Thanks Kay.

After comparing real life horse (photos) to my drawing, I did another sketch from memory, correcting some muscle anatomy and proportion errors. Again with gouache blocking and wax pencils. I need to buy myself one of those colourless wax burnishers as I want to get that sheen on the horse too. My lighting equipment is terrible so I had to fiddle with photo editing.

I would try to use a reference for me to study proportions and anatomy and after pursuit the memory exercise… horses are very complex to draw even with references…
Is a nice attempt, just that a solid base is needed for it..

Certainly I can do that too. For now I am following a method proposed by Leonardo Da Vinci (which is probably what you are suggesting anyway):

[INDENT]“When you want to know a thing you have studied in your memory proceed in this way: When you have drawn the same thing so many times that you think you know it by heart, test it by drawing it without the model; but have the model traced on flat thin glass and lay this on the drawing you have made without the model, and note carefully where the tracing does not coincide with your drawing, and where you find you have gone wrong; and bear in mind not to repeat the same mistakes. Then return to the model, and draw the part in which you were wrong again and again till you have it well in your mind.”

[/INDENT]

I look at references all the time also the real thing in real life. One of my goals is to commit it to memory. I enjoy sketching with paint which is kind of like sculpting too. I’ve been doing hundreds of these sketches, at least one a day. This is joy for me.

I do have other reasons for learning this way, which I won’t get into here.

Thanks for your comments.