Summing up what I feel I've learned and improved upon during the semester, I think that I have learned to not rely so much on the use of outlines in drawing and be more aware of secondary contours. I have also become more aware of noticing how dramatic the curves of the body can be, especially the spine. I think that earlier in the semester I would assume that certain lines or shapes of the body were straighter or more generalized than they really are. I distinctly remember noticing how dramatic the curve of the spine is in a lot of basic poses. I realized just how much life it adds to a drawing if I make sure to dramatize those line.

I also learned how line variation is really helpful in gesture drawings. Using unique and dynamic line quality during gestures really helps to make the sketches energetic, rather than plain and flat looking. Looking back at a lot of my first gestures, I realize how basic I was being when using line and how little I used line variation to create emphasis. I feel that by continuously practicing the gesture drawings I am able to evaluate the true direction and shape of the body parts, rather than just trying to lay down the primary outlines. I feel that doing this has helped me to make less mistakes with proportion. This has also helped me to generally draw faster.

The manikin exercise has helped me to be more considerate of the internal muscle structure and how it effects the outer muscle structure. I feel that I was already well acquainted with the outer muscle structure, but not so much with the foundational lay out of the inner muscles. Being aware of that helps me to know how the muscles will logically behave in different positions. I feel that being aware of the inner muscle structure also allows me to have a better understanding of how to make drawings more lively, since by knowing what the muscles are shaped like I can be aware of how the skin will bulge or be depressed in certain areas. I'm also more aware of how the overlapping of muscles makes sense when I observe them creating shapes on the body of a model. Knowing the under-structure makes drawing the muscle bulges or boney regions on a live model more intuitive since I have a better understanding of the mechanics of the muscles.