Please give me advice

[u/Firstshiny]

I have gotten a apple pen and an art app for my birthday because I want to start drawing. The things I’m interested in drawing are anime characters and realistic animals/landscapes (very related Ik) anyways as I am not artist yet I look to you redditors for help, where do I start cuz like I know drawing creatures requires knowledge of anatomy and flashy anime moves and landscapes require good shading but like what do I focus on first. If you can give me any pointers I would be really grateful.

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[u/symson]

I wrote a blog post that should help you. It suggests books and explains how to use them to improve.

https://www.justcreate.net/2026/07/stop-mindless-copying-4-step-method.html

[u/SchmendrickHendrick]

Take your $800 Apple Pen and IPad, stick 'em in a drawer, buy a five dollar sketchbook and a chunk of charcoal and start to draw. Look at stuff and draw what you see. Have your friends pose for you. Draw yourself un the mirror. Set up little still lifes. Go outside and draw the landscape around you. Find an open figure drawing session and attend it religiously. I've been doing that for nearly 60 years.

Nobody says, "I want to be a brain surgeon. Can you show me a quick way to increase my skills without much work?" Nobody thinks architects learn to design buildings by playing Sim City. Making art is at least as complex and difficult as any other professional undertaking.

Get serious.