One of the most troubled types to date, besides the musician, is the artist. Picture dating a boy who has a moody temperment, spends all night painting and really thinks he's gonna eventually pay rent with his tortured art. He's probably gonna be the type who delightfully rolls around in misery, who needs a fan girl to appreciate his torment, who will make obscure statements to sound profound - you get the picture. Here's some tips on how to deal with the artist boy so you don't resort to drowning him in gesso when he's asleep.

• No matter how much he begs, do not let your art boy sweet talk you into posing nude for a painting. It might end up being sold and hung over some creepy guy's fireplace. Or worse yet, put up on display in the hallways of the art department for all to see.

• This goes for photographer boyfriends too. You don't want to see your naked bod end up on someone's Web site, do ya?

• Plan on feeding your boyfriend on a regular basis. They don't call it being a starving artist for nothing.

• Try not to let yourself get jealous of the models he paints. Your artist boy will be in the company of lots of girls with their clothes off. Just hope that he keeps his on.

• Chances are if he's spending all his money on expensive oil paints, pastels and canvas - he's not going to afford to take you out on too many fancy dates. Remind him of this when he sells his first painting for $5,000.

• Don't upset your artist boy by breaking his heart. These types of boys tend to take things to heart. Remember what happened to poor Vincent Van Gough?

• Resist the temptation to play Ms. Art Critic with your boy's work. Just because he asked for your honest opinion, doesn't neccessarily mean he really wants it. He could simply be seeking a bit of positive affirmation from his number one girl.

• On the flipside, if your boy's stuff is truly crap, try not to tell your pals unless you want it to get back to him second-hand. And it will.

• Also don't offer to turn the bare walls of your apartment into a shrine to his art, especially if you don't like it. You don't want to be staring at his tribute to green eggs and ham if you've got a nasty hangover.

• Be open-minded about the friends he'll be hanging with. Because he's an artiste, he'll be inviting painters, dancers, and maybe even a mime to your parties.

• Watch the movie, or better yet read the book, Slaves of New York. There's a typical artist boy named Stash in that story line. You might learn a thing or two from the heroine, Eleanor.