Here is a cool video that illustrates my process when I am referencing a font. Sometimes I will just type out a short word in a selected font, and then LOOK at the word and try to draw it. I have always been one who tends to stray quickly, and so you’ll notice that some of my practice words are different than the font. But, the overall shape and proportion of the letters stays mostly the same.
Some of my favorite websites for referencing and purchasing fonts includes: