Throughout the ages, artists have made a name for themselves capturing and preserving the character and beauty of the human form for generations to come.

Today, figure-drawing classes continue to teach budding artists the essential skills and techniques the masters used to portray the detail and movement of the human body.

Teresa Schmidt, professor of art, said an introductory figure-drawing course is part of a core group of required classes for art majors.

The class meets twice a week for three hours at a time. Students sketch models in a variety of poses for varying increments of time. They sometimes have as little as one minute to capture the essence of the scene.

Learning the art of figure drawing takes months of painstaking practice and instruction, Schmidt said, because students must learn to connect their eyes and hands and convincingly portray volume and space.

"Nothing is more important than the human being to a human being," she said. "Figure drawing is classic - we've been doing it for centuries."

Figure-drawing classes, as well as painting and photography classes, utilize nude models to allow artists to capture every element of the human body's form and movement.

The models who pose for the drawing classes often are art students, or the friends or spouses of students who have expressed an interest in modeling. They typically are paid between $10 and $12 an hour for their work.

"Nudity is never an issue in art classes - it's nothing new," Schmidt said. "Van Gogh once said an artist couldn't draw a bowl of fruit with a blanket over it. You draw from observation, so you can't draw the human body fully clothed."

Adrienne Ralston, senior in fine arts, began modeling for figure-drawing classes more than a year ago after completing Figure Drawing I.

Ralston said her friends and family members were shocked when they learned about her work as a model.

"People will say, 'I can't believe you're naked in front of all those people,'" she said. "But they're there to draw. Models aren't naked - they're nude. Figure drawing is strictly the celebration of the human form. It's an honor to be a model. I feel like people appreciate my body enough to make it into art."

Models always are treated with the utmost respect in art classes, Ralston said, and certain rules and considerations are made to ensure they feel at ease.

A curtained area is provided for models to change from their street clothes into robes before walking in front of the class. Students never touch the models and only will address a model if he or she has indicated that it is fine with him or her.

Working as a model actually improved Ralston's own figure-drawing skills, she said. Various professors told her they can tell she has modeled by looking at her work.

"I just have empathy for the models," she said. "I know which muscles are twitching when they are in an action pose, and I know how hard it is to hold a pose for such a long time."

Robyn Bramlage, junior in fine arts, is enrolled in Figure Drawing I this semester. She said the course has improved her ability to portray human movement and energy on paper.

"The most important drawing is done from life," she said. "It's expressive and exciting because your subject could move or change position at any moment."

Although drawing the human form often is difficult, Bramlage said she has learned more in her figure-drawing class than any other art class she has taken.

"It's important as an artist to have the training we are getting right now," she said. "You just have to practice, practice, practice, in hopes that one day you will be able to draw a body or face from memory, without the form in front of you."