NEWPORT people are being asked to bare all in the name of art. Life drawing tutors in Newport say their classes face the axe unless they can find more models prepared to pose nude for their pupils.

Ann Howells, community learning officer for art and craft, said: "We used to have 12 models but now we have just one or two."

Now some of the classes may be cut unless more models are found. Mrs Howells said: "We need men and women and you don't have to be Brad Pitt or Catherine Zeta Jones to do it."

Life drawing is drawing the human form, clothed and nude. Newport muralist Alison Ludlow, 40, teaches life drawing classes on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings at Charles Street community learning centre, Newport.

She said: "I've had a lot of first-time models. We used to have a lot of students, but some people just wanted to try something different. Some are nervous but nearly all have come back.

"It's not embarrassing, we make sure you are comfortable and you can be any shape, size or age.

"The more variety of models students see the better."

Models earn £7.65 an hour. Glyn Mitchell, 43, from Newport, has done eight modelling sessions for the life-drawing classes.

He is off work because of a neurological problem and had to learn English from scratch at the community centre. He said: "I saw the poster and thought 'I can do this'. The first time I wasn't really nervous because I didn't know the people there. ."

Student Gerard Whyman, 40, is a cartoonist from Newport. He has been doing life drawing classes since 1998 and said: "It's essential to have live models. Life drawing is the basis of all drawing. I think everyone is concerned about the lack of models. The classes would be missed if they were cancelled."