Life Models' Society - Melbourne

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Alphington, VIC
Life Models' Society - Melbourne

The official home of the Life Model's Society of Melbourne. We're a collective of artists and artists' models working to make conditions better for all.

11/01/2026

The LMS is hosting a community meeting for all life models working in Melbourne and Victoria.
We will be facilitating a discussion around working conditions, rates of pay and emerging safety issues.
Tickets are required (they're free), link in bio.

09/01/2026

Do you want to support a grassroots, workers' collective? Would you like two serene days of life drawing in an air conditioned upstairs studio of a 19th century school house? Promising safety for models and diverse and skilled models for our artists to draw, get your tickets now for our weekend of Summer Life Drawing at Princes Hill Community Centre. Purchase via https://events.humanitix.com/life-models-society-summer-life-drawing

03/10/2025

The Life Models’ Society is excited to announce our upcoming Group Poses Extravaganza life drawing sessions! Held on Sunday 26th October 2025 at Princes Hill Community Centre, this event includes three sessions across one big day of drawing, all featuring group poses of four models.

Follow the link below to learn more and purchase tickets. https://events.humanitix.com/life-models-society-group-poses-extravaganza

Thanks to pictured model member Caitlin and model/artist Meg.

17/09/2025

Fantastic work from LMS members Gigi, Alexis, Nick and Claudia from our Winter Life Drawing Salon. Artist credit LMS member .lifedrawing

07/08/2025

Fantastic work from LMS members Winnie, Rose, Cailtin and Elsa from our recent Winter Life Drawing Salon. Artist credit LMS member

14/07/2025

Fantastic work from LMS members Gigi, Alexis, Nick and Claudia from our recent Winter Life Drawing Salon. Artist credit LMS member .lifedrawing

02/06/2025

What is a Salon?

According to the Museum of Modern Art, the term ‘Salon’ as it applies to the art world, can be traced to 1667; when France’s Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture began to host its recurring annual exhibition at the Louvre’s Salon Carré. Over time, the event became known simply as the Salon.

In 1863 (per Britannica), the first Salon des Refusés featured the works of Impressionists that had been refused by the ‘official’ Salon. This new annual exhibition would lead to the 1884 founding of the Société des Artistes Indépendants; an organisation that would accept any artists’ works to their events. This same year, Henri Matisse’s ‘Bathers at Asnières’ (1883–84) would be featured in the Salon des Refusés after being rejected by the Royal Academy’s Salon.

Salons are a place for artistic expression, the discussion of new ideas and the meeting of creative-minded people. The Life Models’ Society runs its Salon as a three-day, four-session life-drawing event where our model members are the artistic focus. In the spirit of variety, our sessions include single-model, long poses and four-model-group-pose sessions. We hope there is something there for every artist!

Tickets are available to the Life Models’ Society 2025 Winter Salon at the link in our bio. We hope to see you there!

03/05/2025

The Life Models’ Society has been advocating for our fellow life models since we first formed in 1989! In the decades since our inception we’ve had a few iterations of our logo design. Swipe through to view the history of the LMS logo! Which one do you prefer and why?

24/04/2025

The Life Models’ Society is excited to share some lovely feedback from attendees of our New Member Workshops.

The LMS runs our modelling workshops with the goal of giving every participant a safe and welcoming environment with which to explore the facets of life modelling. We share information on consent, professional practices and learning art terminology.

All of our workshops include a facilitator to address the whole group of around 10-20 attendees, multiple minders who act as a mentor and guide as well as demonstrating poses for smaller groups of around 3-5 models throughout the sessions, and artists to provide the important experience of being observed and drawn.

Everyone involved in these workshops has experience as a working life model and is an affiliate of the Life Models’ Society.

08/04/2025

Bookings for The Life Models’ Society Winter Salon 2025 are now open!

Use code Bin5Chicken4 for 15% off your ticket price until April 30th

The LMS salons are designed to allow artists to immerse themselves as much as their life commitments permit. Bookings are required.

If you prefer the challenge of short duration poses, come in the morning. If you prefer the details you can draw with longer poses, come in the afternoon/evening.

Allow 15 minutes to get yourself set up before the session.

Please bring your own art materials. Paper is available with cash payment.

This is not a tutored session.

Morning Session (Short Poses): 10:00am - 12:00pm
Afternoon Session (Long Pose): 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Evening Session (Long Pose): 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Discounts are also available for LMS members and subscribers! Keep an eye on your email inbox for details.

15/03/2025

Life Models’ Society Committee member Paul breaks down what’s in his modelling bag.

‘My modelling bag is on wheels! When I started, I used an overnight bag, and either slung that over my shoulder, or alternated hands. I was gifted my current bag, which is basically a soft travel case. It fits a lot, the handle collapses and did I mention is has wheels!

I keep my modelling bag ready to go, in case I get any last-minute modelling jobs. It also means I don't have to think "Have I got everything??" when it's always packed and ready to go.

In my bag, I have;

• Queensize dark sheet, plus queensize white sheet (backup). Having your own sheets means you can wash them.
• Small pillow.
• Small towel to pop down on anything I sit on.
• Collapsable foot stool (from Kmart) & foldable beach chair (this rolls up into a small bag - great for a reclining pose to support my back and it's basically invisible.)
• Wipes (for when I'm a bit sweaty getting to the venue).
• Rope (prop).
• Water bottle - modelling can be thirsty work!
• Pole (prop) this slides into the slot of the extension handle so I don't have to carry it separately. Great for support during long standing poses, etc..
• Working conditions (a few printed copies).
• Modelling notes - which is my shorthand list of various poses. (I used this a lot when I started out as a prompt for a set of poses I could follow to avoid getting flustered.)
• Thongs (studio floors can be very dirty from charcoal dust).
• Robe (usually a lighter one for summer and a warmer one for winter).

I don't carry a timer, instead, I use an Interval Timer app I downloaded from the Play Store to time my poses. I have this pre-programmed with a variety of 30 minute blocks; eg 4 x 5 minute plus 10 minute break; 5 x 2 min plus 2 x 5 min plus 10 minute break. I always set my phone to silent and check the volume before I start to make sure I can hear it when it comes time to change the pose.’

05/03/2025

Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) was a Swiss Neoclassical painter and one of the founders of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In ‘Design’ she depicts a female artist studying the famous ‘Belvadere Torso’.

Although Kauffman was a founder of the Royal Academy of Arts, she would not have been able to attend the life drawing classes held there as women were banned from attending the sessions.

Artwork - Design, Angelica Kauffman (1778-80), Royal Academy of Arts, London

Address

PO Box 233
Alphington, VIC
3078

Telephone

+61409320915

Website

https://www.lifemodelssociety.org/

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