class they got to draw nude models.My hope is that after this program I finally actually follow my heart for *once in my life in an art related program so as to finally have some like inner peace in contrast to the restlessness I currently feel in my more utilitarian by ends computer related program (;-_-) .

*That’s a long story ,maybe for another time like when I can frequent here more again]

I’m guessing what would be imperative about the situation is that for me I’ve got to be extremely responsible (and discreet?) about this.For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.

Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
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First, you do not say whether or not you are an art student. Secondly, how old are you? Your approach to the idea of having to draw the human figure does not sound as if it comes from someone mature.
I don’t wish to insult you, but I am a professional artist with a lengthy art school background. I received my MFA from a major University at a time (1963) when one had to do Doctoral level studies because the MFA was what was called a terminal degree.
The human figure has been depicted throughout the history of Western Art without eliciting any purient interests, except in those people with a puritanical frame of mind.
The reason one studies figure drawing in art school, is that accurately depicting the human figure, both male and female, is the most difficult of all drawing exercises. There is nothing erotic about it. In fact, when you are learning how to do it, you are so involved with determining how to do it, there is no room for erotic thoughts in your mind. And, unlike the models on comes across in erotica or pornography, most of the nude models used in figure drawing classes are not particularly attractive. They are chosen mainly because of their muscle tone, or in many cases their rolling slabs of flab!
The reason for using nudes in a figure drawing class is that there is no way an artist can depict a clothed figure without understanding human anatomy; and, the only way one can do this is by drawing the nude. If one attempts to depict a clothed figure without a thorough understanding of how a nude is depicted and how the muscles work, the end result will be clothes that look like stuffed sausages!
As for asking the professor who teaches figure drawing to excuse you from drawing nudes as someone else suggested, because of your moral beliefs, forget about it. You will be lucky if all the professor does is suggest that you find another occupation.
I would strongly suggest that if you are an art student, before you imperil your academic career that you seek out a priest at your campus Newman Center and discuss the matter with him. Then, try to schedule your art history courses before you take the course in figure drawing. By studying the work of the “Old Masters”, you will find most nudes to be non erotic.
If you still can’t handle viewing a nude in a non-erotic setting for the purpose of drawing it, then, perhaps you do not belong in the visual arts.
 
There are artistic nudes in the Sistine Chapel, overlooking the election of the Pope…
 
sidetrack said:
Recently I spoke to some graphic design students and they told me that as part of a like life drwing class they got to draw nude models.My hope is that after this program I finally actually follow my heart for *once in my life in an art related program so as to finally have some like inner peace in contrast to the restlessness I currently feel in my more utilitarian by ends computer related program (;-_-) .

*That’s a long story ,maybe for another time like when I can frequent here more again]

I’m guessing what would be imperative about the situation is that for me I’ve got to be extremely responsible (and discreet?) about this.For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.

Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
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There is never a legitimate excuse to dileberatelyl place yourself in an occasion of sin, nor to remain in such a condition once you are aware of it. I repeat, never. If this is going to be a problem for you, you are to refrain from attending such classes. This may require you to change your educational objectives.

Linus2nd
 
Linusthe2nd said:
There is never a legitimate excuse to dileberatelyl place yourself in an occasion of sin, nor to remain in such a condition once you are aware of it. I repeat, never. If this is going to be a problem for you, you are to refrain from attending such classes. This may require you to change your educational objectives.
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I want to make sure that I understand what you are saying properly. Correct me if this interpretation is wrong, but you are saying that a nude model is a problem if one knows that it will inspire sinful thoughts. But for for which this scenario doesn’t inspire sinful thoughts this scenario isn’t necessarily problematic. Is that correct?
 
sidetrack said:
Recently I spoke to some graphic design students and they told me that as part of a like life drwing class they got to draw nude models.My hope is that after this program I finally actually follow my heart for *once in my life in an art related program so as to finally have some like inner peace in contrast to the restlessness I currently feel in my more utilitarian by ends computer related program (;-_-) .

*That’s a long story ,maybe for another time like when I can frequent here more again]

I’m guessing what would be imperative about the situation is that for me I’ve got to be extremely responsible (and discreet?) about this.For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.

Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
Click to expand...
Speaking as an artist who took life drawing classes, the nude in itself is not sinful. You and the model are there to perform a task. He or she provides an example of the human form and your instructor should give you some guidance about contour, how lines in the form interact, and to break the model down into component parts and then see how those parts fit together.

In my class, which was 4 hours, we began with four 5 minute, loose gesture sketches to warm up, and we were strictly timed. The instructor would ask the model to turn in various directions. Then we did two 10 minute sketches looking to add more detail. We were constantly reminded of how the lines of the body curved over or under depending on our viewpoint and the position of a limb. Then we did an a one hour sketch of the model standing and one hour sitting. Then we took a short break of ten minutes. The instructor then took about 10 minutes after the break to make some general commentary about our work in general. Prior to this he had been walking among us and studying our degree of skill and where we needed improvement. We then did a final one hour drawing with his points in mind.

It was grueling but as time passed, everybody was improving, some more than others.

Having done a little basic art teaching myself, I now know that a student should not bother with a computer until he gets it with pencil and paper alone. Yep, no need to buy any fancy hardware or programs. The computer has certain advantages but it’s just a tool.

And I have since learned that a good anatomy book - with good drawings, not photos - is a better substitute.

Hope this helps,
Ed
 
sidetrack said:
Recently I spoke to some graphic design students and they told me that as part of a like life drwing class they got to draw nude models.My hope is that after this program I finally actually follow my heart for *once in my life in an art related program so as to finally have some like inner peace in contrast to the restlessness I currently feel in my more utilitarian by ends computer related program (;-_-) .

*That’s a long story ,maybe for another time like when I can frequent here more again]

I’m guessing what would be imperative about the situation is that for me I’ve got to be extremely responsible (and discreet?) about this.For the model I’m guessing they’re only exposing what they have to,have a hard enough time not making a big deal out of it and I’m guessing it’s a “get in,don’t talk about it,get out sorta thing ASAP” for them.

Just for the record (and I’m NOT saying this out of crudeness please 😦 trust me -_- ) while I’ve said various times now that I’ve got “visual purity” problems I’m not the the type of guy who’d ever rack up the nerve to go to live places where…" -.- uumm…you see that frequently and on purpose.As such there’s a reason why I’d actually be nervous to see a completely naked person who I’m not married and intimate with as you can guess.
Click to expand...
What if they made you make nude statues?

 
George_Stegmeir said:
First, you do not say whether or not you are an art student. Secondly, how old are you? Your approach to the idea of having to draw the human figure does not sound as if it comes from someone mature.
I don’t wish to insult you, but I am a professional artist with a lengthy art school background. I received my MFA from a major University at a time (1963) when one had to do Doctoral level studies because the MFA was what was called a terminal degree.
The human figure has been depicted throughout the history of Western Art without eliciting any purient interests, except in those people with a puritanical frame of mind.
The reason one studies figure drawing in art school, is that accurately depicting the human figure, both male and female, is the most difficult of all drawing exercises. There is nothing erotic about it. In fact, when you are learning how to do it, you are so involved with determining how to do it, there is no room for erotic thoughts in your mind. And, unlike the models on comes across in erotica or pornography, most of the nude models used in figure drawing classes are not particularly attractive. They are chosen mainly because of their muscle tone, or in many cases their rolling slabs of flab!
The reason for using nudes in a figure drawing class is that there is no way an artist can depict a clothed figure without understanding human anatomy; and, the only way one can do this is by drawing the nude. If one attempts to depict a clothed figure without a thorough understanding of how a nude is depicted and how the muscles work, the end result will be clothes that look like stuffed sausages!
As for asking the professor who teaches figure drawing to excuse you from drawing nudes as someone else suggested, because of your moral beliefs, forget about it. You will be lucky if all the professor does is suggest that you find another occupation.
I would strongly suggest that if you are an art student, before you imperil your academic career that you seek out a priest at your campus Newman Center and discuss the matter with him. Then, try to schedule your art history courses before you take the course in figure drawing. By studying the work of the “Old Masters”, you will find most nudes to be non erotic.
If you still can’t handle viewing a nude in a non-erotic setting for the purpose of drawing it, then, perhaps you do not belong in the visual arts.
Click to expand...
That last statement is completely false.

Ed
 
Linusthe2nd said:
There is never a legitimate excuse to dileberatelyl place yourself in an occasion of sin, nor to remain in such a condition once you are aware of it. I repeat, never. If this is going to be a problem for you, you are to refrain from attending such classes. This may require you to change your educational objectives.

Linus2nd
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. You can learn human anatomy from anatomy books (those without photos). No need to change your career.

Peace,
Ed
 
So long as it isn’t sexualized, I don’t see the problem. Nude models is usually about practicing with the difficulty with portraying the curvature and resulting shadows, isn’t it? Not remotely sexualized or lustful. If you find it turning into that for you, it’s probably best to avoid it, though.
 
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