I've started a new routine: gesture sketching a pose every day. Currently, I've been getting the poses from posemaniacs. This is a great free resource. And best yet, they've released an iPhone app, so I can bring up a quick reference pose and sketch wherever I am. These daily sketches are a good warm-up, and they force me to pen to paper every day. Gesture sketching in pen is like doing crossword puzzles in ink. Every now and again, I irrevocably screw up a picture completely, but it makes me focus on line quality and keeps me from getting too attached if something goes horribly wrong.

And I'm also starting to spend some effort on improving my portraiture skills. I'm generally not a fan of celebrity portraits, but they are good practice. You really have to quickly identify what are the characteristics of that person that are unique to them. And since their features are readily identifiable, you are held to a higher standard of getting them right.

To really look at someone is to draw them.