Hi @becketcerny, solid start! I'll do my best to help you further: -I attached an image with some practice tips. I think this is the most important advice I can give you at the moment. If you practice a lot and with those tips in mind I think you'll be able to improve fast and find the answers to many of your questions on your own. - Remember to "draw through" the forms. In image 4 the runner's straight leg is covered partly by the left leg. Even if it is, still draw the entire straight leg to make sure it's connecting correctly to the torso. You might appreciate this video Top 5 Drawing Mistakes. - Watch out for making the contours symmetrical. You want to have a back n forth rhythm in the contour, where a curve on one side is followed by a curve on the other side. I like to think of the gesture or flow as a stream of water passing through the body. A back n forth like contour acts like river banks helping the stream flow forward. If an arm's major gesture is a c-curve, be careful to include details or bumps that goes against this main idea. The overal shape should be dominated by a c-curve arc. You might appreciate Mike Mattesi's 3 part Force Drawing series. In the 3rd video he focuses on shapes How to Draw Dynamic Shapes – FORCE Series Part 3 -About your question: "how to evaluate whether my drawings are "too focused on contour" vs. "too simplified." ". Hmm... tricky... How simple you want to go depends on the circumstances; how much time you have or what best suits the style or composition. The important thing is that your marks serve a purpose and help the gesture. When starting out it's generally a good idea to aim for great simplicity; if you can't capture the major, simplified gesture of the arm, for example, then you won't be able to add details in a gestural way. I think your drawings are at a nice level of simplicity :) In the Figure Drawing Critiques - Gesture video, I think Marshall will be mentioning an exercise that pushes your ability to simplify; capturing the gesture with only 5 or fewer lines(CSI) + head. But again the practice tips are the most important, especially the part about following along with Stan, since his good habits will become part of your repertoar. Hope this helps :) Keep up the good work!