Body Templates – 18 Free Printable Figure Outlines

These 18 free printable body templates give you a clean, neutral figure to draw on, so you can skip the tricky part of building a body and get straight to the clothes. Each sheet shows a smooth, mannequin-like outline in natural proportions, an adult about eight heads tall or a child about five and a half, in front, back, side and three-quarter views. Trace them, copy them freehand, or draw right over them.

All 18 Body Templates to Print

All 18 sheets are free. Click a picture to open the PDF. The pages are A4 size and print on US Letter with “fit to page”. You will find single adult and child figures in several views, versions with proportion guides, A-pose sheets, turnarounds, front and back pairs, an adult and child side by side, and a costume lineup.

Adult Body Templates

Adult Body Template Front View

A blank adult figure outline seen from the front, standing upright with arms relaxed at the sides. It has a plain oval head with ears, no facial features, and clean single-line contours. The empty body works for fashion sketching or pose practice.

Adult Body Template Back View

Full-length outline of an adult figure seen from behind, standing straight with arms hanging at the sides and feet slightly apart. A single ground line runs under the feet, and the ears are the only detail on the head.

Adult Body Template Side View

In profile, a faceless adult figure faces left. The arm hangs at the side with the hand slightly curled, and the outline shows the curve of the back, hips and legs. A ground line runs beneath the foot. It suits studying proportions and posture.

Adult Front Figure With Proportion Guides

Eight dashed horizontal guide lines and a vertical center line cross a faceless adult figure standing front-on. A solid ground line sits under the feet, so head-to-toe proportions can be checked against each line.

Adult Body Template Three-Quarter View

A faceless adult figure stands turned in a three-quarter view, with the head angled slightly left and both arms hanging loosely at the sides. The outline is a single clean line with hands and bare feet drawn out, and no ground line.

Adult Body Template A-Pose

Arms angled out from the body in a relaxed A-pose, this faceless adult figure is seen from the front. Open hands with separated fingers, bare feet and a single ground line are drawn in clean outline, which suits drafting clothing or costume designs.

Child Body Templates

Child Body Template Front View

A faceless child figure with a rounded head and small ears stands straight in front view, arms hanging at the sides. Bare feet rest on a single ground line, and no guide lines cross the body. The child’s proportions are shorter and softer than the adult templates.

Child Body Template Back View

Seen from behind, this faceless child figure has a smooth round head, two small ears and relaxed arms with curled hands. A single ground line runs under the bare feet, and the legs are drawn close together.

Child Body Template Side View

In profile, a faceless child figure faces left, with a small nose bump, one visible ear, an arm hanging straight and a curled hand. The soft outline stands on a single ground line. The smooth curve of the back and rounded belly show a young child’s proportions.

Child Body Template Front View With Guides

Six dashed horizontal guide lines and a vertical center line cross this faceless child figure, which is drawn front-on with small ears and arms at its sides. The bare feet rest on a solid ground line, so the proportions are easy to measure.

Child Body Template Three-Quarter View

A faceless child figure stands turned slightly to the left in three-quarter view, with one ear showing and both arms hanging loosely. The legs are staggered, and the feet touch a thin ground line. Clean, open outlines make it a simple base for drawing clothes.

Child Body Template A-Pose

Arms angled out from the body in a relaxed A-pose, this blank child figure has an oval head, two small ears and slightly open hands. Both feet rest on a thin ground line, with smooth, uninterrupted outlines.

Turnarounds and Lineups

Adult Body Template Turnaround

Three faceless adult figures stand side by side on one shared ground line, showing the front, side and back views at matching height. Smooth, closed outlines show the arms hanging at the sides and the bare feet.

Child Turnaround Body Template

Three blank child figures share one ground line and show the front, side and back views. Each has a rounded head, bare hands and feet, and clean outlines, and the side view includes one ear.

Adult and Child Body Template Side by Side

A tall adult figure and a much shorter child figure stand facing front on one ground line, so their relative height is easy to compare. Both are blank, with simple heads, small ears and visible toes.

Four Identical Adult Figures Costume Lineup

Four identical blank adult figures stand in a row, all facing front with arms relaxed at their sides, on one long ground line. The wide, empty bodies leave plenty of room for costume designs, so they suit outfit sketching.

Adult Body Template Front and Back Pair

Two blank adult figures stand side by side on a shared ground line. The left one shows the front, with a plain face and visible toes. The right one shows the back, with a smooth featureless head.

Child Body Template Front and Back Pair

A blank child outline appears twice on one ground line: the front view on the left with toes and small ears, the back view on the right with smooth heels. Both have empty faces and hands relaxed at their sides.

What Makes These Body Templates Useful

Neutral and Family Friendly

Every figure is a smooth, simple body, much like a wooden artist’s mannequin in a plain bodysuit. There is nothing anatomical on it and no gender-specific features. That is a firm rule for the whole set, not a style choice. It means the sheets are comfortable to use in a classroom, a family craft hour or a costume workshop, and any outfit or character can go on top.

One Scale Across the Whole Set

All adults are the same size and all children are the same size, so views from different sheets line up when you set them side by side. On the sheets that show several figures, the feet stand on a shared, thin ground line. A front view, a side view and a back view of the same character therefore keep matching heights, and an adult and a child drawn from separate sheets still look right together.

The A-Pose Built for Costume Design

The two A-pose sheets, one adult and one child, show the arms held about 30 degrees away from the body, with open hands. It is the standard pose for costume sketches because the sleeves stay visible instead of disappearing against the torso. Use it whenever the design depends on cuffs, capes, puffed shoulders or layered tops.

Getting the Most Out of the Templates

Practicing Step by Step

A simple routine works well. First, trace the figure with a pencil to feel the proportions. Second, place a blank sheet beside the template and copy it by eye. Third, draw the figure freehand from memory and compare it with the original. Then repeat. Each round shows you which parts you remember (the length of the legs, the width of the shoulders) and which still need work.

Learning Proportions with the Guide Sheets

The adult front view with proportion guides adds a dashed center line and dashed head-length lines to the figure, marking its eight heads. The child front view with guides does the same for the child. Study these first, then switch to the plain versions and try to place the same lines yourself in light pencil. The guides make it easy to see where the waist, hips and knees fall.

Which Sheet Suits Whom

Beginners can start with the single front views, which are the easiest to read. Anyone drawing characters who need to look good from every angle will get the most from the turnarounds and the front and back pairs. Costume designers will reach for the A-pose sheets and the four-figure costume lineup. Teachers and parents can use the adult and child side by side sheet to show how proportions change with age.

Choosing a View for the Job

The front view is best for overall outfit design. Back and side views help when a garment has a train, a bow, a hood or a bulky silhouette. The three-quarter sheets give a more natural, lifelike angle and are good practice for foreshortening.

Tips for Printing the Templates

Plain printer paper is fine for tracing and quick sketches. If you plan to use markers, watercolor or other wet media on a finished design, choose a heavier paper so it does not buckle. The sheets are A4 size, so on a US Letter printer choose “fit to page” in the print dialog.

Print at actual size (100%) whenever you want the scale to stay consistent across sheets, and check that no scaling option is quietly shrinking the page. The outlines are designed for black and white printing, so there is no need to use color ink. If the lines look faint, switch your printer to a standard or high quality setting.

To draw over the same template many times, lay tracing paper on top, or tape the sheet to a window or a light box and place fresh paper over it. One printout can then serve for dozens of designs, and the original stays clean.

Creative Projects to Try

1. Design a four-outfit capsule wardrobe. Use the costume lineup to sketch four looks for one character, such as a season each, or four jobs in one town, and compare how the silhouettes differ.

2. Build a character turnaround. Take the adult turnaround and design one outfit that works from the front, side and back, paying attention to details like pockets, straps and hair.

3. Make a family theme costume set. Draw an outfit on the adult figure and a matching one on the child using the adult and child side by side sheet, keeping the shared scale so the two designs belong together.

4. Create a pose flipbook study. Trace the same figure on several sheets of tracing paper, changing only the arms and head slightly each time, then flip through the stack to see the character move.

5. Keep learning. Compare these natural proportions with our guide to human proportions drawing, follow the step-by-step lesson on how to draw a person or how to draw a man, and collect your finished designs on a character design sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the body templates really free?

Yes. All 18 sheets are free to open, print and use as often as you like for personal practice, in the classroom or for your own design projects.

Who are these sheets for?

They suit anyone who wants a reliable base figure: beginners learning proportions, students, teachers, hobby artists, cosplayers and costume or character designers. The child sheets are also handy for parents who want to sketch outfits for kids.

Why do the figures look so plain?

The smooth, mannequin-like body is intentional. Without anatomical detail or gender-specific features, the figure works for any character, outfit or age group, and nothing gets in the way of your own design lines.

Will figures from different sheets match in size?

Yes. Every adult in the set has the same height and every child has the same height, and multi-figure sheets share a thin ground line. As long as you print at 100%, an adult from one sheet and a child from another will sit together at a believable relative scale.

Matthew Matthysen( Drawing and Painting Artist )

Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.

Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.

Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.

Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.