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So… this is my “reflection” on this, the first half, of the first semester, of the 2010, 2011 school year. I have been enjoying this life drawing class, and I have certainly learned a lot. Both, drawing techniques, and anatomical lectures, have helped me render the human form much more accurately than before this semester. A definitely appreciated the technique tips like “try to draw as light as possible”, and “stand farther away from your paper”. Drawing lightly allows you to rework lines over and over again without leaving deep, dark lines on the paper.  The result is usually a cleaner line and, in the end a more craftsman like piece.  Standing far away from the paper, drawing with an outstretched arm, allows you to see the whole piece of paper, and move with the lines you lay. In class we were instructed to tape our charcoal to some sort of a stick in order to move our stance even further from the paper. I feel that this “extended instrument” thing will stick with me for a long time. The anatomical aspect of the class also helps. Now when my back or arm or whatever hurts, I will understand where to tell my girlfriend to rub… the shapes of bones have always been interesting to me, but knowing how and where the muscles are attached to them takes that interest and informs it to help my “drawing skills”. Something I would like to work on is making more accurate directional marks that (attempt to) show forms. I feel like I don’t know many, or any rules for how to show how an organic form relates to the space it occupies. I just wish that more than one single person would be willing to model for our class. We have been drawing the same naked person for eight or nine weeks…