Modeling Into Maturity

I recently had an online conversation with a beautiful model friend of mine who has done Playboy, and I mentioned to her how she should be modeling for years to come.  She surprised me by say, " I hope you are right about doing this a long time."  Normally she seems very confident in her modeling,.


It got me to thinking about a model's "life expectancy," so to speak.  Glamour and nude models start at about age18, but when are they done? When will the agencies and photographers stop calling them to shoot nude?  30 years old? 40 years old?  


The mature model interest has really gained momentum in recent years, and the number of women posing nude over the age of 30 globally has increased significantly (over 6000 models age 30 and older on Model Mayhem in the USA alone).  A lot of this can be attributed to teh popularity of actress Jennifer Coolidge as Stifler's mom in the movie "American Pie," where the term MILF first gained real popularity.  A mature model really has to know how to pose her body for the best possible image.  This is something that most models know who to do, but imperfections can be magnified as a woman gets older.  Things sag, get out of place, the skin is not as taut. 

One of our very own on Blogger is the beautiful Unbearable Lightness, who started nude modeling in her late 50's, and is now 70 and still gorgeous and going strong.  She is a confident and realistic lady, she is shapely and Unbearable Lightness gets the most out of wonderful photo.  She exudes confidence in her abilities. 


I have a real fondness for capturing older models in my art; there is something that I really enjoy in helping her feel beautiful and glamorous.  Many of  my commissions are not even real models, they are everyday wives and mothers, who want to feel special.  Nothing wrong with that.

I feel confident that my Playboy model friend will be able to continue with her career for many, many years to come. 

Show Some Skin!

Lindsey Vuolo, Miss November 2001

In my line of artwork, I draw everything from clothed pin-ups to full blown nude images.  I have fans of just about every image I've ever created, but, as the title of this blog suggests, the biggest responses are from those that show the most skin; i.e., the full nudes.  

This is especially evident on my Facebook Fan Page.  I have a large contingent of fans from the Middle East, India---places that normally do not allow a lot of nude images.  But while a lot of fans are from Asia, most are still from the USA.  I have tested placing non-nude pinups, and nude drawings, and the largest number of 'likes" is always for the "nakey." 

Farrah Fawcett

Well, duh, you might say, and I guess I would agree. But I guess I'm a little confused at all of the attention for the full nudes, as opposed to the very sexy, very demure pin-ups.  Pinups, also know as "cheesecake," are the SFW way to view sexy images of women (or men, for that matter), covering up the essentials, yet showing a LOT of skin somewhere.

Pinups are not always fully clothed, mind you; there are plenty of semi nude and implied nude pinup examples.  I'm speaking of the contrast in responses to MY art, and the differences in the likes on Facebook.  Thoughts on this? 

The "Abandoned Commission

 Several years ago, I was contacted on MySpace (remember that name?) by a local lady, who wanted a nude 20" x 30" portrait of herself, based upon a clothed picture she provided. We negotiated the price of several hundred dollars, and I proceeded to get to work.

I have to 'disrobe' women a lot in my work, and this one proved to be fairly easy, since the dress was pretty from fitting.  The rest is just my understanding of female anatomy, and filling in the nude 'blanks,' so to speak.




The due date was before Christmas. I got it done in about 4 weeks, and emailed the client that it was done.  She said she would get back to me to schedule a time to meet and give me the full payment.  And that was the last I heard from her.  I emailed, I messaged, I did everything I could to get a hold of her.  No response.  She literally dropped out of sight, and eventually  abandoned the commission. I mentioned this to a famous Playboy model friend of mine, who said, don't you take deposits?  Well, I started to do so from that point on.

About a year later, I did a search on the so-called client online, and discovered that she was arrested for prostitution in the north suburbs of Chicago.  Interesting side development, I thought.  The piece wound up being sold for a lot less on eBay to a collector.   

What do you think of this piece?  Contact me and let me know your thoughts, or if you have interest in this kind of piece.  Thanks