In addition to being an article writer I am also a professional artist. Previously, I created and produced a copyrighted cartoon strip and many of my paintings contain images of people engaged in various activities.
Three years ago my now ex-girlfriend asked me what I wanted for an AA anniversary gift and I said that I could really use a figurative art manikin. She gave me a nice, basic male manikin which she purchased at a Jerry’s Art-A-Rama store in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Even though the spelling is different, a figurative art manikin is similar to a fashion-type mannequin but the size is usually much smaller. Figurative art manikins are jointed and bendable and are designed to replicate specific movements or poses that the human body assumes. If you like to draw, paint or sculpt people, a figurative art manikin can help to clearly define what position certain parts of the body are in when they are performing certain actions.
The figurative art manikin that my ex-girlfriend gave me is a standard-type of manikin. These bendable statues, as it were, are available in a range of sizes, with the one my ex-girlfriend gave me being eight inches in height. It has proven itself to be very useful and I wish I had utilized one years earlier.
The manikin is a simple and non-descript version of the human body in appearance. It is made of unfinished lightweight wood with no facial or anatomical features present. The manikin is mounted on a round pedestal by way of a metal rod that extends upward from the pedestal through the manikin’s legs.
When an artist wants to realistically replicate human body movement or poses, a figurative art manikin is a great tool to have on hand. Because of its bendable and movable nature, specific parts of the body can be manipulated into any type of pose the artist desires.
For example, if you wanted to draw or paint a person in the act of walking or running, you could bend the manikin’s arms and legs into the positions that a person’s arms and legs would be in while walking or running. Then you can look at the position of the manikin’s body and draw or paint your subject accordingly.
Most of the bendable parts of the manikin move independently of each other and they also bend realistically in unison with each other.
If you want to draw or paint an image of a person leaning forward or bending backward, you can position the waist of the manikin in the appropriate positions to accurately capture the poses.
One of the hardest parts of the human anatomy for an artist to accurately replicate are the hands, especially when they are doing something. With a figurative art manikin the hands are jointed at the wrist and can be manipulated into many poses. The arms bend at the elbows and the shoulders also move back and forth.
The head and neck on the manikin tilt from side to side as well as backward and forward. The manikin’s legs are jointed at the base of the hips, the knees and ankles and they bend easily. Virtually any type of sitting, standing, walking or running position can be assumed with a figurative art manikin.
When a person is engaged in a physical activity such as running, the body assumes positions that are often difficult to accurately replicate in drawing and painting. When you use a manikin to replicate various poses it can help to lend an air of realism to human figures that usually cannot be done without one by most people.
No matter what your skill level as an artist may be, by utilizing a figurative art manikin when drawing, painting or sculpting the human body the work will most likely be better than ever.
Sources :
Personal experience with using a figurative art manikin
