Ives Gammell had a great deal of respect for the drawing skills of Degas. So much so that he wrote a book called the Shop Talk of Edgar Degas from which I've quoted on occasion, especially about Degas' dedication to contour and finding the right line. He said some thing like you should keep trying over and over again regardless of how long it takes, and "once you have found it do not lose it." And he believed in students having the ability to spend as much time as needed to find those correct lines and consistently pooh-poohed 5 minute poses in art classes. He felt nothing is more important than learning to draw as all painting is built on that structure... and the final work will stand or fall just as assuredly as a building will only stand if constructed on a solid foundation.
Fred
