Reflection on the Drawing Exercise
While finishing my drawing (on Friday) I was thinking that when you have the choice, there is quite a bit of detail in the "ducks". For example some I used early on had their "beaks" bent down below the base, and when (as seemed to happen a lot) they all fell of the spline just as I was about to draw in my curve, they then indented the drawing paper, just to add insult to injury!

Other thoughts in no particular order: rounded tips to the "beaks" meant they fell off the spline easier than a flat tipped "beak". Non vertically aligned tips fell off easier. Not enough ducks meant asking for trouble. The thinness of the spline was critical - I had made a few thinned ones by hand sanding - the better technique is to use the sanding disk - carefully avoiding a flat spot by moving the curved portion of the spline against the sanding disc. Put your ducks on the outside of the curve (you get more on the spline and they are not in the way of drawing the curve.

It seemed to take me quite a while to get my curves both accurate and fair. Analysis showed I sometimes lost concentration and measured using my tick stick from other than the LWL (Load Water Line) at times.

I found it worth buying my own eraser guard (for working on Thursday and Friday) - note eraser not "rubber".