In addition to gaining an understanding of the human body and its proportions, my students' figure drawings show an emphasis on relating the figure to its environment. This better prepares students in the long run for integrating the figure into a composition.
Junior Level Invented Patterning, charcoal on paper, 30"x22"
On the junior level students are encouraged to invent or transform the environment. In this drawing an unadorned grid structure is mapped out across fabric in the environment, and then students invent patterns based on shapes they see in the figure. If you click on the full size image button you can still see faint remnants of the underlying grid structure.