Is Poses For Artists Book Set #2B: Vols. 5,6,7 & Creative Concepts 1 - 1000+ Poses ($30 - Save $10) worth it if you’re shopping in Drawing & Painting?
You know that specific kind of creative stall where you stare at a blank canvas, knowing exactly what you want to draw, but your hand just refuses to move? It’s not a lack of talent; it’s a lack of a starting point. You don’t need a lecture on anatomy right now. You need a visual cue—a hand, a weapon, a facial expression—that jumps off the page and says, “Start here.” That is the entire job of Poses For Artists Book Set #2B. It isn’t a textbook. It’s a massive, organized library of over 1,000 pages of reference material designed to bypass the anxiety of the blank page and get your pencil moving again.
For $30, you aren’t just buying a PDF; you’re buying a shortcut through the most tedious part of character design. Justin R. Martin, the artist behind this series, built these volumes to simplify the human form, removing the pressure of getting every proportion perfect from scratch. If you are stuck on a specific element—like how a hand holds a sword or how to express a subtle emotion—this set gives you the answer without forcing you to watch a four-hour tutorial. It’s a creative nudge, packaged into a format you can flip through while you work. (Poses For Artists Book)
Quick answer
| Best for | Artists who need a quick visual reference to break through creative blocks, specifically for hands, weapons, and facial expressions. |
| Skip if | You are looking for a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw, or if you already have a comprehensive anatomy library that covers these specific niches. |
| Price | $30 (a $10 discount off the individual volume prices) |
| Format | Digital book set (Vols. 5, 6, 7 & Creative Concepts Vol. 1) |
| One-line take | A high-volume reference pack that turns “I don’t know what to draw” into “I know exactly how to pose this character.” |
What you’re actually buying
At first glance, “1000+ pages” sounds like a lot of scrolling. But the value here is in the categorization. This isn’t a random dump of sketches; it’s a structured toolkit. Volume 5 tackles the hands, skulls, and various poses that are notoriously difficult to nail down on the first try. Hands are the “cheat code” of character art; if they look right, the rest of the body feels grounded. By having a dedicated volume for this, you can isolate that problem and solve it quickly.
Then there is Volume 6, which focuses entirely on weapons. This is a huge time-saver for fantasy or sci-fi artists. Instead of guessing how a character grips a katana or how a shield sits on a forearm, you get a dedicated reference for the interaction between the human form and the tool. It’s the difference between a character that looks like they’re holding a prop and one that looks like they’re actually using it.
Volume 7 shifts the focus to the face. Expressions are where characters come alive, but they are also where artists often feel the most self-conscious. This volume provides a range of facial structures and emotional cues, helping you move past the “stiff mask” look that plagues many digital portraits. Finally, the set includes Creative Concepts Vol. 1, a collaboration with AdorkaStock. This adds a layer of conceptual inspiration beyond just static poses, giving you ideas for how to combine these elements into a full scene.
The real win is the bundle price. Buying these individually would cost you $40. At $30, you’re getting a complete ecosystem of reference for the three hardest parts of figure drawing: hands, weapons, and faces. It’s a pragmatic investment for anyone who draws characters regularly. (Poses For Artists Book)
Why it’s on our radar
This set stands out because it solves a very specific, very common frustration: the “blank page paralysis” that hits when you’re deep in a project and just need a visual spark. Most pose books are either too academic (focusing on muscle groups) or too random (a jumble of sketches with no organization). Justin R. Martin’s approach is utilitarian. He simplifies the form to remove the anxiety of perfection, allowing you to focus on composition and story rather than getting hung up on whether the deltoid is technically accurate. (Poses For Artists Book)
The inclusion of the AdorkaStock collaboration in Creative Concepts Vol. 1 is also a smart addition. It bridges the gap between “reference” and “idea,” pushing you from copying a pose to creating a scene. For a $30 price point, getting four distinct, high-volume resources is a strong value proposition for any serious hobbyist or professional.
One buyer captured the utility of this approach perfectly, noting that it serves as an “Amazing resources for figure drawing and poses.” Gumroad reviews
What actually matters
Before you commit, keep these three things in mind to make sure this is the right fit for your workflow: (Poses For Artists Book)
- Reference vs. Instruction: This is a library, not a course. If you are struggling with the mechanics of drawing a hand (i.e., you don’t know how to construct one from scratch), you might need a tutorial first. If you know how to draw a hand but just need inspiration for what the hand should be doing, this is perfect. (Poses For Artists Book)
- Volume 6 is niche: If you don’t draw fantasy, sci-fi, or action characters, the weapons volume might be less useful to you. However, the hands and faces volumes are universal. (Poses For Artists Book)
- The “Simplified” Style: The poses are designed to be simple and readable. They aren’t photorealistic studies. This is a feature, not a bug—it means you can quickly sketch over them or use them as a base without getting bogged down in detail. (Poses For Artists Book)
Mid-check
If you’ve been staring at a blank canvas for the last hour, this is the moment to grab a visual anchor. (Poses For Artists Book)
FAQ
Is this set suitable for beginners? Yes, but with a caveat. It’s great for beginners who already have the basic skills of line and form but need inspiration. It won’t teach you how to draw a circle or a sphere, but it will show you how to put those shapes together into a dynamic character. (Poses For Artists Book)
Do I need to buy the previous volumes (1-4)? No. This set is self-contained. Volumes 5, 6, and 7 cover specific niches (hands, weapons, faces) that are distinct from the earlier volumes. You can start here and jump to the others later if you need more general poses. (Poses For Artists Book)
What format are the files in? The books are provided as digital files, typically PDFs, which you can view on a tablet or computer. This makes it easy to zoom in on specific poses or use a tablet to trace over them if you prefer that workflow. (Poses For Artists Book)
Bottom line
If you draw characters, you will hit a wall. It’s inevitable. The question is whether you’ll spend three hours googling “how to draw a hand holding a sword” or flip through a dedicated, high-quality reference that gives you the answer in seconds. Poses For Artists Book Set #2B is that reference. It’s organized, specific, and priced to remove the friction between your idea and your execution.