We Be Clubbin': Dr. Sketchy
Getting people organized
Cisco Gamez
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In this digitalized, depersonalized age, it’s become easier than ever to lose all touch with society and become a modern-day hermit, connecting with our fellow man solely through text messages, Facebook status updates, and the occasional Skype sex session. In the interest of tying knots out of the last remaining threads of our civilization, We Be Clubbin’ profiles some of Austin’s most under-the-radar organizations, elucidating the reasons why you might want to become a member and rejoin the human race. This week, Decider looks at local life drawing group Dr. Sketchy.
The club: Dr. Sketchy
When and where it meets: Monthly at the Spider House Special Events Center (formerly the United States Art Authority).
What it is: "Art class without the class," the group's website proudly declares. A quick peek inside the door reveals that, despite a smattering of middle-aged dilettantes, Dr. Sketchy actually bears little resemblance to the sort of life drawing classes you'll find at Laguna Gloria or AVAA. For one, the model isn't fully nude—usually transitioning from a skimpy costume to little else besides her pasties (a TABC requirement). For another, the music provided by a Mac-wielding DJ is a little more strip club-y than the pleasant wallpaper of Debussy you’d hear in an academic setting. (At a recent meeting, for example, the soundtrack was heavy on Black Keys lap-dance jams.) Creeps and pervs needn't bother, however, unless they're extremely dedicated: There's a $10 per-person cover charge to ensure that the model gets paid and all the expenses are covered, and organizer "Miss D" has found that to be a significant deterrent for those who just want to ogle a foxy lady in her underwear: "That's a pretty high commitment for a weirdo who wants to stare at a model."
Why you should join: Lots of people love art but hate art classes—and why not? Art classes are boring and most artists are pretentious. Furthermore, as Kristin Hogan (who hasn't missed a Dr. Sketchy event in two-and-a-half years) reminds us, "Models aren't always people you'd want to see—or paint—naked." Sketchy pulls its model pool from local burlesque troupes, and the bar pours drinks for all three hours, so it's easy to cut loose and just draw for a while in an extremely laid-back environment. Here, no one’s going to insist that you're “not properly juxtaposing the entropy and order of the subject's decaying inner life,” so you can just paint and sip your Lone Star in peace.
Hazing rituals: While any event that involves a big group of people looking at a mostly naked person on a stage lends itself pretty easily to hazing, it actually goes against the egalitarian principles on which Dr. Sketchy was founded. In lieu of hazing, each session features contests like "Best Left-handed Drawing" or "Best Drawing Of The Model As Hello Kitty." Not only will you leave with your pride intact, you might even walk away with some gift certificates.
Food: No fruity little cheese plates here, but you're welcome to pop over to Spiderhouse and bring back a garden bagel (or anything else on the menu) whenever you want.
What to bring: Sketchy provides the lights, chairs, and model, so you're responsible for your own pencils, paints, pastels, sketchbooks, canvases, and whatever else you need to express yourself.
What not to bring: Your prudish friend who'll get the vapors at the sight of a burlesque dancer posing in her leopard-print underwear. More practically speaking, Hogan also advises you to consider the constraints of the session, specifically that it's very fast-paced. (Models hold poses for anywhere from five to 20 minutes.) "Don't bring a giant canvas for a portrait," she says. "Try pastels."
Contact: Visit the group's website or e-mail Miss D directly to RSVP for the May session.
