Some people think of nude as not being socially acceptable, but in the case of a Life Drawing class at Moorpark College, students learn how to draw by analyzing and drawing naked models.

Stephanie Doidic, 27, is a paid model for the Life Drawing classes, taught by Cynthia Minet given at Moorpark College.

“I don’t think of modeling as being nude,” said Doidic. “It’s about the artists and what they create from me.”

The majority of the class agreed that the first class session was uncomfortable, but was soon able to get used to the idea of drawing a human figure.

“Drawing a real person doesn’t hide anything,” said Erika Malansan, age 34, a student of Life Drawing. ” You get to see their lines, curves, and muscles without the interference of clothes.”

Doidic came across the position for modeling through Craigslist, and then transferred from Channel Islands to Moorpark Community College.

The Life Drawing class welcomes both female and male models that, for up to three hours, pose mostly nude, and then clothed.

“Being in clothes isn’t weird because it’s the same as being without them,” said Doidic. “I don’t notice it, I’m focused on the art.”

While one would think a model would possess a surplus of confidence, Doidic is just like any other person, one with flaws and beauty.

“Some may think you need a lot of confidence to do this, but I don’t,” Doidic said. “I do this to benefit the people drawing in this class.”

The age, race, and gender of the models vary each time the class meets, providing a diverse subject for the students to capture and paste onto the paper.

Instructor Cynthia Minet is appreciative that her students are able to use this experience to further techniques and styles that would not have had the same effect with a mannequin.

“Drawing the human body helps the student visualize realistically that no one has a perfect body,” said Minet. “And that’s ok.”

While to some just the word nude is makes people feel uncomfortable, 20-year-old fine arts major Dylan Bishop has another opinion on that.

“There’s a difference between naked and nude,” said Bishop. “Being naked is an attitude, while being nude is who you are.”