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In the Flesh: Live-drawing classes to return to art department

In the Flesh: Live-drawing classes to return to art department

Brianna Corley 

Arts and Living Editor

Drawing class sessions featuring live, nude models are set to return to the art department.

Corbin Covher, assistant professor of sculpture and foundations, brought back the class and will be the instructor when it is offered in fall 2020. He said the program had not been taught in recent years because of its complicated nature.

“It comes with its own set of problems: funding and maturity of students,” Covher said.

Despite being faced with issues of fees and finding ways to properly pay models, Covher said the class is an imperative part of a bachelor of fine arts program.

“It’s us getting in there and remaining competitive in an industry that it’s hard to do that,” Covher said.

Covher also attested to the general importance the skills of life drawing bring those who are art focused.

“The body by itself is vastly different in shape, form and beauty, and it’s important to understand that to draw people,” Covher said.

This importance has been noted by Haley Summerlin, junior, who has been aware of the absence of life drawing classes in the art program since she first began her education.

“I’ve been an art major since I can remember,” Summerlin said. “Life drawing is definitely something we need more of.”

Summerlin noted that though the art department supplies classes which allow students to replicate objects, having a live, nude model allows for sophisticated work that can’t be done from a reference photo.

“In proportion classes we switch angles all the time so if you have a flat, two-dimensional reference what can you do with that?” Summerlin said.

Summerlin also hopes to take the class on the other side of the experience.

“I’m actually hoping to volunteer as one of the models,” Summerlin said. “I think it would be so much fun. It would be something different in it for me.”

Summerlin’s excitement for the live drawing class is shared by sophomore Amari Carmouche.

“I think at some point my old drawing teacher might have brought it up, the possibility of having models,” Carmouche said. “But not something like this, something concentrated.”

Carmouche feels that learning the basics of art, particularly through drawing live models, is integral in order to build a foundation to do greater overall work.

“Most other schools have that class already in the system,” Carmouche said. “It’s such an important part of traditional art education.”

Carmouche is already looking forward to what the class holds in store.

“I’m excited to work with the models,” Carmouche said. “Just learning about the human form through drawing it.”

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