>>18231917i got to where i am simply by drawing. tons of references, tracing, eye dropper tool etc. no shame in cheating so long as you learn something from it. but that's the hard part of it all. something in your mind has to click: to see beyond what is visible, to extrapolate.
the less methodical you are the better. for example: colors: picture the human skin: it's... skin colored, yet adding a few streaks of blue and green here and there is completely fine. as long as it still gives off the impression that it looks like the thing it's supposed to be, it's fine - even better because you're playing with color
but that's for painting, as for drawing that's a bit trickier. that's something you just gotta grind and grind until it gets good. way back i would open up an online 3d doll tool and then trace the pose. that works, but the human body isn't a jointed doll so it's gonna look lifeless. it's better to use real people. speaking of which, i wasted a lot of time "practicing" drawing poses from those 30 second sketch website things. for every one good drawing, there would be 20 bad ones, because the arm is too long, the leg is too skinny, etc... proportion and anatomy are a bitch to learn "on your own".
if i'd ever want to open a book for drawing, it'd be for e.g. the ribcage, but at this current point there's no need - i'll either trace/reference a real human body or the clothes will cover up.
when you start from 0, it can seem daunting, like "where do i begin", well just draw something you want to draw. along the way, or after you're done, you'll see mistakes and if they bother you, do some research. like i'll google "how to draw a rose" or "how to paint rocks" etc. picrel helped me with drawing anime heads more than if i went through 5 books and only then had applied a "style".
at the end of the day, if you aren't having fun, you're doing it wrong
oh, also, always do the opposite of what /ic/ says, they're ok to lurk but don't fall into their elitist trap
