What is the best 'TOY, ACTION FIGURE' to use as a Reference Tool(?)

[motherbleepers]

Iv'e heard muscle magazines are a good source, wich is true. I've heard looking at comic books is good for most things, wich is true.
I've heard wrestiling magazinez work too, but what is the best 'action figure' most people use to draw from. Spider-man toys, spawn toys, etc. because the list goes on and on.
Can you tell me what you think the best action figure is for drawing purposes????????

Thanks' all!;pencil;

[Mike]

What is the best 'TOY, ACTION FIGURE' to use as a Reference Tool(?)

A mirror? I've used GIJoe 12" figures in the past to get an idea of scale to guns (like machine guns and such- handguns are easy, just go to a pawn shop and ask to see some).

A lot of people don't recommend using action figures for ref, mostly because a lot of the proportions aren't quite right, they don't move right, they can't teach you proper bone and muscle placement and so forth.

If you really want to learn how to draw people well, take some life drawing classes. If you don't want to shell out the cash, find some friends or family that will sit still for a few minutes for you to sketch them out.

[Darren Schwindaman]

I'd recommend a wooden artist's mannequin that has a lot of joints in it and is super poseable. Figures are OK, like some of the super poseable Spider-Man ones, but they won't help you with muscles and stuff b/c of how they stretch and interact with each other in real life.

[Quiller-Bee]

I agree with Mike. I wouldn't recommend relying too heavily on action figures for drawing reference due to the fact that even the more articulated ones generally offer such a limited range of poseability. In addition to that, accurate proportions are very often passed over by the sculptors in favor of style.

Unfortunately, I'd also recommend that you avoid the traditional wooden artist's mannequins. These generally are even more limited in their range of poseability than your average action figure. They work well enough for establishing basic poses, but don't lend themselves well to the dynamic poses essential to comic book illustration. To be honest, I retired mine some time ago to the sole role of decorative pieces for my studio. :D

An alternative worth consideration is Sideshow Collectibles' "Art S. Buck" line. They're basically action figure/artist mannequin hybrids designed for artists. They offer "true human proportions in 1/6 scale", according to Sideshow.

Here are some links:

www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=art_buck

www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=art_buck&item=1202R&type=store

www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=art_buck&item=1201R&type=store

For what you're looking for, these probably are your best bet. Still, there is no substitute for drawing from life itself. (As it's been said many times before, "Ya have ta know the rules before ya can break 'em!") Ask a friend or family member to pose for you when you're trying to nail a difficult pose. Go to the park or mall with a sketch book and (quickly) sketch the people you see there for the sake of getting fast at drawing people. And, if all else fails, you can model for yourself by using a mirror or snapping a picture of yourself with a digital camera--at least then you can avoid the embarrassing situation of asking a reluctant model to assume silly poses.

[motherbleepers]

Mike, Darren, thanks. I'm gonna have to go with what quiller bee was talking about, and so should everyone who uses a toy action figure for their references. I couldnt believe what I saw on the links quiller bee gave to us, unbelievable. Way better than a mannequin whatever size it may be, a mirror will always work depending on you of course, but the 20.00 dollar art 'doll'...that's too much, I'm loving that!
Thanks you guys and if there are still cool action toy figures let us know what they are, but check out quiller bee's post first!

Thanks for all of the information regarding my thread, thanx cuz's.

[martin_topsecret]

Poser is a profram designed to do 3d renderings of models with extremely easy(relatively speaking) controls. As far as lvl of detail goes, it is extremely scaleable, allowing most if not all poses possible, (including impossible poses). The camera is controlable as well to allow most if not all types of perspective.

[Mike]

I used Poser a while back to do some layouts and it worked alright. The one thing I'll mention about any and all of these suggestions is that you won't get ideas about how the muscles flex and deform around each other as with a real body.

One of the things I think is overlooked is how the major visible tissue masses that most often collide are drawn (neck, bicep & forearm area when bent, back of leg when bent). On toys, these areas won't change, so you'll be looking at two solid tubes that have been laid against each other and not squished around and into each other. Can't forget the fingers, either.

[motherbleepers]

I can speak for myself by saying, duh. That's why books and websites and magazines are bought by artist. We don't survive on dolls, and I dont mess around with the computer I know little about so poser is out of the question. I want to here the best action figure for drawing purposes to add to the collection of magazines, comics, comic tutor books, and etc.

So far I havent heard of one that exists except for the ultimate voodoo doll which is 20.00 dollars (above). I'll be fair and say that one is my best bet.

[Jukka]

As a kid I liked to draw muscle-bound superheroes and when figuring where the muscles where, I used an 80s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe-figure which pretty much showed all muscles.:D

[chynco]

DUDE i used the 80's he-man too.. they totally got me intrested in anatomy... although they were'nt totally correct.

but i think the best way to learn anatomy is observing... take drawing classes and draw from a nude model if you can. anatomy books help a little too with learnign all the particular mucles and such.