Answering a Reader Question #781

Anonymous Wrote:

 What if you're modeling for an artist that's drawing you, instead of a photoshoot? What kind of rates would you charge then? You tend to be holding a pose for much longer than a photoshoot...

Hey, Anonymous!

Great question. Even though the nature of the work isn't the same, the logistics are so that being said, you can choose from an hourly rate or a flat rate per session.

Depending on your experience, how long the session is, etc. you can charge anywhere from $25-50 an hour. Flat rates per session could range from $100-150. You have to remember, most artists are not rich, lol, so their budgets are very limited in many instances.

Below is a link to a pdf that lists the rates for the Bay Area Models Guild here in Northern California. This is the current going rate for the art models that get hired by local art studios, independent artists or other similar organizations:

http://bayareamodelsguild.org/pdfs/rate_sheet.pdf

The rates may seem low but again that's mainly due to the fact that artists, schools and artists groups do not get major funding and often work with very restricted budgets. However, if you're good at what you do, chances are you can earn a decent income from art modeling if you get booked on a regular basis.

FYI: I've been art modeling for years and in a professional setting, the posing increments are ideally 15 minutes of posing with a 5-10 minute break in between (if the session is longer, than a snack break should also be included). So even if you're posing for a 3 hour session, you're not holding the pose for ridiculous amounts of time. 

 In the past, I've volunteered to hold poses for longer but according to the general guidelines for the guild that represents art models in the San Francisco Bay Area, the 15 minute pose/5-10 minute rest rule is more than reasonable.

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