5 Nudes: Mariana
Five life drawings of one model
Although I have drawn Mariana (who works under the nom-de-nude Mar Castañedo), on and off for two or three years, I know very little about her as a person. This is often the case with online models these days as, over time, the sessions they are engaged in have become less personal. Sessions tend to attract a regular coterie of hard-core lifers who may attend several sessions a week, and who do not converse as much as they did when zoom drawing groups were in their infancy. People, including myself, dip in and out, and don’t tend to hang around to show their work any more.
I do know, however, that Mariana is Mexican, and speaks at least two languages other than her native Spanish — French and English. She is an excellent, imaginative model who presents a range of witty and charming poses, sometimes themed, or based on the work of an artist (Lautrec for instance). Her blog, linked from her Instagram account reveals that she is “Passionate about words and stories”. As a model she is a breath of fresh air with her large, doleful eyes, elegant hands and impressive poise. She also has incredibly long hair which she uses to great effect in some of her poses.
