While I was there, Dony taught me anatomy and drawing as part of the apprenticeship. There were also many opportunities in Florence to draw directly from the Old Masters and gain knowledge from them.
The anatomy Dony teaches gives a three dimensional understanding while having the students familiarize themselves with the name and action of each muscle. I 
constructed an ecorche (a flayed human figure) to learn the forms and relationships of the body.
The first step was to construct a skeleton and discover the rhythms and beauty of the bone structure. Then, gradually, I layered onto the skeleton each muscle that is important to the artist
. The photos show my ecorche in the process of modeling the forms.
This is the best way to study anatomy because not only do you gain a three dimensional understanding of the musculature but you also have a very intimate understanding of how the muscles relate to each other and wrap around the figure. 
Of course I also studied drawing with Dony. He taught me his approach of contemplation, or “thinking” of the form and discovering it with line. This was a liberating experience for me as now drawing has become, in a sense, a way of life. Drawing is not about making something look fancy and pretty but is a way to see and experience the world.
This “contemplation” allowed for frequent studying of the great masters and the local landscape and architecture. Dony and I would often go out and do studies of Michelangelo, Pontormo, Ribera and many others. 
Doing this regularly was a great
learning experience for me.
I also had the opportunity to do some figure and portrait drawing while there: 

