Read the script:
SLIM: BOY, MY DOGS SURE ARE BARKIN'. I WISH I HAD A TRUSTY HORSE TO CARRY ME TO THE GALLERY A LITTLE QUICKER. HMM. THAT'S NOT QUITE IT. HMM. GETTIN' BETTER. NOPE, THAT'S NOT EVEN A HORSE. WELL THEY SAY PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, AND THAT'S TRUE FOR ARTISTS, TOO.
IN GOOD OL' CLEVELAND, THERE'S A GROUP OF FOLKS DEDICATED TO PRACTICIN' TOGETHER. THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE PRETENTIOUS ARTISTS. NOW PRETENTIOUS MEANS STUCK UP OR PRETENDING TO BE BETTER THAN YOU ARE. BUT IN THIS NEXT TALE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY ARE ANYTHING BUT. HAVE A LOOK.
- I'M ACTUALLY EXCITED. THIS IS A BRAND NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME, SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. BUT WHAT I'VE ANTICIPATED IS JUST KIND OF TRYING TO FOCUS, RELAX, SO I CAN IGNORE EVERYBODY ELSE AND MAYBE GET THROUGH THIS.
- HERE'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. YOU'RE GONNA FIND A FOCAL POINT ON THE WALL, SOMEWHERE BEHIND US. NOW IF WE'RE TALKING IN THE ROOM WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, DON'T TURN YOUR HEAD. JUST STARE AT THE FOCAL POINT AND TALK, AND WE'LL KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO. YOUR FIRST SITTING'S GONNA BE THE HARDEST. THAT'S GONNA BE FOR 45 MINUTES. AND AFTER THAT IT GETS A LOT EASIER. THEN WE TAKE A 15-MINUTE BREAK, THEN A HALF-HOUR SITTING, 15-MINUTE BREAK, HALF-HOUR SITTING, 15-MINUTE BREAK, HALF-HOUR SITTING, THEN WE'LL PHOTOGRAPH 'EM. THAT'LL TAKE ABOUT A HALF HOUR, 20 MINUTES. AND THEN, WE'LL GO HOME.
- ME AND A FRIEND, BRIAN PIERCE, WERE AT LITTLE LOCAL CLUB CALLED THE LITERARY CAFE, AND WE WERE TRYING TO CONCEIVE A WAY TO GET SOME DRAWING AND SOME PORTRAIT DRAWING, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR A MODEL FOR TWO OF US. SO WHILE WE DEVISED A PLAN TO GET ONE OF THE PATRONS TO SIT AND POSE FOR US, AND WE FIGURED, WHAT THE HECK, WE'D GIVE 'EM THE DRAWINGS BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO US ANY GOOD AND THAT WAY WE'D HAVE STEADY PRACTICE. WE STARTED SOME TIME AROUND 2005. TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO SNOWBALL, TO GET IT TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW WHERE WE DON'T EVEN REPEAT MODELS. IT'S ONE AND DONE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SO MANY PEOPLE THAT LIKE TO POSE, THAT WE DON'T NEED TO REPEAT. PLUS, AS ARTISTS, WE LIKE A FRESH FACE EVERY FRIDAY.
- WELL YOU KIND OF HAVE TO GET USED TO I THINK NOT JUDGING YOURSELF IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
SLIM: LIKE PEOPLE LOOKIN' OVER YOUR SHOULDER?
- WELL, YEAH, AND YOU JUST KIND OF HAVE TO FORGET THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE AROUND.
MAN: A LOT OF TIMES ARTISTS ARE ASKED TO GIVE ART AWAY, AND THAT CAN BE DRAINING. BUT IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE A PERSON THAT'S SITTING FOR THREE HOURS AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY EARNING IT. PLUS, AT THE SAME TIME, THE ART DOES GET PUBLISHED, THEY SEE IT, AND THEY HAVE A NEW MODEL EACH WEEK. THEY DON'T PAY ANYTHING. SO IT'S JUST LIKE EXERCISE.
- I PREFER CHARCOAL. YEAH, USUALLY FOR ME IT'S PREDICATED ON THE LIGHTING SITUATION. I DON'T FIND IT QUITE VIVID ENOUGH TO WORK WITH COLOR. WHEREAS IF IT'S SATURATED WITH LIGHT, I THINK MAYBE FOR ME, A PENCIL WOULD BE BETTER BECAUSE I COULD GET A LOT MORE SUBTLETY, OR WHATEVER.
SLIM: SO YOU TAKE A PICTURE WITH A SMARTPHONE?
WOMAN: JUST FOR SHADOWIN' PURPOSES. WANNA MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK. SOME TIME I DON'T GET ENOUGH OF FEATURES WITH THE LIGHT, SO THIS HERE GIVES IT MORE DEFINITION, TOO. IF YOU COULD SEE LIGHT AND DARK.
- YOU'RE DONE. THAT WAS A FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC JOB. - THANK YOU, THIS WAS FUN. IT'S LIKE IT TOOK YEARS OFF OF ME, THAT IS CRAZY. I'M THINKING I'M GONNA CLEAR A WALL AT HOME, ANDI DON'T KNOW. I'M GONNA PICK OUT MY FAVORITES, I GUESS. BUT IT'S HARD, 'CAUSE I LIKE 'EM ALL, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA NARROW DOWN.
SLIM: NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. WHAT DO YA THINK?