The role of a nude model is not one of a carefree innocent child stripped of comfortless clothing, but rather involves physical strain and creative movements that are essential to the artists drawing their figure.

Ivan Rottmann, a junior in general studio art from Red Bluff, Calif., works for the School of Art and Design as a nude model. The job, Rottmann said, is both difficult and rewarding.

When I first started, it was really hard sitting or standing in one position, he said. I was sweating, twitching half my muscles were numb while the other half were burning.

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My worst fear is being up there and out of nowhere you could get aroused, so you try not to think about it, he said. Then, while you’re trying not to think about it, you start freaking out and wondering, can they tell I’m freaking out?’ Rottmann completely undresses when modeling, choosing not to wear shorts or other garments as other models prefer. Rottmann said clothing detracts from the aesthetic potentiality of artists’ work. As an artist himself, he can see through the eyes of both the subject and the student.

Some students get really abstract, drawing your penis as a demon, he said. I try to create art all the time and in an essence, I am becoming art. By modeling you’re really helping the students out.

Lisa Sharp, senior in painting from Springfield, has taken four figure drawing classes and two figure painting classes. She said illustrating the human figure signifies the grandeur of art.

The figure is the vehicle my way of expression, she said. No matter what the person looks like, the human figure is beautiful and complex. Even when you’re drawing it, you can never quite figure it out.

As an artist, Sharp creates life within her work, noting the differences body shapes between male and female figures.

There is a nice contrast between male and female models. she said. The males overall have more of a square build, while females are more circular regardless of body type.

In expressionist painting, you can tell the difference between a mannequin of still life and an actual human. Life is reflected in an animate drawing.

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Sharp has also modeled for her own work. With a paint brush in one hand and the remainder of her body motionless in front of a mirror, she has taken the role of both the artist and the subject.

Having done a self portrait nude, I went through what a model goes through, she said. It’s hard to stay in a position for a long time. You can take breaks but you have to be able to find that position again.

The practice of drawing the human figure is not new to the discipline of art. Drawing and painting graduate assistant Andrea Torrence said cave drawings were the first depictions of the human figure.

Drawing from the figure is a traditional practice, she said. In fine arts, it is how to observe and record what you see when you look at the figure. Look at the Greeks, they consistently used statues and figures.

Although nude modeling is a cultivated discipline, society places a stigma on nudity.

Robert Paulson, professor of art and design, said learning the language of drawing or painting entails looking at the human figure as a piece of art rather than submerging in those thoughts one may experience for another human figure.

Even for someone who has not worked with a figure before, nudity becomes less of a problem very quickly, Paulson said. The figure in that situation becomes a great challenge to create.

Both Sharp and Rottmann have attended classes taught by Paulson. Sharp, as a student, finds her classes to be reflective outlets while Rottmann sharpens his professional poses as a nude model.

Bob Paulson sometimes has me do weird motions, gestures, almost like dancing, Rottmann said. A lot of his students’ work comes out really neat, and I am learning at the same time.