Almost any pose can be a good pose. Some poses are amazing, and some are impossible. What are some good poses to draw and why? Continue reading to discover 10 figure drawing model poses that you should always keep in mind when sketching.
<h3>1. Back/Standing</h3>
The back is simple and usually easier to draw. When sketching, keep in mind that simple is better. When you create a sketch, it’s a good idea to start out with a gesture. Multiple tries at the same pose on the same page is a good way to practice that pose. You can never draw the same pose too many times. However, I would keep each one slightly different.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12400779_10206205122901650_192671964110343209_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2416 size-medium" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12400779_10206205122901650_192671964110343209_n-180x300.jpg" alt="12400779_10206205122901650_192671964110343209_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>

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<h3>2. Back or Side View Sitting</h3>
A profile is more challenging than almost any other pose. There are key things you should note when sketching. The <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/how-to-draw-women-that-really-look-like-women/">anatomy proportions</a> that you learn about figure drawing do not apply anymore. A good profile sketch is all about drawing the profile with what you can't see in mind as if it was whole. Some proportions stay the same, but there are proportion rules that you lose with a side view drawing.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12243518_10206205424149181_1713948309151531779_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2420 size-medium" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12243518_10206205424149181_1713948309151531779_n-180x300.jpg" alt="12243518_10206205424149181_1713948309151531779_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>

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<h3>3. Front View</h3>
The majority of pictures you will see are front view or front view with a slight turn. Note when drawing a front view, try not to draw a straight on view. This type of drawing is a great scientific study, however it does not make for a good figure drawing model pose.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12399228_10206211556862495_1973743261_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2417 size-medium" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12399228_10206211556862495_1973743261_n-180x300.jpg" alt="12399228_10206211556862495_1973743261_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>

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<h3>4. Lying Down</h3>
This is a classical pose. Historically, artist have used this pose to show elegance and grace. Consider the model's view point as the focus point in your sketch. The viewer's eyes will be drawn towards where the model is looking.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1919201_10206205969842823_8908518813765184705_n.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-2418" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1919201_10206205969842823_8908518813765184705_n-300x180.jpg" alt="1919201_10206205969842823_8908518813765184705_n" width="255" height="153" /></a>          <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1916886_10206218792123372_969081067551699369_n.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-2423" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1916886_10206218792123372_969081067551699369_n-300x147.jpg" alt="1916886_10206218792123372_969081067551699369_n" width="320" height="157" /></a>

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<h3>5. Ballet/Dance or Action Poses</h3>
The movement and lines of ballet capture the essence of art. Expression of the body is art that begins as a gesture. Think of capturing your subject as if she were naturally moving as you sketch. This idea will capture a pose in motion paused in time to create beautiful fluid sketches.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12376517_10206205969562816_3084201622103636897_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2422 size-medium" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12376517_10206205969562816_3084201622103636897_n-180x300.jpg" alt="12376517_10206205969562816_3084201622103636897_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>

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<h3>6. Underwear/Bathing Suit/Implied Nude/Tight-Fitting Clothing</h3>
To draw a person, you must first understand what the body looks like. If you are not ready for nude figure drawing, then I suggest learning from studying models that are wearing tight clothing.  Drawing a nude model that is covered up gives you a different way to study the body.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12321158_10206206805983726_7963001771032375904_n.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2421 size-medium alignnone" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12321158_10206206805983726_7963001771032375904_n-180x300.jpg" alt="12321158_10206206805983726_7963001771032375904_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>          <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/10363117_10206218791843365_1597892538445760629_n.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-2419 size-medium" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/10363117_10206218791843365_1597892538445760629_n-180x300.jpg" alt="10363117_10206218791843365_1597892538445760629_n" width="180" height="300" /></a>

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<h3>7. Nude Drawing</h3>
There are several differences when sketching the naked body. Understanding <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/picture-perfect-clothing-a-beginners-guide-to-sketching-clothes/">the interaction of clothes and the body</a> is important. A study of both is recommended for any figure drawing model pose.
<h3>8. Reflections/Mirrors</h3>
This is interesting and difficult and provides a way to be creative. Think about your vision as an artist as you sketch. Do you want to use a background and props in your sketch? I like to think about the finished work when considering the pose that I use when drawing.
<h3>9. Bending</h3>
Understanding the body in different positions helps you focus on proportion. Different positions will help you concentrate on the body and how it is built and the way the body works.
<h3>10. Perspective</h3>
Your job here is to purposely elongate the body so that it looks accurate for distance. If you have a person stretching out and the hand is away from you, it will look smaller than the person's face, for example.
<h2>Get Creative!</h2>
Keep in mind your understanding of the body while drawing, especially dynamic and strange poses. The more realistic it is, the more you can change and modify the body without making the drawing look too abstract.

To understand good figure drawing model poses, there are a few simple rules to follow:
<ul>
	<li>Keep it simple, keep it relaxed, keep it interesting.</li>
	<li>Try to imagine someone actually posing for you. Would you ask someone to pose that way?</li>
	<li>What can I draw? How long will it take to draw? Is the model able to pose that way?</li>
	<li>Take advantage of photography. You can learn a lot if you draw from a photo.</li>
	<li>Challenge yourself! Find a pose you don’t think you can draw, and draw it anyway just for fun.</li>
	<li>Any pose that defines the capability of the body and its movement is a great pose.</li>
	<li>Most importantly, try to have fun!</li>
</ul>