This disclosure involves mapping body movements to graphical manipulations for real-time human interaction with graphics. Certain aspects involve importing graphical elements and mapping input actions, such as gestures, to output graphical effects, such as moving, resizing, changing opacity, and/or deforming a graphic, by using nodes of a reference skeleton and edges (e.g., links) between the nodes of the reference skeleton and the pins. The mapping is used to trigger and interact with the graphical elements with body position and/or movement.