Atleast for drawing/painting/etc, there is no natural talent - you work your ass off practicing, and that's about it. You don't need talent, genetics or money. You don't need art school or classes. The biggest issues beginners have is thinking they lack talent, thinking there's some secret tricks/hacks of how to get better, thinking they need expensive materials/tools. You just need practice.
Here is some advice:
1. "We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better." You'll make some ugly, terrible drawings, even if you put in your 100% best effort, that you just look at and feel terrible and want to give up and quit. It's very important you know you aren't lacking talent, that's what everyone goes through. You're making improvements even if you don't know it. Eventually, you'll make something that makes you go "wow.. this actually looks good", and that will happen more and more often until its just normal.
2. Art skills transfer hugely between mediums, so don't stress about picking digital art or painting or drawing/etc. Your effort in learning one is also making you better at the others. Switch between them, try different ones, focus on only 1, whatever you feel like.
3. Everyone is different. You may have a different preference or style of what you enjoy, do what works for you.
4. Follow some artists you like on twitter/artstation/youtube, look at their art, if you want to make art like them: try to copy it, if they show their process try to copy that.
5. You don't need to "Draw every day" or "do 1 hour of study/drawing boxes every week", if that style suits you and you enjoy it great. But it is not needed, and you don't need to do it. Draw whenever you feel like it.
6. There are no rules. Use what you want, draw what you want, mix mediums, you don't have to do things like studying old masters or drawing 100 boxes.
7. My biggest biggest advice is: there is no secret or missing ingredient, just keep practicing - and secondly, draw what excites you or what you enjoy.
The grand wizard of figure/gesture drawing, Glenn Vilppu (search on youtube)
Steve Huston
I personally don't like paid courses (such as NMA), as they are often obnoxiously long and drawn out, and there's no magical secrets hidden in them. Generally you can find all the same instruction on youtube, just not as structured or organized. However, if you can stick to a long course and do it diligently, it's worth trying.
Here is some advice:
1. "We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better." You'll make some ugly, terrible drawings, even if you put in your 100% best effort, that you just look at and feel terrible and want to give up and quit. It's very important you know you aren't lacking talent, that's what everyone goes through. You're making improvements even if you don't know it. Eventually, you'll make something that makes you go "wow.. this actually looks good", and that will happen more and more often until its just normal.
2. Art skills transfer hugely between mediums, so don't stress about picking digital art or painting or drawing/etc. Your effort in learning one is also making you better at the others. Switch between them, try different ones, focus on only 1, whatever you feel like.
3. Everyone is different. You may have a different preference or style of what you enjoy, do what works for you.
4. Follow some artists you like on twitter/artstation/youtube, look at their art, if you want to make art like them: try to copy it, if they show their process try to copy that.
5. You don't need to "Draw every day" or "do 1 hour of study/drawing boxes every week", if that style suits you and you enjoy it great. But it is not needed, and you don't need to do it. Draw whenever you feel like it.
6. There are no rules. Use what you want, draw what you want, mix mediums, you don't have to do things like studying old masters or drawing 100 boxes.
7. My biggest biggest advice is: there is no secret or missing ingredient, just keep practicing - and secondly, draw what excites you or what you enjoy.
Here's some random youtube channels: Charcoal: https://www.youtube.com/@MadCharcoal/videos
Gouache: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K6snXJg_aU
Digital art: AhmedAldoori sinixdesign Lighting Mentor
Oil Painting: https://www.youtube.com/@paintcoach https://www.youtube.com/@FlorentFargesarts https://www.youtube.com/@DrawMixPaint
Acrylics: https://www.youtube.com/@JansenArtEducation/videos
The grand wizard of figure/gesture drawing, Glenn Vilppu (search on youtube)
Steve Huston
I personally don't like paid courses (such as NMA), as they are often obnoxiously long and drawn out, and there's no magical secrets hidden in them. Generally you can find all the same instruction on youtube, just not as structured or organized. However, if you can stick to a long course and do it diligently, it's worth trying.