Leeds model Tattooed Nude brings glow-in-the-dark life drawing up north

But for Leeds man Craig Dyson - aka @tattooed_nude - it was the catalyst that launched his life modelling career.

“My mum said ‘You’re getting all these tattoos and no one gets to see them’, and I thought she’s got a point,” he said.

“I’m into art, I knew about life drawing and I wanted to see how artists would interpret my tattoos.”

With barely two hours’ notice, he found himself naked and centre stage at a packed event at the city’s Left Bank, in Burley.

Since then, he’s become a familiar figure on the life drawing scene.

Now, Craig, is turning the spotlight around, hosting his own sessions in Leeds.

But this isn’t your typical still-life sketching class.

Held monthly at Leeds Postal Service, on Wellington Street, Neon Naked life drawing swaps traditional silence and stillness for glowing black lights, neon paint, and a vibrant atmosphere.

The models glow head to toe in UV-reactive body paint and become living canvases, offering a whole new challenge for artists of every level.

Neon Naked was created by fashion designer-turned-artist Jylle Navarro, who painted models for the catwalk.

Craig said: “I’m mates with Jylle now. I’ve been modelling for her consistently over the past year.

“When I model in London, I use a light wand - like a lightsaber - that reveals the body paint and the tattoos underneath. It’s a really cool effect.”

Craig is fronting the inaugural Leeds session today (Saturday, October 11).

He said: “I’ve got a great model for the first session, she’s called Lady Catnis. I’ll be hosting, then I’ll model for the next one. I want to alternate between male and female models.”

The classes run monthly on Saturday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm and are open to everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned illustrators.

Craig didn’t always plan to become a full-time life model, having previously worked for his family kitchen business.

He said: “ I’d applied and got a phone call in December saying it'll be sometime in mid-January.

“I thought I’d have time to prepare, learn a few poses and get a robe and flip flops - the life model’s uniform. But then, while I was halfway through a sandwich, they rang again and said, ‘Can you come now? The model's dropped out.’”

Thrown in at the deep end, he found himself posing for more than 40 artists at Left Bank.

He said: “With no preparation whatsoever, I had to get on a train and it is still to this day one of the busiest classes I've ever modelled in front of.

“I had no instructions, the heater was blasting on my leg. I had no idea what to do with poses. I was terrible. I thought if I can do that, I can do anything.”

He started studying poses, networking with art groups, and building his presence on Instagram, which he now calls his “online CV.”

Just over 18 months later, Craig now models for around 20 classes a month.

He said: “It’s my full-time job. I’ve retired and I’ve never been busier.”

Portraits of Craig have featured in a number of exhibitions, including the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at London’s Mall Galleries.

He said: “It was nice looking around and having people recognise me.”

Despite joking that at 54, he isn’t getting any younger, Craig is known for his expressive, ambitious poses - some of which last up to an hour.

He said: “I’ve got one where I’m lying on the floor with my arm stretched up towards the ceiling. That one always seems to amaze people.”

He takes inspiration from Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele, known for his twisted limbs and dramatic angles.

“I love the contorted, gnarled look of his self-portraits. I copy a lot of those shapes,” he said.

Physical fitness helps. Craig trains with kettlebells and weights on the balcony of his flat to stay in shape, though he insists life models don’t have to be gym bunnies.

He said: “There are all body types in life drawing. Some people love the Rubenesque curves.

“For the kinds of dynamic poses I do, I think you need a base level of fitness. People ask if I do yoga, I don’t, but I do get into some weird, twisted shapes.

“I sometimes have a few aches and strains afterwards. I like to push the boundaries and be a bit ambitious with my poses. I’ll take risks and do stuff that I’ve not rehearsed or prepared just to see how it goes. There’s always that element of will he fail or not, which creates a sense of jeopardy.”

However, not all poses go to plan.

He said: “Sometimes, five minutes into a 30-minute hold, you realise you’ve made a mistake and the pain’s kicking in. Then it’s just about finding ways to manage it, shift your weight, shuffle a bit. I’ve never bailed on a pose I thought I could hold.”

Then there are the occasional hazards.

“Once, I did a pose and the rug my foot was resting on started sliding across the floor. I knew I had to abandon that one,” he said.

“But generally, I like to take risks. I’ll jump on tables or stand on chairs - I like to do poses that create a bit of a wow factor I suppose.

As life modelling continues to shape his career and lifestyle, Craig reflects on the unexpected places it’s taken him.

He said: “I’m in London regularly now. I’ve met so many incredible artists.

“It did feel a bit weird being naked in front of strangers for the first few classes, but now I just take it in my stride.

“I think they are more likely to be nervous than I am. I do it all the time now, I don’t even think about it.”