Life Drawing locations, Florence, Italy

drawing: Tom J. Byrne

A lot of people are passionate about life drawing. For those not familiar with the term, it refers to the drawing of a living model, usually nude, under controlled lighting conditions, sometimes as part of a still life composition. Life drawing can be a study, the basis for a painting or if the pose is long enough a painting can be executed.

Below is a short video of the monthly life drawing event at Cafe Giubbe Rosse, in Florence. 

At the moment there are a few locations for life drawing in Florence, Italy.
Thanks to the Charles Cecil Academy, the Florence Academy and Santa Croce Arte.
These evening events occur after students of the academies and artists studios have finished their work and the studio spaces are available for non students to draw. The events are open to non professionals, people who are self teaching, graduates of the academies and people with a life long love of drawing the human form. So the range of styles and skills of those who attend varies dramatically but the passion to create is universal.

Art Cult Florence and Firenze Drawing Club organise Burlesque drawing events in the historical Cafe Giubbe Rosse in Piazza Republica. It's a once a month event but it's spectacular. The times and dates change. The cafe space is historical in the sense that it has always been a place for artists to meet and they continue the tradition to this day. For more information check the Art Cult or Firenze Drawing Club facebook pages. Here is a sample of what occurs at the events.

Occasionally there is a daytime or morning drawing event in Florence. These spaces are usually donated by an Art Patron such as Cultural Salon Firenze or an Artist with a studio space that is being unused while they are traveling or exhibiting abroad. 

drawing: Tom J. Byrne

Below are the times, locations and costs of life drawing in Florence. The events are open to artists and enthusiastic amateurs visiting Florence and there is no membership process. No appointment is needed, just turn up. The equipment supplied includes seating, easels, the model and lighting. You provide your own drawing equipment, paper or painting tools. There is no instruction. It’s important to be very quiet when working and the sessions are usually between two and three hours long with short breaks every 25 minutes. In the middle of the session there is a long pose and this is traditionally when people pay for their participation. It’s okay to leave an additional tip for the model in a separate tip box.

Drawing by Tom J. Byrne

Locations:

The Charles Cecil Academy.
Address: BORGO SAN FREDIANO, 68. 50124 FIRENZE, ITALIA.
Time and day: Every Tuesday, 7.15pm - 9pm
Cost: €5
Easels and seating available.
Note: The street numbers on Borgo San Frediano can be confusing for visitors as there are two sets. One set are in red, these are commercial address’s and the remainder are in dark blue, these are domestic address’s. Charles Cecils is dark blue. Google maps will miss direct you if you search for the address, so enter no.140 to arrive close to the correct door. When you arrive, the entrance leads directly to a long narrow stairs. At the top of the stairs turn left and the drawing studio is on the left. Arrive in plenty of time to allow yourself to get set up with seating or easel so as not to disturb the group. The poses are determined by the administrator of the academy.


The Florence Academy
Address: Via delle Casine 21/R 50122 Florence Italy
Time and day: Every Thursday, 5.30pm - 8.30pm
Cost: €2 for a half session. €4 for the full session.
Easels and seating available.
Again the street numbers are broken into red and dark blue. The studio number is in red and the entrance is a double door at ground floor level. It is generally closed so you ring the bell to gain access. Don’t arrive too early but if you are late it’s okay as the hour of 5.30 may not suit everyones work hours. Please be quiet during the drawing session. The poses are determined by the administrator.

Cultural Salon Firenze may be providing a morning or afternoon studio drawing area in the center of the city. Times and days will be added here as they occur.

Santa Croce Arte is a private Artists studio in the heart of Florence, where you will receive a warm welcome from Claudia and Gianni. It's a very large studio with many rooms. Twice a month they open their doors in the evenings and welcome guests to draw with them. It's late and very often it finishes by not finishing and people continue to chat until the wee hours over a glass of wine. The pattern of dates changes each month to accommodate the working plans of the studio. To verify the hours and dates check their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/santacroce.arte
As a rule, there is a sketch night twice a month on Thursday with live model in the historical Piazza of Santa Croce.

Address: 19, Piazza Santa Croce, 1st floor. Door bell, press ACSIT.
Time: Confirm on Facebook.
Bring your drawing material.
Seating provided. No easels.
Cost: €10
Life Drawing is a way of learning anatomy, testing your capacity to accurately draw and dare I say, it’s a spiritual experience for the artist and the model.