Dr. Sketchy’s: The alternative art school

Hannah Coates
Staff Writer

A scantily dressed pirate in a bustier, knee-high boots and a sparkly heart eyepatch is not the first thought that comes to mind when you think of a live, art school drawing model.
This past Wednesday, Strange Matter hosted the October session of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School with its Halloween appropriate theme, Pirates.

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School is the world’s leading alternative drawing movement started seven years ago by art school dropout, Molly Crabapple, and has since spread to over 116 countries on five continents.

Crabapple, bored with the mundane dryness that she found in traditional art school, decided to create an environment in which artists could draw glamorous underground performers in an atmosphere of boozy joviality.

Richmond branch’s headmistress, Deanna Danger focuses on burlesque performers, alternative models, circus-ters and vaudevillians.

“Your typical modeling classes would be a regular nude model sporting a scarf or something so we try to push the boundaries of edginess,” Danger said. “I look for people in the performance arts community with a really awesome getup that they go in (whole-heartedly) for”.

Every month there is a different theme ranging from classic pin-ups and cute models, Amazonian woman to male models and demonic creatures all meant to allow artists’ creativity to take off.

Coming from a dance background and after losing her graphic design job, Danger was lead into the world of burlesque, which she said was always her first love, and began Boom Boom Basics Burlesque and Performing Arts Studio. Having her hand already in the underground modeling scene, she eagerly accepted the position to head the Richmond branch of Dr. Sketchy’s.

Luscious Curves, Deanna’s assistant and fellow burlesque dancer, raved about the friendly atmosphere and good time for everyone, even people who “can’t even draw stick people”.

“There is such a laid-back, non-judgmental environment (at Dr. Sketchy shows) plus the opportunity to openly sketch,” Curves said. “I have seen some amazing drawings that have come from the sessions I’ve attended. People can just openly express themselves.”

Kate Foray, a VCU graphic design major attending her second Dr. Sketchy’s session said, “Since I’m in the graphic design program, I don’t really get the chance to do a lot of fine arts anymore so this lets me do something a little bit different than I’m used to. Not getting graded on my work is pretty nice too.”

The model at Wednesday’s session was Deanna Moore, a photographer, model and fire performer who travels across the U.S. doing different gigs for One Stop Pin-Up.

“It’s a bit more difficult than what I’m used to because I’ve never had to hold a pose for thirty minutes before but I’m glad I did it,” Moore said. “I actually googled pirate poses to prepare for today.”

Dr. Sketchy is open to all drawing skill levels. Danger only asks of its participants to promote their “individuality, owning your own self, being proud of all your quirks and uniqueness and bringing out the weirdness inside.”

There is a Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School session at Strange Matter every third Wednesday of the month starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students with a valid student ID and $7 for all others.