12 Best Posable Mannequins for Artists in 2020 (+ Anatomical!)

Drawing from references is a necessary part of the artistic journey. You physically can’t remember how all the objects in the world look like and referencing isn’t tracing or plagiarizing. It’s very much okay and helpful to use references to make your drawings accurate and realistic.

Using references when you draw people is a great learning experience as well. You can just sketch people in public places or use online galleries for sketch practicing. References will help you learn how to draw certain poses, facial expressions, clothes, how human proportions look, and how the body parts are positioned.

If you’re not just sketching anything you see and you have something particular in mind, you’ll need a certain pose for reference. However, you can’t always have actual human models posing for you. Finding a picture of the necessary pose online can be tricky, and taking your own reference pictures isn’t possible all the time. 

So, what’s an artist going to do to find references for their work and study them? The answer is getting your own human mannequin. Full-size shop mannequins won’t be of any use, but artistic ones would be very good at it, and medical mannequins can assist with studying anatomy as well.

We have picked several options of mannequins for you to choose from. Whatever is useful for you – hands, action poses human muscles. No more searching for reference photos online… or, at least, less of it.

Unisex Posable Mannequins

Some figurines don’t concentrate on details too much. Does it matter if it’s a man or a woman? Not really. The main thing is to understand how long the limbs are and how they’re positioned.

Artists Wooden Jointed Mannequin by HSOMiD

HSOMiD 12'' Artists Wooden Manikin Jointed Mannequin Perfect for Home Decoration/Drawing The Human Figure (A)

• Figure comes on a stand.Flexible joint allow for posing.
• Material:constructed of durable hard wood to ensure durability and longevity;

$11.99

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This well-known mannequin shape isn’t just a cheesy house decoration or a quirky companion that you can give a name to and apply some decorations. First and foremost, it’s an artists’ reference model. The little guy is posable, stands on a small wooden stand and won’t take up much space.

This mannequin will give you an understanding of what basic human proportions are, and how limbs can be positioned on various occasions. He might be not too expressive in terms of joint movement, but he is sturdy and reliable. The stand can be removed if you want to sit the figurine or position it differently. 

Overall, this mannequin is not too detailed, but it would be great for sketching and learning basic figure building. The downside is that it’s easy to position it in a very unrealistic manner, and the joints allow that.

All-in-One Drawing Set by PRO ART

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PRO ART Drawing Set with Mannequin Value Pack, Assorted

• Pro Art All In One Drawing Set With Mannequin Value Pack
• Includes: 4. 5" mannequin

$17.99 $12.25

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If you’re a beginner and would like to start with something, but don’t know what to pick, this drawing set would be a great option. It’s meant for sketching and improving your skills, and it features a small wooden mannequin as well.

The mannequin itself has quite a basic shape, but it’s still very much capable of showing you how human poses look like. It’s almost like practicing from nature, and it would be really good for studying. However, you’ll still need to be careful not to bend it into unrealistic poses.

There’s no stand attached to the mannequin. But if it won’t stand on its own because of the complicated pose, you can always use some play-doh to stick its feet to or lean it against something.

Petite Plus Human Skeleton Model by Shop Anatomical, Inc

Petite Plus Human Skeleton Model on Plastic Base 45cm

• 17.25 " tall (45cm)
• Movable jaw and removable skull cap

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If you want to learn human anatomy deeply (pun intended), or if you just love drawing human skeletons, you’ll also enjoy the company of this lovely skeleton model. Props like these are irreplaceable for tactile learners, and you can actually assemble the skeleton all by yourself. Its parts are detachable and you can have a lot of fun besides drawing!

Positioning this skeleton is easy due to its flexibility and sturdy plastic stand. You can even move its jaw and place something instead of its skull cap (like a flower or a crystal). The model is 45 cm (17.25”) tall, which means that you’ll be able to see the bones quite well and draw it in a more detailed way.

Male Posable Mannequins

If you draw a lot of male characters – these mannequins are for you. They depict typical male body shapes, proportions, and distribution of muscle.

Bandai S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set by TAMASHII NATIONS

TAMASHII NATIONS Bandai S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set

• Man action figure with a whole range of cool accessories!
• The highly posable 150mm figure includes 7 optional left hands, 10 optional right hands

$666.66

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This figurine is a perfect choice for you if you want to draw a lot of action scenes. It can imitate a lot of dynamic poses since it’s created for this specific purpose. It’s delivered with extra sets of hands that do different gestures, and a sturdy plastic stand meant for action poses.

The good thing is that the figure’s joint shape won’t allow you to bend it into unrealistic positions, so you can experiment as much as you like. A flying superhero, a sneaking spy, a ballet dancer – easily achievable!

The set also includes a few props for the mannequin, such as a gun, a katana, or a cell phone. This would help you build a more realistic reference. Or just have a lot of fun positioning the figurine.

Human Anatomical Muscle Resin Model by BoNew

BoNew-Oral 30CM Human Anatomical Anatomy Skull Head Body Muscle Bone Resin Model

• Using in teaching and Medical Science.
• For dentist studying,teaching and researching.

$33.99

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This doesn’t really count as a posable mannequin. However, this model is very detailed and can help you a lot with studying human anatomy and the positioning of muscles. Which is a necessary thing for almost every artist who wants to draw realistic people.

The 30 cm tall figure is attached to its base using two metal pins in its feet (and can be easily removed from the stand). That makes it steady and convenient to use. All of the details in it are thoroughly made, depicting both the skin and the muscles under the skin.

Why do male figures look like that? What makes their torso shape? Where do you put the shadows on your character’s chest or back? Now you can know that because you see where the muscles are, and you can predict how they move.

Female Posable Mannequins

This category is for those artists who draw female characters frequently. These figurines have typical female body shapes and proportions.

Bandai S.H. Figuarts Woman DX Set by TAMASHII NATIONS

TAMASHII NATIONS Bandai S.H. Figuarts Woman DX Set

• Woman action figure with a whole range of cool accessories!
• The highly posable 150mm figure includes 7 optional left hands, 10 optional right hands

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If you have a lot of female action characters to draw, you can put this mannequin to good use. It’s designed to depict dynamic action poses and has a special plastic stand to execute that. With that stand, you can position the figure flying or falling, fighting, dancing, or doing anything else you want to draw.

The figure is easy to bend and position and the joints won’t allow you to make unrealistic poses, so you don’t need to search for photos for extra reference. It will also be able to stand on its feet without a stand if the gravity allows it the way you position it.

It also comes with a few props to make it extra cool. A couple of weapons for action scenes, a phone, a laptop, and several pairs of extra hands doing various gestures.

Female Anatomical Body Muscle Model by BoNew

BONEW 27CM Height Female Anatomical Anatomy Skull Head Body Muscle Bone Model US Stock

• Using in teaching and Medical Science
• For dentist studying,teaching and researching

$28.99

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The male and female anatomy is quite different in some body parts. That’s why it’s necessary to know how the muscles work, and you need an in-depth perception if you want to draw realistic people. This model will assist you in learning female anatomy, even if you’re an artist, not a medical student.

This figurine isn’t bendable, but it’s still cool nonetheless. You’ll be able to learn where certain muscle groups are located to predict how they will move in action and where should you put the shadows on your drawings. It has a lot of details, such as fingers and toes, and this would assist you in conquering hands and feet drawing.

The mannequin has a sturdy stand, but can be easily detached from it for easy transportation and storage.

Prima 12-Inch Female Manikin by Weber

Weber Prima 12-Inch Female Manikin, Black

• Flexible and life like
• Constructed of seasoned hardwood

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This mannequin isn’t too detailed. However, it’s still a little fancier than the most standard unisex wooden figurine. Why? Because the paint makes it look more stylish, it’s held together with screws and has a more realistically bending torso.

It will help you learn basic proportions and poses, understand how the limbs are positioned and do endless sketches from various angles. Practice makes perfect, and this well-made sturdy figure would be your companion for a long time. You most likely won’t be able to bend it unnaturally the way a human body cannot bend.

A steady stand is attached to the figurine so that it wouldn’t tip over too often. However, you can always tape it down or use something to add more weight.

A Set of Two Posable Mannequins

This option is for you if you need both mannequins at once so that you won’t have to buy them separately. Really convenient and the same delivery time for both.

Drawing Figures for Artists Human Mannequin Man and Woman Set by COLOR-LILIJ

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This set contains two rather detailed mannequins – a male and a female figure. Both of them come with their own separate stand for doing action poses, as well as extra sets of hands with various gestures. It’s a very useful thing and would help you create more realistic references.

The figures are bendable and easily posable (even their feet have joints so they can stand on tiptoes), but also able to hold in their position. Since they are meant for action poses, you can make truly superhero things out of them, and their joints would totally allow that. 

Both of the mannequins are pretty compact – 13-15 cm – so you would be able to carry them with you and sketch on the go if you want. Even with the stands, they won’t take up much space.

Other Cool Thingies “Extras”

Hey, body parts can be hard to draw as well, and they might need their own references! Anything that is not a full-body, but is useful for artists, can be found in this category.

Wooden Model Flexible Manikin Hand Figure by Alikeke

FUKQVOD 2 Pcs 10" Wooden Hand Model Flexible Moveable Fingers Manikin Hand Figure Both Left and Right Hand for Sketching Drawing Home Office Desk Posable Joints Kids Children Toys Gift 10 INCH

• WELL MADE-made of seasoned hardwood,articulated proportional sized,Holds pose well once locked into position
• ACCURATE CONNECTION at the JOINTS,FLEXIBLE FINGERS and KNUCKLES-which is created according to the structure of the human body

$19.99

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Usually, artists have to buy the right hand and the left hand models separately. But, luckily for you, this is a set of two different wooden hands! They will not only help you perfect the skills of drawing realistic hands, but also make fun decorations for your room, props for photos, and even serve as jewelry holders.

These models bend pretty realistically, having a necessary number of joints on each finger, and defined fingernails. The thumbs (on both hands) also move the way a real human thumb would move, which adds bonus points to the realism. All of that makes these hand mannequins really effective.

Lots of artists complain about how hard it is to draw realistic beautiful hands. So you can try your best and use these models to sketch and learn as much as you like.

Human Model Anatomy Head Muscle Drawing Study by airgoesin

airgoesin Human Model Craft Anatomy Skull Head Muscle Bone Medical Artist Drawing Study (Blue)

• Anatomy Skull Head Muscle Bone for Medical or Drawing Study
• Model Ratio 1:3

$24.98

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Do you want to know more about human anatomy or draw realistic portraits? This model is going to be very helpful for you.

It realistically shows human muscles the way they’re positioned on the head and face. That makes it easier to understand the facial shapes and expressions. This will work much better than trying to copy the shades from the photos and not understanding why the portraits don’t look like the models.

This model is compact (10 cm tall), lightweight, and easy to carry around if you want to. Its color is not too bright or too dark, which allows seeing the details easily. You can sketch a lot of things from different angles, or, if you’re a sculptor, try and put some modeling clay on it to study the shapes.

Numbered Human Adult Skull Anatomical Model by hBARSCI

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hBARSCI Numbered Human Skull Model - Medical Quality - 3 Parts w/Removable Calvaria, Articulated Mandible, Painted Sutures, 55 Numbered Features - Anatomy Skull, Plastic Skull Replica

• 3 PART SKULL MODEL || Life sized, 3 Parts (Calvaria, Base of Skull, and Mandible) with hand numbered structures
• ARTICULATED MANDIBLE || Mandible is articulated for more in depth study, and to demonstrate mandible movement

$43.99 $37.99

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This skull isn’t just a trendy decoration or a Shakespeare reference – it’s a very helpful piece to study facial anatomy. It’s very detailed, has a removable cap and a functional jaw, and all of the bones are numbered for easy studying.

A skull is a very useful thing to sketch in general, because it has a lot of fascinating parts that cast different shadows at different light angles. Using this model as a reference will improve your skills and help you understand what’s under human facial skin, how facial features are constructed and how to draw them.

Since this model is life-sized, it won’t be too easy to carry and travel with. However, it’s still very good to use at home or in class.

As you can see, there is a large variety of reference models for different occasions, body types and body parts. From cheap to expensive, they will allow you to study, sketch, improve your skills, and make your creative ideas come to life in a realistic way.

No more time spent on looking for references, instead you can spend your time practicing!

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