On Full Frontal Nudity

Recent blogs by my friend Unbearable Lightness, as well as threads at Model Mayhem, have touched on the differences between of fine art nudes and glamour nudes.

Playboy Cyber Girl Dana Dicillo

Fine art nude is usually determined to be free of any sexual references whatsoever; the human figure is shown in a complete naturalism, warts and all.  Models normally do not gaze back to the camera or viewer.

Glamour nude, however, tries to elicit a sexual response from the viewer.  The model will often look back to the camera or viewer, usually suggestively, and almost always in full make-up and wearing high heels (heels make the legs look even longer).

These are not hard and fast rules, of course, and there is some blurring of the lines.  And the definition really depends on the viewer.   But, when you show full frontal nudity (genitalia), does that become offensive to more people than hiding the pubic area?  Is it okay to do so when it is 'strictly' a fine art piece, rather than glamour?

The image to the left of Playboy Special Editions model Dan Dicillo is a typical glamour nude, of course; I wouldn't pretend that she is a fine art piece.  But, being that it is a completely full frontal nude, is this something that you, as a viewer, prefer not to look upon, much less display in your home?  If she looked away, would this suddenly transform into a fine art piece?

I ask questions like this because, in my growth as an artist, I wonder sometimes if I create too many 'glamour' nudes, and not enough 'fine art' nudes.  Listen, I love women....I think they are God's greatest creation, and I love to illustrate them.  Do I objectify my models with my art.  More importantly, is it wrong to objectify women in art?  I have my views, but I'd like to hear from others about this.

NOTE:  While I rebuild my website at www.erotic-pinups.com, I've uploaded most of my art on Deviant Art.  Please check it out.  Also, you may sign up for my emails at Fine Art America.  they are less frequent than my posts here, and always of a different subject.  

More Nude Wives for Valentine's Day

Thanks to my wonderful client, I have the the other images for which I was commissioned in 2009 of his wife (the first one was published in Tuesday's blog.  Since I had a really poor scanner at the time, it was great to receive these from him (as I mentioned, he is a photographer).  
I love so much creating glamour images of 'regular' women, who are non-professionals.  I've written several times of the many clients by whom I've been commissioned to draw either themselves (ladies), or their wives (men).  


This commission was a 3 part series of color illustrations; all were drawn with colored pencil on Bristol board, one of my preferred surfaces.  It was a fun challenge to get each to look like the client's spouse, using only the reference photos.    That ultimately is the greatest challenge in any portrait---getting the final art to look like the person, even if it is an idealized version. 


Just another reason why they make such great gifts for Valentine's Day.  It's a wonderful way to be immortalized.


With my website down temporarily, I am trying to upload as many images as I can on other sites where I maintain a profile.  You can see my artwork at the following websites:


DeviantArt
ModelMayhem
Model Insider
One Model Place

On Nudes and Non Models, Part 2

One of my great pleasures, as I said in last week's blog, is that I have the pleasure of illustrating many women who are not professional models, but still look great.  


I recently received this image from a former client. one of 3 colored pencil images I did for him of his wife.  My original scans when the job was completed were crap, and he was nice enough to send me new ones.  He's a part-time photographer, so he found some classic pinup images, and we recreated them with his wife as the subject.   


I have always had a desire to do more color pieces, and I find colored pencil extremely challenging.   I like graphite drawing pencils  because I like to create shadows by rubbing the graphite with my fingers, which helps me to achieve the nuances of the light and dark.  Can't do that with colored pencil--it's a gradual build-up of colors that can be very time consuming, very boring, but always rewarding in the end.  


NOTE:  My figure art website, www.erotic-pinups.com, will be temporarily disabled while I search for a new host and build a new site.  For now, please visit my Model Mayhem profile, or look for me on Facebook.  I will let everyone know when the new site is uploaded.  Thanks

On Nudes and Non Models

I've been very fortunate in my art career to have the privilege to illustrate some very beautiful, professional models.  Carlotta Champagne, Lindsey Vuolo, Erica Campbell, Heather Bauer---the list is pretty long and impressive.


But I have also had the great pleasure to draw some non-professional models as well.  Many clients have submitted images of themselves or their wives, to be drawn in the nude or as glamour/pinup.   These usually are gifts for the loved one, and it seems to fall into basically two categories---men who adore their wives and like to show them off as glamorous and beautiful, and women who want  to give their husbands or loved ones something a little more special.


I've written in this blog before that I think that it takes a really special person, as a non-professional, to pose nude or semi nude in a photo, or as the subject of art.  To the right is commissioned art of Briana,  a 50 year old lady who ordered two drawings of herself for her husband to hang on their bedroom wall.  Besides Briana, I've had the pleasure of illustrating Kim, another 50+ lady, and others.


As my friend Unbearable Lightness proves at the age of 66, women can still be sexy and beautiful over the 'traditional' modeling ages.  And why not?  Women are more beautiful because of how they carry and project themselves.  As a client once told me about his wife, "it's all about confidence."


With Valentine's Day approaching, a lot of people look for something special for their loved one as a gift.  Though unconventional, a 'boudoir' piece of art can be a lasting gift.