/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

Wow, I was really optimistic about this thread when I found it in the catalog, but ugh, it just cements the fact that gesture is kind of... difficult to define and a subject of debate.

I'm a total beginner. But I've done my digging and I know that gesture should involve or use the concepts of:
> capturing motion, mass and flow
> line of action
> line weight
> avoiding explicitly copying the model / contour

But I see a lot of differing ideas and no real concrete ways to approach it. Some say scribble like crazy. Others take the time to put down more deliberate, flowing lines.

Overall, I'd say I struggle with moving beyond the contour of the drawing (as that was sort of the approach I was taught when doing Keys to Drawing). There's also the struggle of preserving proportionality when there's a time limit. What should I do? Just keep trying on Quickposes and local Life Drawing sessions until I'm really feeling it?