A figure study is a painting, drawing, sculpture or photograph made for study purposes with a live model as the subject matter. The live model can be clothed, partly clothed or nude and the art work is a representation of the full body of the model, or of multiple parts of the model (such as hands, or feet). Figure studies are usually completed in a relatively short length of time that can last from a few minutes up to a few hours. Therefore these studies often have a sketchy character. For more elaborate art works the term 'figure study' is not used; the art work is callednude, nude painting, figure piece or figure painting.

'Figure study' usually refers to an artist's finished work, but it can also be used to describe the creative process.

"The live model can be clothed, partly clothed or nude." Figure study is a general term that leaves a critical, sensitive criteria unknown. Many artist do excellent figure studies and would not want to be thought to be doing art involving a nude. In the same manner, there are photographers who do figure studies that almost never include clothes. Figure study photographs without clothes are often called figurenude photographs to more precisely describe what can be a sensitive subject.

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