I was surprised when Sheila called me. We had met at the group drawing session that Lucy had arranged.
"How are you?" she asked. Sheila was a new art teacher at a middle school a year or so out of college. She was shy and reserved during the drawing session and had demonstrated much talent in the drawing she had done. We exchanged greetings on the phone and then she got to the point of her call. She told me that she was applying to enter a master of fine arts program at the university and was preparing a portfolio as part of her admission requirement. Her area of interest in the program was painting and drawing using the figure as her subject source. I told her how impressed I was with her drawings that I had viewed.
"I have a request of you that think would help. Could you to pose for me in the next few weeks. I need to complete some new drawings to fill out my portfolio. I have been using myself as a model but I wanted to balance it with some a male samples. What do you think?"
"I would be fine with it as long as I could fit it into my schedule."
"Great. I will pay you of course."
"We can work that out. I know how it is on a new teacher's salary."
"Whatever you want to do. How about we meet on Tuesday night."
I agreed and she gave me her address. I arrived at the house she shared with another teacher and she greeted me warmly. We moved into the living room area and sat down talking about our backgrounds. Shelia told me about growing up in a small town and being raised in a conservative religious environment. Her college experiences were sheltered as she attended a small liberal arts college that was also religious based primarily for teacher training. Her art classes did not allow any nude models so she had not worked from the nude before Lucy's group. Sheila now found that she was a natural when it came to figure drawing and wanted to pursue it further. Sheila was tall with light blond hair, pale blue eyes a long narrow face. She was plain but more on the pretty side and wore wire rim glasses with no make-up. It gave her a very natural look which I found appealing. She was dressed casually in cut off denim shorts with a light violet t-shirt and sat cross legged on the floor. Her hips were wide in relation to her thin shoulders and small breasts and gave her a pear shape with a pale skin tone and long blond hair hanging over her shoulders. The soft lips formed into a warm smile, welcoming me as we chatted.
"I'll show you some of the drawings in my portfolio so far. Your feedback would be helpful and you may have some ideas for what else I may need."
Sheila was very professional and opened up her black portfolio case selecting some of the drawings for me to view. I was very impressed with the elegant line and exquisite details in the work. The first drawing was a pencil study of a half figure view from the thighs up as if she were in front of a mirror looking at herself. the model looked back at the viewer with her pale eyes, her mouth expressionless and her body relaxed. Her small breasts were pointing forward with the nipples erect and the tips distended. The pubic triangle was thick wisp of blond hair, visible as she gazed at the viewer, as if to say your interrupting me. The textures that were rendered in the drawing were very life like. Her hair flowed down with a soft feeling and the features of her face were modeled subtly and accurately.
"This is a wonderful piece. Your drawing technique is so elegant and precise."
"Thanks. I love the work of Andrew Wyeth and try to emulate him."
The other drawings that she showed me were just as impressive. Some were of her roommate Connie who had also posed for her. She was dark haired with a compact gymnast's build.
"You will have no problem getting into the program."
"I wish you were on the acceptance committee. I do want to add some male studies to my samples though and that is why I asked you to pose for me."
"Just tell me how you would like me to pose."
She told me she worked in a spare room set up as her studio and we walked back to there.
"I would like you to pose in the half figure view like the first drawing that I showed you."
She directed me to her bedroom where I undressed and returned to her studio taking off my robe standing over by a wall in view of her easel. I was a little nervous starting out but I was under control. She started the drawing and worked quietly at first absorbed in her work.
"This is all very new to me, working from a male model so I will probably chatter away asking a lot of questions. I hope you don't mind. As I just want to learn all I can."
"Not at all."
"Your face is very masculine with the square jaw, high cheek bones and aquiline nose. And your eyes are your best facial feature, a very unique blue tone. You have a really nice body too. But I am sure you are told that a lot."
"No, I don't hear that much. Thanks for saying it." I responded.
"You have an athletic look with broad shoulders, a well developed chest and your long arms and legs are well toned. I prefer lean men's bodies. Your nipples are pretty small for a man your size. Cute!"
I smiled at that one. That was something I had never heard before. She seemed to be analyzing my body as she drew and went on some more.
"You are not very hairy although being blond the body hair does not show as much. Your abdominal muscles are flat and in good form. Do you work out a lot?"
"Not really I don't like to exercise."
"You're lucky then. You are blessed with good genes. I am not so fortunate. My stomach is too large and flabby and my hips are so wide and my thighs are fleshy and loose. I always feel my breasts are too small. I could go on about my body flaws."
"Women are so much harder on themselves." I consoled her. "Anyway from what I saw from your drawings you have a very attractive body, at least I think so. I like women who are natural and have a feminine body with some curves."
"Really, do you think so? Thanks, but I think you are just being nice."
She continued talking about my body.
"I like your overall coloring. You are blond but your flesh tone is warm and healthy looking. I am blond but pale and pasty looking. Your pubic hair is very golden just like mine and it looks like you trim it back."
"Yes I do." I answered trying to be casual about it.
