It's all about training observation skill and learning to work from references, as well as building your mental library.
A quick test to see how it's helping you is to get one reference sample, one of the ones you are using, then put it away and try to draw it from imagination like if it was a gesture work. Then bring the image back, and do the gesture proper by looking at it same 3 mins. compare both and I think you'll notice a difference even in simple doodles.