That’s kind of amazing. I really hope they make one proportioned like a human being.
Wow–the articulation is really cool, especially things that mirror human range of motion like the ulnary radiusity (the way the forearm bones cross over to twist the wrist). Is there a less manga-esque version? The big eyes and other distorted body proportions limit its actual usefulness as an artist’s reference. Makes it more of a otaku object of obsession: a facinating, expensive Japanese female character doll/toy.
This figure reminds me of certain life drawing models who think their buff bods are worthy of putting charcoal, pencil, ink, or paint to paper or canvas for posterity. Really, they’re not at all interesting to draw, stick-like when standing. Give me a model with meat, fat, or all of the above plus old age. Using a mannequin like this doesn’t require seeing, only looking. There’s a difference. This mannequin turns drawing into a formulaic exercise. People love formulas untrue as they are in nature.
Digging around the manufacturer’s site I’m going to say no.
Makes it more of a otaku object of obsession: a facinating, expensive Japanese female character doll/toy.
Seems to be all that company sells.
Funny how you criticise formulaic drawing in the same breath as you dismiss all models whose bodies don´t conform to your particular fancy.
Strange because drawing this would be more like drawing machinery than flesh, but an interesting sculpture in its own right.
Dang! You beat me to it. I was going to ask if the mannequin as adjustable for proportions: arm length to leg length to body length to neck length to…
The reviewer says he finds it useful for concept art, where you’ll be drawing a bunch of the same thing over and over again with a few changes. I don’t think anyone has pretenses of using this thing to create fine art. It’s just a framework, helpful for showing the pose rather than being a poseable still life to copy exactly.
Do you think it’s less flesh-like than the typical wooden mannequin?
Typical fake boobs? Check.
Fair question. I find the same thing there too, though I find it interesting that this model is both stripped bare of flesh with the exception of breasts… which lands it somewhere between the two.
It isn’t the sort of bare skeletal frame… so more like a developed character than a frame. So no, I guess to answer… it’s more flesh like in some ways but the flesh is like a lobster.
Anime meets Kafka?
The connection is there is a danger of mindlessly recording society’s ideal of beauty when the model is thin, youngish, etc. I’m not dismissing their bodies but for use as models they’re boring. It gets so you hardly have to really look to see what’s in front of you. You don’t get to draw the bulges, curves, sags ,dimples, the shadows cast on the figure by its own shapes a large heavy body has. Yes, I do criticize formulaic drawing for the afore mentioned reasons and using a mass produced mannequin will pretty much insure most people who use it will make drawings that all look pretty similar. But don’t let me stop you. Go for it.
You’re right. My fault. fine for a conceptual art situation.
Love the range of poses available in a doll like this; almost as many as the original G.I. Joe 
This thing is way more posable than an G.I.Joe. Or…anything, really. I have a thing for super-posable action figures, and I’ve never seen anything that’s even close to as flexible as the SFBT-3. Original Joe has 14 points of articulation (15, if you count the waist as two). I’ve seen a few super-posable figures and model kits with 20-30. SFBT-3 has more than 80. For God’s sake, it has individual finger and toe joints.
It really is amazing, and I’d get one just to play with except that (a) it’s $300 and (b) the deeply incongruous boobs are embarrassing. If they make one that’s reasonably proportioned, I’d have to seriously consider a purchase.
This totally reminded me of the zoho artforms figure from a bunch of years ago:
zoho Artforms
I’ve always been amazed by the amount of articulation that thing has. This SFBT seems to come pretty close, but with a creepiness that the Zoho doesn’t have.
Do you find a lot of historical art, from drawings to paintings and sculptures, boring? Because, as I´m sure you´re aware, it is often based on a society´s ideal of beauty at the time of it´s creation.
I think it´s unwarranted to imply drawing a body that would be considered aesthetically pleasing by the majority makes it automatically a mindless pursuit. I guess you have probably drawn a lot of these types of bodies and grown bored of them, but objectively any body type offers the same challenge and potential for greatness for an artist to draw/paint/sculpt i.m.o.
I-Wei is a talented video game artist with access to a high-end 3D printer in his office. He should download, print, review, and contribute improvements to the open source action figures that Jason Welsh put on Thingiverse:
I think you re taking me a little too seriously lol. But I had preferred good ol Joe for a long time over the little stereotypical poseable wooden guy. plus he looks more realistic.
