How do I get my figures to look more life like? I'm not talking about the way they are painted, I mean how do I pose them so they look more natural? Can I buy figures that are pre-posed to stand and sit more natural or is there a trick to bending the figure into more natural poses? Mine look stiff and false! I tried heating one figure up to make it more flexible but that was a disaster. Help!

Making poses for figures is not only about technique. It helps a lot if you have some idea of human anatomy or a friend who will let you bend his members in the positions you want to display on your figure. I have drawn a lot in my life, also basic art drawing (naked men and women with a graphite stick) and sculpting and all I´ve learned is that I can´t exaggerate enough the extreme body positions. Human body is a wonderful piece of work. To be precise, use a living model and take photos or draw. While you draw you actually study the construction and anatomy of the model without realizing it yourself. If you have a set of photos, try to examine them muscle by muscle, clothing fold by fold. After that, cut your figure in pieces limb by limb if needed, build it back again in the position you want with epoxy or CA glue. Use some putty to sculpt the missing folds and wrinkles.
When you modify a figure, pay attention to body proportions as your pose may be much different from the original.
A few examples of a modification from a German mortar team member to a stripped soldier:



I don´t mean to be an artist here, but I recommend art drawing classes to everybody! Beware...it too can be highly addictive!
Hope this is any help..


Toni

Envar...
Good Job o your figure conversions!!!! Looking good!
As far as realistic poses, study people, and how they shift their weight etc, Envar is right on, anatomy, it is the most important thing!

Want more dynamic poses?
Many figures are standing still or even the ones that are on the run have static poses.
One way to add some movement is to move the center weight point away from the figure´s feet. Of course, a standing figure would look like he´s about to fall on his face, so this requires much modifying.
Here´s a sketch for the Hutwarming dio. I decided not to use this figure because it would be too much work and a little overwhelming in this case. But just think about this pose for a guy fleeing in panic...


Toni

see if you can get old articles on figure, Sheppe Paine di a section in one of his books. What you'll probably land up doing is surgery that would scare Frankenstien to get the posses you want. You might want to pick up some used artist anatomy books.

Josh Weingarten
AkA shiryon