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“I didn’t really know what Life Drawing was!”

When he agreed to Life Drawing Life for SBS, Adam Liaw didn't know it meant drawing nudes.

When Adam Liaw agreed to participate as an artist in Life Drawing Live on SBS, he forgot to check one thing.

“I didn’t really know what Life Drawing was!” he tells TV Tonight.

“I didn’t know if it was still life, live people or live action. But I guess Life Drawing is a term of Art and it means drawing nudes!”

Indeed it does. Liaw will join actors Claudia Karvan, Hunter Page-Lochard and comedian Susie Youssef in the live-to-air art class this weekend.

Rove McManus hosts the CJZ-produced show, based on a UK format, that encourages viewers to share their own drawings on social media.

Liaw insists he is no expert, and the concept is more about picking up a pencil and having a go.

“I’m not there as an expert”

“The producers saw a couple of things that I’d sketched for my kids on Instagram and thought I might be a good fit for it. I’m always up for doing interesting and fun projects, so I was very glad they called me.

“I sketch a couple of birthday invitations for my kids a couple of times a year. But that is the extent of my drawing!” he laughs.

“I’m not there as an expert, I’m there as a punter off the street.”

There to assist are Head of Drawing at the National Art School Maryanne Coutts and award-winning artist Wendy Sharpe. Artists will complete a series of life drawing exercises before attempting to capture a ‘challenging final scene.’

Viewers will also be able to access an uninterrupted stream of the life models via sbs.com.au/lifedrawinglive.

“I’ve done Live cooking and lots of morning shows, but certainly never anything for two hours,” Liaw insists.

“It’s a little bit daunting, I hadn’t even thought of the Live aspect until you just said it.

“Hopefully it’s not too risky, unless I draw incredibly badly or accentuate the body parts of the life model in a derogatory fashion.”

“Callum won MasterChef All Stars”

Liaw, who is currently working on a bushfire recovery project, has also managed to squeeze in a little bit of time for watching MasterChef and is tipping his own season runner-up from 2010.

“Callum won the MasterChef All Stars no-one ever talks about from 2012. He’s a fabulous young guy and cook,” he suggests.

“Throw a couple of naked people into the room”

Meanwhile he is busily brushing up, pun intended, for his live to air art class tomorrow, ready for the challenge.

“I don’t think there are many people who are in their comfort zone, doing something that they don’t do professionally -such as drawing- on Live television for two hours, and then throw a couple of naked people into the room.

“Anything could happen!”

Life Drawing Live premieres Saturday 4 July, 8.30pm on SBS.

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