The Tab tries: Life-Drawing

Students are obsessed with nudity, naked calendars, neck and nominates and streaking through the library. Why is the human form such a BIG DEAL? The Tab sent their features team out to investigate Liverpool University’s Art Society and their fortnightly life-drawing sessions to try their hand at art.

A rubber is essential in this class

Art:s aims to help members develop artistic skills, techniques and ideas through regular workshops and socials.

“We have run various sessions this year, including still life compositions, portraiture, life drawing, “draw Liverpool” where we draw famous parts of the city, pumpkin carving, card making, socials and more! In future we are also planning on collaborating with the Creative Writing Society to illustrate their anthology, as well has holding an exhibition of members work at the end of the academic year.”

A focus on the face

The session was held in the elusive Taylor room in the Sydney Jones – after being let in by a friendly member of staff, the room was prepared for the unveiling. Shutting the blinds and covering up any visible gaps in the door the model got dressed.

Art:s miss their “messy” room where they can fling paint around

It all seemed very clinical and ordered. The place is essentially a lecture room in which the society, having been displaced from the Guild, attempted to make welcoming by shifting furniture and providing a pretty blanket for the model to spread-eagle over.

A poor attempt at drawing

Their members are pretty loyal, with a usual turnout of 15-20 people.

The model, a UoL student, had volunteered herself in order to “give something back” to art, and appeared completely confident in her own skin and the atmosphere felt really safe.

Scribbles, “shading”, it’s all the same

Another addition to the calm ambience of the scene was the mellow music. A playlist of Damien Rice, the Killers (more chilled stuff) and surprisingly… Glee – helped to squeeze the creative juices out of student’s unkempt bodies.

The session consisted of depicting the model in a series of poses: standing up, lying down, side-ways on – it was a wonder she didn’t get cramp!

Her secret, she said, was yoga.

A work in progress

These were held for up to 15 minutes which, for a shit Tab-artiste, seemed slightly short.

The members didn’t seem deterred and created masterpieces in a matter of minutes.

Diana, vet student first, artist second

Overall, it seems like an experience for anyone with a real passion for art. The Tab felt the time was slightly wasted on their poorly sketched figures, but if you can do art and enjoy it – GO.

Shauna, an engineering student, says “it is a really good opportunity to do art in Uni, which you might not otherwise get the chance to do”.

Shauna

It seemed like the perfect escape from the hectic unay-buzz, as you are left alone with your thoughts, your pad and your pencil. It differed greatly from first impressions of Titanic and Miranda, and took a much less funny and more serious tone.

Art:s usually meet on Tuesday evenings 7-9pm but times and location may vary. All details can be found on their Facebook.