35 Anime Reference Poses for Drawing (Editable 3D Model)

April 8, 2022 - By August van de Ven

If you are into anime and you consider yourself a creative person, you've likely thought about drawing anime characters yourself and maybe even have taken a shot at it. If you aren't a professional, you'll notice how hard it can be to draw anime characters all from memory. This is why it is always a good idea to use reference poses from which you can not only draw inspiration but also as a way to guide yourself in drawing the character. This doesn't mean, however, that you should simply trace these images, as that is not the best way to learn to draw them. Try to view these reference poses as a skeleton which you should try to recreate and fill in with your own ideas.

Below, I've created a list of 35 anime reference poses that you can use as a reference for your drawings. Simply pick one you like or, if you like to challenge yourself, pick a random one and try to use it as a reference for your drawing. If you want to edit or create your own unique pose, simply click on the image and you'll be able to edit the 3D reference model yourself. You can use the basic model or switch to one of the anime models in the settings panel on the right-hand side or by going to setpose.com/anime

Ballet attitude

Ballet attitude anime pose

Excitedly jumping in the air

Excitedly jumping in the air anime pose

Ballet arabesque

Ballet arabesque anime pose

Ballet croisé

Ballet croisé anime pose

Crossed arms

Crossed arms anime pose

Looking away disgusted

Looking away disgusted anime pose

Falling backwards

Falling backwards anime pose

Celebratory

Celebratory anime pose

Jogging

Jogging anime pose

Kneeled archery

Kneeled archery anime pose

Kneeling

Kneeling anime pose

Lying down with feet in the air

Lying down with feet in the air anime pose

Leaning back while lying on the floor

Leaning back while lying on the floor anime pose

Mid-air archery

Mid-air archery anime pose

Standing while sad

Standing while sad anime pose

Scrubbing the floor

Scrubbing the floor anime pose

Sitting forward

Sitting forward anime pose

Sitting leaned back

Sitting leaned back anime pose

Sitting cross-legged

Sitting cross-legged anime pose

Sitting with one leg behind the other

Sitting with one leg behind the other anime pose

Sitting on a chair

Sitting on a chair anime pose

Sitting cross-legged on a chair

Sitting cross-legged on a chair anime pose

Sleeping on side

Sleeping on side anime pose

Sleeping on stomach

Sleeping on stomach anime pose

Sleeping curled up

Sleeping curled up anime pose

Squatting

Squatting anime pose

Standing with arms on hips

Standing with arms on hips anime pose

Standing with hands in pockets

Standing with hands in pockets anime pose

Surprised

Surprised anime pose

Blocking with a sword

Blocking with a sword anime pose

Diagonal blow with a sword

Diagonal blow with a sword anime pose

High blow with a sword

High blow with a sword anime pose

Lunge with a sword

Lunge with a sword anime pose

Side blow with a sword

Side blow with a sword anime pose

Walking casually

Walking casually anime pose