One of an artist's greatest tools to communicate life in a drawing is gesture. It's the movement from one form to another. That's why it follows the natural flow of human anatomy. The first place to look is in the torso – where it is contracting and where it is relaxing. The relaxed or stretch side is the primary gesture – the 'action line'.
To learn gesture, I enjoy timed life drawing, five minutes or less. Begin with the action line. Next connect the shoulders and the hips, then close the form at the pinch side. As time permits, I add rhythm lines and simplify any anatomical details. With the torso established, proceed to the limbs. I use a simple oval to lay-in the head and neck.
