What is An Art Model? How to Become One?
If you seek to enter the modeling industry, becoming an art model can be an excellent gateway to get you where you want.
Art modeling is a highly diverse and interesting type of modeling, which can help you gain the confidence you need to invest in other career paths in the modeling industry.
Art models’ primary duty is to pose for professional artists and art students while they draw, paint, photograph or do any other type of artistic expression with a living figure.
However, there is much more to this role, which you will learn from this article. So stay tuned to check out all about how to become an art model!
What is an art model?
Art models are professionals in the modeling industry who work with experienced artists and art students in the fields of drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, etc.
They pose for these artists while they perform their work using the model to portray their art.
Therefore, an art model’s primary job is to pose for extended periods in front of a professional or a class of students while the artists execute their work.
For that, art models need to be comfortable in front of people who are constantly looking at them and capturing their details.
What should an art model do?
There are some duties art models have to perform in the job professionally and gain experience in the niche:
- Comfortably posing for art student classes or professional artists;
- Being able to hold positions for a long time while the artist does their work;
- Being able to portray the feeling the artist wants to transmit according to their guidelines;
- Creating a portfolio of their art modeling work to display their experience in the field.
The benefits of working in the art modeling industry
You might be wondering why to start a career in the art modeling industry when you can choose any other career path.
Well, here are some excellent reasons that may help you consider this profession:
It is a highly inclusive field
Different from most modeling niches, which have requirements such as specific body types, age, etc., the art modeling field is more inclusive and open to receiving all kinds of models.
This is great for models who don’t fit these standards and still want to invest in the modeling industry.
In art students’ classes, they usually need different kinds of models to be able to train their abilities and improve their skills. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity for models who are starting their careers.
It can be a great gateway to the modeling industry
This is an obvious advantage of investing in the art modeling niche, but it’s still worth mentioning.
Models who start in the art modeling field can create a valuable portfolio of work that can later help them transition to other areas, like commercial modeling.
It can offer you experience
In addition to being a gateway to the industry, you can start on this career path to gain experience, develop your skills as a model, become more comfortable in front of other people, and enjoy the learnings of being an art model.
You can work as a part-time model
Moreover, working in the art modeling niche can also be a source of additional income while you work in other areas.
You can decide which jobs to take, what you are keen to do or not, and how much time you’re willing to invest in this career path, as this is a very flexible field.
Art models’ average salary
Just like other fashion model salaries, art model salaries can range a lot too. The amount you make will depend on several factors, like how many jobs you take, where you are located, how many hours you want to work, etc.
The average salary for an art model, according to some professional websites like Online Degree, Zippia, and ZipRecruiter, is:
- Zippia: $43.43 per hour; $90,336 per year.
- ZipRecruiter: $27 per hour; $55,427 per year.
- Online Degree: $18 per hour; $37.240 per year.
What to do to become an art model?
This career path doesn’t have many requirements, which is an easy way to start a modeling career.
As for education, you only need a high school degree to work as an art model. No bachelor’s or postsecondary degree is required, and you can even start your career while still in high school.
Other requirements or guidelines to pursue this career are:
Work on your modeling skills
Although it doesn’t seem complicated to pose for extended periods of time, enrolling in a modeling school is something you must consider to become a good art model.
After all, art models need to learn to hold positions, either for 30 seconds, 20 minutes, or more.
Moreover, being comfortable posing in front of one or more people is also essential in a modeling career.
This skill will help you not only in art modeling but also in other modeling niches if you decide to transition later.
In addition, as your job will be to display what the artist wants to transmit so he can draw, paint, photograph, etc., you should also work on portraying emotions through your face and body.
Learn your options
In the art modeling industry, you can work on projects where you can be nude or wear clothing. In any way, learning your options is crucial to identify which path to follow.
If you have no problem posing nude, you can invest in this. But know that you can also opt to work on projects that don’t require this.
Create a portfolio
Creating a consistent portfolio will help you in your career, as this is a way to show your job to potential clients.
You probably won’t have any projects to display at the beginning of your career. However, you can volunteer in art students’ classes or other projects to obtain your first projects and add them to your portfolio.
Do networking
Networking is the best way to get recommended for art modeling jobs, so start making connections with people in the industry from the beginning of your career is a must.
This will help you boost your career and find the best opportunities in the field.
Furthermore, try to get letters of recommendation from your clients to show your potential employers when you audition for a job.
Be open to audition
Speaking of auditions, you have to be open to auditioning before getting jobs in this career path. This happens because the client must see if you fit the project.
For example, they can ask you to pose, wear different clothing and hold your pose for specific periods to see if you match their needs and requirements.
This is also an excellent opportunity to see if the project aligns with your professional goals.
Therefore, being open to doing auditions is essential to become an art model and getting more jobs in this industry.
Is it worth investing in the art modeling industry?
The art modeling industry is a promising niche for those who want to start a modeling career.
As we mentioned, it’s an excellent gateway and can offer you many opportunities to develop your modeling skills and give you the experience you need to become a professional art model.
In addition, you can define your work schedule and decide which jobs to take, which can offer the opportunity to increase your earnings according to your priorities.
Now you know what an art model does and the best ways to kick-start your career successfully.
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