Need critique on figures

I would be careful of an overly masochistic mindset. It isn't any more realistic to be overly hard on yourself than overly easy on yourself.

A few things: try to be more concise with your linework; it's okay if you have to slow down. Many times pieces that look as though they were done very quickly were actually executed in a very controlled manner. Even on exercises that are timed I think you'll find that if you slow down and try to become more efficient, that efficiency will make you faster in the long run.

"If you, who draw, desire to study well and to good purpose, always go slowly to work in your drawing; and discriminate in. the lights, which have the highest degree of brightness, and to what extent and likewise in the shadows, which are those that are darker than the others and in what way they intermingle; then their masses and the relative proportions of one to the other. And note in their outlines, which way they tend; and which part of the lines is curved to one side or the other, and where they are more or less conspicuous and consequently broad or fine; and finally, that your light and shade blend without strokes and borders [but] looking like smoke. And when you have thus schooled your hand and your judgment by such diligence, you will acquire rapidity before you are aware." - Leonardo da Vinci

http://www.erikgist.com/ErikGist_WattsAtelierFigureTutorial.pdf

^reading that will be pretty instructive

Remember to draw from life. Try to find a figure drawing session in your area and attend as regularly as possible. It can be easy, especially for a beginner, to misinterpret information from a photograph or from another artist's work. There really is no substitute for drawing from life; that being said there are some things it won't teach you(certain anatomical details, complicated perspective techniques, etc.).

Look up the acromion process and learn how the deltoid wraps around it; reread that da Vinci quote after you've read the Gist booklet.

>>2894535
also expose the side of your pencil so that you can lay down broad areas of tone and use a greater variety of lineweight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJh3KAXWjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJh3KAXWjQ

>>2894699
thank you very much

>>2894699
Not OP but that pdf is amazing. Thanks for posting it.