Life Model Poses

Life models poses range in duration and fall into different categories including: standing, seated, reclining, semi reclining/ prone, crouching and even foetal. A life model should be creative when contorting the figure to create various interesting compositions, shapes and lines, certain poses help add mood, emotion and drama to a drawing.

Action, gestural, or standing poses are often at the start of a life drawing session when the life models' energy level is high.

Standing poses
Contrapposto standing position (Michelangelo's David)
Back/ bottom pose
Side profile stance

Sitting poses
The Thinker
Ball pose

Reclining poses
Foetal poses - curled up contorting the spin
Lying horizontally on a bed or sofa positioned so that the navel forms roughly the centre point of the composition, while the head occupies the upper left and thighs slope down to the right. The right arm is extended towards the floor and left arm rests behind the back.

Poses with the bride to be!
Bride holding model's legs - the wheel barrow
Model posing with leg on chair and bride resting her head on his leg
Model giving bride a piggey back
Model doing fireman carry with bride pose

Fun Poses
Charlie's Angels - 3 people standing pretending to aim fire
Wheel barrow with girl holding models feet
Firemans carry
One arm press up over volunteer

Semi-Reclining/ Prone

Poses with Props

Portrait drawing

Hen party life drawing class poses