I had the pleasure today (4/14) of shooting the kind of work that has always inspired me but that, aside from a few fumbled attempts early on in the learning process, I never thought I would have the opportunity to give a serious try.
The first time I started getting serious about honing my drawing skills I learned that the best way to learn anatomy and form was the classic way: live models and the nude figure. Maybe because of this the idea of the body as art has always appealed to me. Taking the human form and turning it into something more resembling a landscape or using light and shadow to sculpt the lines and contours of a model's form. Taking the nude figure and stripping away (no pun intended) the distractions of sexuality allow us to see the natural form for it's inherent beauty. Without the distractions of elaborate sets, wardrobe, or themes the artistic nude distills the art to its purest form: the skills of a model paired with the vision of the photographer (or illustrator).
Not only was I able to find a model brave enough to try her hand at a shoot like this, but I was also able to rally up the self-assurance to go through with my own attempt at something that I have long held up as a state of unobtainable skill.
I look forward to sharing my work with you when the edits are complete.