Reflections on learning the practice of drawing

My thoughts are paradoxical: I feel as if I am without the vocabulary and knowledge shared among other members of the class (for example, I misinterpreted the homework and did something too simplistic), while I am thrilled to be learning about the craft from a practitioner who is also a gifted teacher. I could -- and maybe I should -- be in the "real beginners class" where I am sure we would be concentrating on technique, and I would be able to complete the exercises; instead I am in a class were we learn from studying details of the work of great artists and insights from the instructor as to how he uses them, and are expected to internalize the learning and put it into our own practice.

During the in-class drawing exercise I was completely lost -- I didn't know how to approach the task, let alone produce a drawing that represented the "model" - a torso dummy wearing a scarf and with a skull for a head, sitting on a child's tricycle, with a draped table and pot of flowers nearby. The instructor came to my aid and explained how to make the tricycle in the proper proportion and place by using observational measuring, but then I discovered I did not have sufficient space on the paper for the basket of flowers! Unfortunately time ran out and the class ended so I did not see the other students' work -- maybe they were as challenged as I was, though I doubt it!

More practice is needed ... which I intend to do. Then I will look forward to next week's challenges.