Last Updated on 2021-03-22 , 9:17 am
Modelling is a profession that many assume to only be for the young, good-looking and tall people with great body shapes.
They would probably look good wearing just about anything, too, even a trash bag.
However, there are models who dare to take the plunge to wear absolutely nothing – and they’re just like you and me, only with extra confidence.
The Story Of A Life Model
David Chappell, whose daily routine involves standing nude in front of strangers and not moving an inch, is considered to be Hong Kong’s oldest life model – those who pose naked for artists to draw.
The 82-year-old isn’t shy about exposing what his mama gave him, having started posing as a life model for artists when he was in his fifties and still living in his hometown of Lincolnshire in England’s East Midlands.
In a particular session at the Hong Kong Art Tutoring studio in North Point, Chappell’s fluid movements between poses in the cramped studio leaves the seven artists in front of him raring to capture his likeness on paper.
They could take anywhere from two or five minutes to complete a quick sketch on a certain pose, or spend a longer time of about 35 minutes to perfect a drawing of the model in front of them as instructed by founder Gail Deayton.
Sitting still for hours may be a job that you think you can get the hang of, what with being used to doing so when your boss calls you and you’re pretending that you’re hard at work. Yet, it’s more physically demanding than one might expect, says Chappell.
“Last week I had a three-hour sitting just for one pose,” the man said, sharing that group dynamics matter as some are very silent and some are extremely chatty.
Music also helps the old man focus on his poses, who enjoys ambient ‘new age’ music. Of course, the complimentary wine at the studio also helps a lot in letting creative juices flow.
The secret to his success of being a good life model? Why, it’s keeping still, of course.
He’s Had Various Life Experiences
How did he develop the skill of sitting absolutely still, without even moving at all?
Chappell attributes that to the many years of discipline he trained for during his time in Britain’s Royal Air Force, where he was dispatched to Germany in 1961 during the Cold War to fight as part of a nuclear strike force team.
“If you’ve ever seen Top Gun, it was like that – I was one of the qualified weapons instructors,” he recounted.
After retiring from his rigid life in the army, Chappell now is an artist who challenges himself to complete at least one drawing a day. He dabbles in life drawings and photography, which he uploads on Asiaseen.
Chappell was also once a writer and photographer in Hong Kong with an aptitude for modelling, having appeared on the December 1989 cover of South China Morning Post’s Post Magazine.
He may also be a familiar face, for you can see him incorporate videos for Cathay Pacific as well as Korean ginseng and Chinese rice wine advertisements in his wide portfolio.
Sadly, trauma’s also followed the man up until this day, for his model son Dominic’s life was lost in a tragedy.
In 1993, Dominic went over to Cambodia with his girlfriend after working as a model in Hong Kong since the 80s to run a restaurant there. Unfortunately, he was kidnapped by the Khmer Rouge while travelling on the dangerous Route 4 from capital Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, and eventually executed.
“I went to Cambodia not just for the initial search after they went missing but later for the trial of those who carried out the killings – it was a traumatic time,” Chappell sighed.
Still, The Future Is Bright
Deayton, the instructor of the particular class observed, shared that she often employs models who are artists themselves like Chappell who can offer “dynamic, relaxed, complex poses that will be challenging and interesting to draw” for they understand what artists are looking for.
“David is an incredibly engaging character. His poses always adopt a quirkiness to them. He’s one of those people that has lived many different life experiences, and these become absorbed into his modelling,” she added.
Furthermore, drawing a wide range of models will allow artists to develop an appreciation for normal body types – not just Photoshopped ones on social media – when they draw and understand them, especially teenagers who should love their own bodies.
During the days where social distancing measures remained strict, the current Lamma Island resident has also needed to adapt to the new normal, occasionally posing for classes virtually instead.
He wishes for his work to get more widely known in future through exhibitions, and that he’ll be able to make a few more sales.
His work proves to be a challenge, however, in a conservative country like Hong Kong and online, which may not accept Chappell’s non-family-friendly nude paintings and photographs very well.
“On a personal level, given that I am largely self-taught, I am working at extending my command of style and technique and, as long as I can keep still long enough, to continue modelling,” he added.
If you want to do something, you just need to find that confidence in yourself.
Featured Image: Studio 72 / Shutterstock.com
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