I've heard that LightWave is used for the creation of a lot of figures that end up being used in Poser. And I agree with the sentiment that it's really about the artist and not the tools. I use LW, but for the life of me, I cannot produce a realistic human figure. :o( XSI, 3DS Max, Cinema 4DXL, Rhino, and Amapi are other applications where I have seen artists create some awesome figures. I guess you just need to find the tools that you are most comfortable with (for the budget you intend to invest in your art). - M

Mind Over Matter
"If you don't mind, then it don't matter."