Midterm Post

I can't believe it's already midterm. I don't feel like I've done much this semester or progressed very far but then I was flipping through my newsprint pad and I saw where I started and how far I have come. I can honestly say I think I am making progress. Maybe not as fast as I would like but if I stick with it I think I could really be great at this. Like after years of more practice.
I think one of my strengths is trying to take my time. Sometimes I catch myself moving to fast and I slow down and works a little slower and I find my results are much more satisfying. Like my contour forearm, I didn't finish a lot of it but the part I did finish looks great.
Another area that I think I'm doing well with is the ribcage. After all the time we've spent with it and the practice I've had on it I feel my rib cages are the right shape and sizes.
Things I need to work on: proportions, line weight, and the manikin. I spend a lot of time erasing due to messed up proportions. Now I know erasing isn't a bad thing, but a little less erasing wouldn't hurt. My line weight is something I hardly ever pay attention to. I'm more focused on getting the form correct than worrying about what is where in space and how my line reflects that. Maybe that's right maybe that's wrong, but either way it doesn't mean it should be ignored entirely. And finally the manikin. The manikin drives me nuts because the pictures in the book really don't show me everything I want to see. I wish I could compare the muscles I build with another manikin that has the muscles done correctly so I could pick it up and move it around to see it from every angle.
I would really like to improve in all the areas I feel I am weakest in. I think getting better with the proportions and line weight will help the quality of my drawings and I think getting better at building the muscles on the manikin will help give me a better understanding of the shape of body.
Photos