Well, having become involved with a local artists group in the Channel Islands Area, I realized that my pre-conceived notions about the lives of artists was totally misguided. Perhaps you too have some false visions as to how the art world works. If so, maybe I can assist you in setting the record straight. First, there are many types of artists. Some paint landscapes, buildings, and nature, others specialize in people, animals, and life art. Still, others make a living painting cars, airplanes, trains and other such things.
Then there is the versatile artist, one who is so knowledgeable, so talented, and has so much experience, well, hell they can just about paint, sketch, draw, or render just about anything. Trust me when I tell you people are the hardest, especially non-photograph assisted portrait type paintings or life art. Of course, the life artist who paints people needs a subject to sketch or paint, a model if you will. Sure, it could be a family member or friend, but realize this, it's pretty easy to burn through friends when you ask them to sit for four+ hours while you create that master piece.
Oh and speaking of models, that isn't easy either. In fact, some models who do photography think that they can also do life art modeling - no, doubtful. With life art you have to hold your pose for longer periods of time, not just seconds for the camera's shutter speed, that's easy, and you can do it quite well with some practice and a talented photographer burning through 100s of digital pictures over a 4-5 minute time period.
Now then, imagine a life art model becoming the muse for the painting artist. Yes, a very important component, but holding a pose for 15-minutes at a time (minimum) up to 30 minutes to an hour isn't easy, and getting back into position eight times over the course of half a day, and still perhaps being needed for subsequent hours another day - ouch, sore muscles too, depending on the pose. So, if you think you are going to get paid to model for an artist and get a free tan in the process, well, more like a sunburn I'd say, so be careful what you wannabe artist's models wish for.
Artists might believe that models have the easy job, just sitting, standing, or lying around for the pose - not. Meanwhile, models think the artists have all the fun, creating and enjoying their work while they slave away with aching muscles trying to hold the pose. The reality is, creating masterpieces isn't easy, and the grass isn't greener on either side, well, not usually. But in the process, that is how great work is created - and it takes a team to make that happen - it's no walk on the beach, trust me.
