Being out-of-town for a couple of weeks put a halt to the Process, now that I am home I am excited and eager to continue. As promised I am posting a few photos of the next stages.
I usually start from the left hand side of the my paper. This helps reduce smudging the drawing as I work.

Moving to the right and down, I continue to add detail and define shapes. As I work my hand is resting on paper to keep oils from getting on the drawing surface. I never smudge with my fingers. Oils from hands and graphite don’t mix well. When oil is deposited on the paper the area becomes darker and hard to control. Give it a try, in your sketchbook not on your drawing. 🙂

Before I draw the mane of the horse, I try to lightly shape the body of the horse. It is just easier this way. Creating shape for the mane to flow over creates a more natural look.

Continuing on, I will go back and forth to add deeper shadow areas, knockdown highlights, or add new highlights. Standing back from the drawing or looking at it from a different angle helps me to see which areas look flat and need more depth, and where proportions are not right. Looking at the drawing in a mirror is also helpful. I usually leave the background area for last, but I am trying to incorporate it as I draw to help decrease smudging in the drawing. As you can see, I have not progress too much on the background, actually, not at all. 🙂
I really enjoy this stage of a drawing. It is really hard to put it down, I just want to finish! Keep posted, the finished drawing should be up soon.