brm's Rules and Other Posing Needs

Do's and don't for new posers:

Do

-Use string. It always makes poses look better

-If you use string, then edit it. You can choose from a variety of picture editing programs. Personally, I like to use Microsoft Photo Editor and Adobe Photoshop. If you use string make sure to get a pic of the whole figure in the air, don't get his legs cut off. Some may think you're holding the figure and you wont get any of the credit for doing the pose with string in the first place.

-Use mid-air shots in your poses. It makes them look more realistic, and they are almost a "must" when one or more figs are in the air, like a powerbomb and RKO.

-Get a good angle. Sometimes, the pose is excellent, but the angle kills it.

-If you don't know how a move is executed, try to get a tape or dvd where you can clearly see the move executed. Look at it carefully, everything from reactions to positions.

-Get a good camera. If your pics are excessively blurry, some people may not distinguish what move you are doing.

-Get some good light. In my view, this is not a "must", but it definately helps the pose itself. Also, pisition your lighting in a good place, like in here:



-When taking the pics, take multiple shots of the same frame a few times with different angles to compare them I take at least 5 pics per frame just in case of blurriness, bad lighting, awkward angle, ect. That could help out a lot.

-Using a white or black backdrop helps a lot to edit the string, and it looks more professional.

-If you are new, try to make less complex moves, like frog splashes or RKOs. Eventually with time you will keep getting better, and then you can try some more difficult moves.

To edit string:

wfigs.proboards48.com/index.cgi?board=wfposes&action=display&thread=1120341822Credit: HIW

Here's a site for you to resize your pics. Please use it so your pics do not stretch the page. Ah-thank you.

www.mihov.com/eng/ir.html
Thanks HIW.
Don't

I can't think of many dont's right now, just these ones:

- Don't make your figs stiff. They have some good articulations, so use them.

-Don't do your poses in just any place. Poses always look better in the ring, in a stage, a custom arena, etc.

-Don't let your fingers or hands be seen in the pictures. Sometimes, they can even ruin a frame. If you already took a picture with your hands or other parts of your body in the pic, repeat it.

-If you post a pose, don't expect a reply five or ten minutes after it. People visit other boards too, or aren't online at all. You should wait at least 45 minutes for someone to reply.

That's all I can think of. If you feel there are other do's and don't's, just reply here. I hope this helps to new posers or people who want to begin doing poses.
Credit: SAWF

Picture uploading sites:

www.picturetrail.com

www.imageshack.us

www.photobucket.com

www.tinypic.com

Starting
_{Because it's a long way up here..}

Well, my objective for this post is to help those people who want to pose or are just beginning. I will give out a few tips that will surely help you, which I would have definitely appreciated when I was new poser. Coming up, a step-by-step guidethrough on posing.


1. Materials



These are the basic things you will need. At least two figures, a camera, and string. That's it, You don't need anything else to pose.

1.1 Extra Materials



These are not basic, but they sure make your pose a lot better. A ring, tables, ladders, chairs, belts, are just a few examples.

1.2 Deciding what move to do

For beginners, there are many options, but in my personal opinion, I would recommend a simple splash as a first pose, as it basically covers how to begin a simple pose. As you go over time, and are tired of doing the same move over and over, this might come in handy. There you can find a complete list of moves, and a video of it. I know I was happy when I found it.

2. Using the string



In your first pose, just as many other people, you may not use string, but I think that's the best advice or suggestion any poser can give you. In the picture above, there's a basic example of where to put the string in your figures. For most poses, you will need the string around the neck and the legs, but as you go from pose to pose, increasing the difficulty, you will find suit to use more string.

2.1 Positioning your figure



If your figure looks anything as stiff as a stick, then you are doing something wrong. Bend the joints, that's why they are there for, to bend them. Your use of joints of a figure may sometimes determine how good your pose looks like.

3. The Reactions


^ You don't want that.

^You want that kind of reaction.


If your figure looks like a stick in the ring or whereever you are posing, then again, you are doing something wrong. Just like the step before, bend the joints. If you would see a huge man jumping on you, wouldn't you react? Watching the actual move in a video or somewhere really helps positions and reactions too.

The final product

If you put together the pieces of the puzzle..


^That is the example of a bad, stiff pose.


^That would be a great pose for a beginner.


Other things to strongly consider

The Angles
Angles can make or destroy your pose, it's simple as that. A great angle can make a decent pose good look. An angle most of the times is used to make an impact stand out, for example.

You don't want this angle:


You want an angle like that:


Reacting to the move..

Reactions are needed on most poses, they give your pose a nice touch of detail. You might also want to watch the actual move in video form if you dont have an idea on reactions, but here's a little example.

Bad reaction(although Kurt's position could be a celebration pose):


Nice reaction:


Stiffness

Stiffness is very bad in posing. You don't want your figures to look like sticks. Bend the joints and use them to their full capability.


^Awful pose

^Nice pose

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Do you have any suggestion, comment, idea, etc.? Pm me or leave a message [url=http://wfigs.proboards48.com/index.cgi?board=wfposes&action

CREDIT to the SAWF for like the Book of Posing, and the pictures, and everything after the first post I made.

Here is a guide for all of you newcomers on how to reply, and not look like you just barely even looked at the pose. This is an easy guide that will get your replies noticed, and not bashed.

1. Look at the pose slowly and carefully, see how the movements of the figures flow, from picture to picture.

2. When starting to reply, try to reply to each picture of the sequence. Now I'm not saying you HAVE to reply to every picture, just the important ones.

3. When replying to each picture before to scroll back up to see if you missed anything, or have to something to add that you didn't notice before.

4. While writing or commenting about the pose, dont always point out the good, also point out the bad parts, people wont hate you because of it, most people like it, because it shows where they have to improve.

5. When you get to the end of your reply, it is not necessary to add a number out of 10 to it, it doesn't help the poser improve at all, but if you wish to do it, you can.

This has been Cass' Guide to Replying, now let's see some good replies.