Best Drawing Mannequin in 2024 (Review and Buying Guide)

Every decent artist should know how to draw a realistic human figure. Some people might be able to make stick figures look artistic, but most of the time that won’t cut it. Luckily, with extra practice and the help of some handy artist tools, you can learn how to sketch human bodies like a pro.

Best Choice

TAMASHII NATIONS Bandai S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set

Best Drawing Mannequin

Overall, this seems to be the best mannequin for putting your sketching and drawing skills into practice. The accessories combined with the interchangeable hands are a huge plus. You can depict so many dynamic poses with each of the hands holding different accessories. If what you want in a mannequin is the ability to create unique situations with it, this may be the one you are looking for.

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If you want to practice your skills, you might want to invest in a drawing mannequin. This device will help you by providing a frame of reference for when you sketch or draw people, especially if you are drawing moving scenes. A lot of these mannequins are incredibly realistic, and some have human-like skin and muscles. You won’t even need a live human being to sit still and model for you!

Selecting your Drawing Mannequin

You may refer to this buyer guide below if you still have some unanswered questions. We will explain drawing mannequins further and help you understand their functionality more. This should allow you to make an informed decision when you purchase your first mannequin.

What is a drawing mannequin?

A drawing mannequin is a figurine or a doll that is used as a reference for artists. They are extremely useful for mimicking different poses, human movement, and musculature for sketches and drawings. Of course, having an actual person model for you would yield better results for your art. However, these figurines are excellent alternatives especially since they are becoming more and more realistic these days.

Uses for drawing mannequins

Drawing mannequins are versatile tools for artists that have numerous possible uses. Most of the time, they are used for simple sketches and drawings. They are useful references for character design. Aside from this, these mannequins can also be used in paintings, photography, cosplay, stop motion animation, clay animation, and modeling. Some people also just enjoy collecting these figures as a hobby or for home decor.

Materials used for drawing mannequins

These figures can be made out of numerous different materials. Most basic drawing mannequins are crafted with durable wood. Others are made out of some kind of plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride. Figures made out of plastic are usually a lot weaker or flimsier, but they tend to be cheaper as well. Some of the high-quality mannequins are made with steel or metal for extra strength and longevity.

Sizes of drawing mannequins

Most mannequins are desktop-sized, so they make for superb table ornaments if they come with a stand. Usually, they are quite small and are the same size as your hands or arms. The smaller-sized ones can be as small as 6 inches, and the larger ones can go up to 13 or 15 inches.

Mannequin accessories

Some art mannequins on the market might have accessories included to give artists an extra incentive to buy them. They come with accessories such as swords, model guns, cellular phones, laptop computers, and tablets among others. These are supposed to aid you in creating realistic drawings and imagining different scenarios.

Mannequin poses

This is one of, if not the most, important feature of drawing mannequins. In order to accurately mimic human poses and movement, they must be flexible and bendable. The majority of drawing mannequins are manufactured with this in mind, but some might be more poseable than others. There are also some mannequins that are completely stationary and cannot change poses at all. These are usually made for specific purposes and may be used more for drawing realistic body shapes or anatomy.

Body Kun vs. Action Figure

Both of these mannequins can provide great value for artists. Either one of them can make dynamic and realistic poses. Their main differences are their overall look and also the art styles they are used for.

Body Kun mannequins refer to male figures and their female counterparts are body chan mannequins. These figures are very flexible and poseable, and they have “slim” silhouettes. They are normally used for Japanese manga and anime art styles. Also, these mannequins are usually made of plastic material.

Action figure drawing mannequins, on the other hand, emphasize muscles. Many of these mannequins are made to look like bodybuilders and have bulky silhouettes. If you draw in the comic book art style, these would be the ideal drawing mannequins for you. For example, if your art style is similar to Marvel or other superhero comics, action figure mannequins will make good references.

These are not strict rules that you have to adhere to. You can definitely use either one for different art styles if you want to. Another option would be to opt for the classic wooden drawing mannequins.

The Best Drawing Mannequin: Table of the Top Five Brands

We understand how difficult it is to look through hundreds of reviews and products. After some time, you might give up on searching for the perfect product and settle on the last one you come across. Then, once the product arrives, you may end up dissatisfied because it did not meet your expectations.

That is why we put together this ultimate guide on drawing mannequins available on the market. You will find a comparison table below summarizing the key points of each of these products. We also go in-depth for each drawing mannequin, and we detail their design, performance, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Image	Product
Best Overall	TAMASHII NATIONS Bandai S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set Comes with 10 different right hands and 7 left hands Includes additional accessories Can do a variety of poses Check Price	Check Price
Best Poseable	Phicen Male Muscular Seamless Body Durable metal skeleton Realistic human skin texture Has removable feet Check Price	Check Price
Best Body Kun	Uranny Body Kun DX Set Male & Female Figure Has interchangeable hands Made out of polyvinyl chloride Comes with extra accessories Check Price	Check Price
Best Wooden	HSOMiD Flexible Wooden Hand Model Most affordable price Made out of unfinished wood Comes on a stand Check Price	Check Price
Best Realistic	Female and Male Anatomy Figures by 3dtotal Most realistic look Half-skin and half-muscle detailing Same standards as the original statue Check Price	Check Price

1. TAMASHII NATIONS Bandai S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set — Best Mannequin for Drawing

First Impressions

At first glance, this mannequin looks well-made and has realistic proportions. It has a nude color to mimic a real human skin tone and is around 6 inches or 15 centimeters tall. The figurine also comes with a removable support stand, which is a nice feature if you would also like to display this as decor.

Design and Functionality

The Tamashii Nations mannequin comes with a variety of accessories including a model gun, a sword, a laptop, a pen, a smartphone, and a classic flip phone. Also, you can change both the left and right hands of the mannequin. There are seven different left-hand options and ten for the right hand. It is fairly easy to remove the wrists, but they are not flimsy. If you are interested in learning how to sketch different finger and hand poses, this would be a very useful feature.

This mannequin’s joints are highly flexible, so they can be bent to form all kinds of poses. If you need it to hold a specific pose for an extended period, there is a stand to help keep it in place. For example, you recreate poses such as someone falling mid-air or even doing a backflip. It is very versatile, and you just have to be creative.

One drawback that I should point out is that while most of the joints can be bent, the hips of the mannequin seem to be lacking in flexibility. This is a minor issue but it might affect the way some poses look.

Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

Overall, this seems to be the best mannequin for putting your sketching and drawing skills into practice. The accessories combined with the interchangeable hands are a huge plus. You can depict so many dynamic poses with each of the hands holding different accessories. If what you want in a mannequin is the ability to create unique situations with it, this may be the one you are looking for.

2. Phicen Male Muscular Seamless Body — Best Poseable Artist Mannequin

First Impressions

The Phicen male mannequin has a realistic suntan skin tone and is about 13 inches tall. It seems sturdy since it is made of a metal skeleton. This definitely is not a flimsy plastic doll.

You will also see that the muscles on the figure are very detailed. It does not just have muscles but it has veins popping out as well, which is a nice touch. Other bonuses of this mannequin include the removable feet, hands, and male genitalia for nude sketches.

Design and Functionality

What makes this figure the best poseable artist mannequin is the 28 points of articulation. This allows you to place the mannequin into so many different poses in standing, sitting, and mid-air positions. The mannequin is great if you want to give your drawings a more lifelike feel. You are able to change the hands to closed fists or open palms as well.

If you want to study drawing muscles, you may want to consider getting this drawing mannequin. It is an ideal choice for action comic book art styles because of the figure’s bulky build. The muscles and skin folds are incredibly realistic, and its squishy texture also mimics human flesh somewhat.

Some of the downsides of this mannequin are that the head sculpt is not included and it does not come with a stand. However, the mannequin’s feet can support the body entirely on their own, so a stand is not totally necessary.

Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

The Phicen posable drawing figure is a high-quality drawing mannequin with many great features. Its 28 points of articulation are important for recreating lifelike poses and scenarios with the figure. This does not come with any accessories which is something you should take note of. It also does not have a wide variety of interchangeable hands but the extra hands are sufficient for making different poses. The attachable genitalia might also be useful for artists who need to do nude drawings.

3. Uranny Body Kun DX Set Male & Female Figure — Best Body Kun Drawing Figure

First Impressions

The figures in the Uranny Body Kun set are quite small and only measure approximately six inches. Both the female and male figures are gray in color and come with their own stands. They are also made out of a plastic called polyvinyl chloride or PVC. The set comes with a variety of fun weapons such as swords and shields, as well as other accessories.

Design and Functionality

Uranny’s Body Kun figures are very poseable and can have a wide range of motion. You can position them in both standing and seated poses. This combined with the cool accessories might make for a fun, creative art project. Also, these may be useful tools both for Japanese manga-style drawings and regular figure drawings.

One downside of this is that the female figure is slightly unrealistic and exaggerated. The proportions are not typical of a female body with a small stature, so the female figure is not totally accurate. For this reason, it is more suitable for the manga art style rather than for a realistic depiction of a human woman.

Another disadvantage of this set has to do with the sockets. Depending on the figures the manufacturer sends, some of the limb sockets may be a bit loose. This makes it difficult to switch the arms and legs, and they might not stay in place long enough for you to finish a drawing.

Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a mannequin reference for the anime or manga art style, this may be a good option. The proportions of these figures reflect the typical bodies found in that particular genre. Artists who want to create more accurate drawings may not find these very useful. However, the accessories are what draws people to this set the most. Other drawing mannequins do not include as many extra accessories, or they may not even include any at all.

4. HSOMiD Flexible Wooden Hand Model — Best Wooden Artist Mannequin

First Impressions

The HSOMiD hand model is a decent size at 12 inches tall, and it has a light protective wood finish. A set comes with two hand mannequins, and they each have their own stands. It is also one of the more affordable options available, so this is student-friendly.

If you are a student or a beginner, this might be a great starting model. You can practice drawing realistic human fingers and knuckles with these, and move on to full-body mannequins once you have gotten the hang of it.

Design and Functionality

The fingers, knuckles, and wrist of the hand model can be rotated easily, but the range of motion seems to be limited. It cannot be bent backward completely, and it will stop at a certain angle. Since the palm is not very flexible, you would not be able to bend it enough for it to hold an item. This reduces the number of possible poses you can make with the hand model.

The size is similar enough to actual human hands, which is a bonus. It may be a good reference for average adult hands, and if you need to draw a child’s hands, you just need to adjust the proportions a bit. The fingers are also quite long and slender, so it is easy to bend them into different positions.

Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

For the price, this wooden hand model is of decent quality. It is made out of durable wood and has a light clear finish for added protection from scratches and dents. Since this has a limited range of motion, you may have to use your creative juices more to imagine different poses. Students who are just starting to draw human figures might benefit a lot from this mannequin.

5. Female and Male Anatomy Figures by 3dtotal — Best Realistic Drawing Mannequin

First Impressions

The mannequins from 3dtotal are desktop-sized at around 11 inches tall and come in the color gray. They also have their own stands for support which are not removable. Compared to other drawing mannequins, these are not as expensive. Also, they come in both male and female variations.

Male Figure

Male Anatomy Figure by 3dtotal

• Desktop size (11-inches)
• Neutral pose

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Design and Functionality

As you can see, it is an anatomical drawing model figure that is half-skin and half-écorché. The detailing is incredibly realistic for both halves complete with skin folds, veins, curves, genitalia, as well as muscle and bone structures.

These figures have a neutral pose standing upright with their arms down on each side and palms facing up. They cannot be posed, bent, or changed in any way. As such, there is not much that can be said about its performance. The figure stands perfectly on its own, and it is an excellent reference for drawing human body structures. If you need a poseable figure, however, this is probably not the right choice for you.

Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

The figures have exquisite and smooth sculpting. It is evident that they are well-made even though they are made from polystyrene which is a type of plastic. If you want to make detailed anatomical sketches, you may want to consider these art mannequins. In addition, these figures would make lovely tabletop decorations.