Life Drawing/ Figure Drawing FAQs -Oakland, CA

The new Faultline Gallery at 3908 MacArthur Blvd in East Oakland’s Laurel District, CA 94619

There is paid parking on MacArthur and free parking in the neighborhood, Patterson Street is around the corner from the gallery and is probably the best street in the area to park.

Absolutely, we realize it’s difficult or impossible for many of our artists to get here on time, but we’d still love to see you! You may come and go as you please, you won’t be disturbing anyone. Come on in and one of our friendly moderators will meet you at the door and help you find a seat, get set up, and answer any questions you might have. Doors open by 5:45 and the model takes the stand as close to 6 as possible.

Absolutely! We have many beginners and people that haven’t done it in many years, as well as talented individuals to be inspired from. Our sessions are for everyone.

Most people come alone but friends are always welcome, it’s a friendly, and supportive classroom vibe. Feel free to introduce yourself to those around you.

Yes. We may offer a clothed session in the future, but at this time all our sessions feature a nude model. We celebrate all genders, body types, and ages. If you ‘d like a heads up on who the model will be for the upcoming week, please subscribe to our life drawing newsletter

Monday night short pose format-
20- 1 minute poses
10 -2 minute poses
7 - 3 minute poses
4- 5 minute poses
3- 7 minute poses
2 - 10 minute poses
1 - 15-20 minute pose
-5 minute poses between sets-

Wednesday medium pose format-
10 - 1 minute poses, 5 - 2 minute poses
2 - 5 minute poses, 1 - 10 minute poses
5 - 20 minute poses
1 -40 minute pose
-5 minute break between sets-

Tipping the model is not required, but it is a nice courtesy to show appreciation for their efforts. $2-5 is standard, but tip as you please.

No photography is allowed and devices should be put away while the model is on the stand, with the exception of using one to draw. A square of masking tape over the camera lens will put the model at ease.

We highly recommend you pick up a ticket beforehand on our website. We're approaching capacity, so advance tickets are the best way to make sure you have a spot.

Full refunds are available with 24 hour notice. less than 24 hours or no shows are automatically converted to rain checks. We recommend sending the gallery an email if you missed a session to confirm your raincheck- artists[at]faultlineartspace[dot]com

We have a stack of newsprint and drawing paper and various drawing supplies if you need some. We have several drawing boards you can use, along with easels, tables, and drawing horses available which are first come, first serve.

Water based paints are fine, no oils on Monday night, okay for Wednesday. Low dust charcoals, just clean up after yourself whatever you use. No size limit.

Space varies a bit by session and attendance. We have easels, drawing horses, and table space. If it’s really crowded we’ll set up more tables and seats rather than squeeze people into a table. Many people work small and sharing a table isn’t an issue, if you work large, 18×24 or larger, it’s best to get here early and sit at a drawing horse or easel to make sure you have the room you need.

We always send out who the scheduled model is for the week in our weekly reminder. Sign up here-
We also post it on the tickets if we know soon enough.

Funny you should ask…
1. Life Drawing at Faultline Email list - weekly update and reminder including model names
2. The Life Drawing webpage and ticket portal
3. Follow @Faultline_LifeDrawing on Instagram
4. Our new blog featuring life drawing and figure drawing content

We almost always use the Guild, even though they are sometimes more expensive than independent models. They have an excellent no-show policy, they can send a replacement model quickly if the scheduled model doesn’t show, and we can book months at a time with a single email. The Guild has high standards for models and we appreciate the extra effort they put in to ensure that every model is skilled, enthusiastic, and professional. Here’s a link for the Bay Area Models’ Guild, they have regular auditions to become a model.

We may have dedicated sessions in the future for non Guild models as we add more events. Feel free to to shoot us an email at artists[at]faultlineartspace[dot]com to get on our radar.

This is why we love the Guild! The models are incredibly reliable, if one doesn’t show, which is rare, we can usually get a replacement over within half an hour. If we can’t, you will get a raincheck and a free session!