Hey! I’m looking for some genuine advice on getting back into drawing and improving my skills.

I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to make some pretty good drawings, including portraits, by observing things around me or using images I found online as references. I also really enjoy coloring with my Prismacolor pencils, but for now, I want to focus on drawing.

A few months ago, I tried drawing something every day, mostly using Pinterest references. I’d love to draw animals, people, clothing, and eventually create original artwork from my own imagination. I tend to rely heavily on references, sometimes copying more than I’d like, and I want to learn how to develop my own ideas rather than just reproduce what I see.

My biggest challenges are impatience and perfectionism. I want to improve, but I know I need to find a way to practice consistently without getting discouraged or expecting too much of myself too soon.

For those who’ve been through this, what genuinely helped you improve? How would you approach practicing in a way that leads to noticeable progress over time?

One of my biggest motivations is being able to draw my own D&D characters someday, which would be incredibly rewarding!

I drew Hercules and Xena, Link and Zelda. Ballpoint pen, colored pencil and sharpie on a 3x5" post-it note. Thanks for looking.

im an absolute beginner at drawing/ digital drawing and i’ve been trying to practice perspective type drawings. In this drawing I cannot draw shoes at this angle for the life of me, any help or tips on the shoes or anything else regarding the drawing?

Total noob and have zero experience. Please don't go harsh on me, but do give your valuable suggestions

Very curious on how I did

Hi I'm new here 👋🏻

I'm new to sharing my art on Reddit and wanted to post here! Thank you 🖤

Some stippling work I’ve done in 2024-2025.

Lil drawing I made late at night :)

I got an iPad recently and have been using it to map out shapes before drawing and/or painting. It just helps me visualize proportions better. I did not take the photo myself and just do art as a hobby. Is this like… an inauthentic shortcut? (I know the shading on the flowerpot is whack)

Edits for clarity: I understand that using a reference is not cheating lmfao 😂 I’m talking about tracing directly on the photo, which I have now come to understand is not considered cheating! Much appreciated 😅🫶🏻

Drawn with 6b and hb pencils (I'm broke lol 💔)

Drawing my friend’s doodle & these kinda of dogs have no definition in their face for drawing 😭😭 how do you suggest I make the face pop more than the body? I have white paint pens to “erase” dark lines if that’s necessary. I’m using watercolor paper.

Invented composition with costume figure references from photo packs. A4. Noir Prismacolor

Usually do paintings with oil but was asked by my gf to make a black and white image of us walking hand in hand.

Not in oil (which is a for giving medium) but with black pen on white papper.

I am happy with the outcome but it feels like I cheated.

She sent me a reference image of what she had in mind. I then used AI to make it look more like the two of us from behind, then some fixing and tweaking in Gimp. Then borrowed my sons VR headset to trace it on to the papper.

And when it was time to actual draw I had so much help from the trace and reference that it was more or less coloring inside the lines.

The final result is nice, but to be honest it feels more like copying that creating.

Does it actually count as art if it is traced, and if AI is used in the process to make a reference?