Poser 4.. Usefull tool? or Hated Hack?

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 12:16 PM

Recently ive needed to use a reference image of a woman reaching out..... I tried looking for a ballet image or anything and everything I could think of which might get me the pose im looking for... I could not find any

a friend of mine suggested using poser 4...
but before I do use this I would like to know what the community thinks of this program.
Do people consider this a lame way to paint?
is there a special way of using it so your not called a hack?
since its very useful in making human figures I can see why people would dislike it... (no skill required)

I don't know if this kind of post has been started in the past
if it has...I apologize

**Joeslucher** · April 28th, 2004, 12:33 PM

I think Poser is okay to be used as a reference for complex scenes with many figures or drastic foreshortening. I have seen some people just use poser figures with clothes on as final images. I hate this because it's lazy, you learn nothing and it looks terrible. Using poser images with some paintover is its own punishment. The nuance of the figure isn't present and the heads seem really strange to me. There's also no exaggeration or rhythm to the body. The perfect symmetry screws with us as well. Most poser users don't go through the trouble to change the size of individual muscles to correspond to their poses so it reads as fake. Somehow those figures are stylized and you can always spot when somebody has used poser, even if they have done paintover.

**Robert.B** · April 28th, 2004, 12:34 PM

i think the way your using poser is fine but people who try and create compositions from poser characters and then put them on the web and call it art ( no i hate that).

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 01:23 PM

well what im going to do... or try to do...

is use this program to make a refernce photo

eh... ah well

**fukifino** · April 28th, 2004, 02:38 PM

I, personally, don't see anything wrong with the use you're putting it to. Is creating a reference photo from poser really any different than finding a live model and taking a picture?

**JoshuaTheJames** · April 28th, 2004, 02:42 PM

Figure Drawing! FIGURE DRAWING! FIGURE DRAWING!

-Joshua

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 02:49 PM

yes.... i hear that alot

but sorry i need a photo refernce...
i cant do it from scratch...

call me a hack if you wish

**Stray** · April 28th, 2004, 04:54 PM

I use poser every now and then when I can't find a good reference pic, I've also used it as a guide for shadows and highlights when I'm having troubles coloring line art. Personally I think it's a great tool and very helpful, especially if you need a very specific reference pic for a project. I like to think of poser as a digital manikin.

**zou** · April 28th, 2004, 05:22 PM

hello

if you are using poser as reference not painting over or copying lines, it's not faking (it's like using the wooden mannikin)
but if you want high quality drawing, must practice from life (or photos if u can't)
if u're aren't urged to do the work, don't use.
but honestly, i used it as ref cause: can't draw from life, don't have photos. i used it to make refined pose quickely and be sure of hidden part of figure in complicated pose.

**Sanby** · April 28th, 2004, 05:57 PM

http://www.cgchannel.com/news/viewfe...sp?newsid=2685

Take a look at this program. I think this might be exactly what you are looking for. Plus it's much cheaper then poser.

Sanby

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 07:33 PM

no im not painting over...or copying the lines...

and i also thought it would be the same as using woden models (i broke mine) but some of my friends say that alot of people belive its a tool used by the unskilled or lazy

so i didnt want people to think that i was either...

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 07:34 PM

well i dont have much skill

but i have a bit...

**Joeslucher** · April 28th, 2004, 07:47 PM

It is like using a manikin. And a manikin is no substitute for a human either. Just letting you know there is a big drop off in quality even between poser and real figures. Some think there's not a big drop off. It's a absolute last resort. Don't plan ahead to use Poser is my opinion.

**Nirox** · April 28th, 2004, 07:53 PM

i have no doubt using thse kind of tools
is NO replacement for drawing them yourself

i can see you lose a bit of ... elegance by using these tools
(they look so lifeless)

when i get better at drawing without refernces
its all i will do...

**Sanby** · April 29th, 2004, 07:39 AM

That program i linked to either isn't for painting over or copying the lines. It is designed a reference to draw from. But instead of being a flat 2D image, you can rotate it and pose it. IT can help you learn a bit about figure drawing, besides just being a reference.

Sanby