General

Practice practice practice!
If you're a complete newbie and have no experience with art whatsoever, just start off drawing whatever interests you. Don't worry about being perfect. Just see what you can do for a bit. After you find out what you want to draw or focus on, work really hard in improving in that area. Deviantart has a butt load of tutorials for almost anything. Even if you focus on one thing, don't be afraid to try out other things to draw! You never know what else you'll enjoy. Plus, at this point you'l probably be a decent artist and have better skills for other things too. And don't rush into things. Don't worry if it takes years to master something. Art comes from dedication, not just forcing yourself.

@chunchild239: Bamboo Fun is a good start-up that's cheap and will probably run you about $100.
I'm using an Intuos 3 right now that I've borrowed from a friend, which I think would go for about $200. It all depends on what you think a huge investment is, though. If possible, I'd just try borrowing someone's tablet to see if you enjoy it, and then go for broke with a good quality tablet. Intuos 4s are really good and even small ones work well. I'm personally saving up for a Cintiq.

-bamboo- for industry standards. less than a hundred, yet moar than fifty.

anything else is your choice.
downside to non-wacom's are that they break easily, replacement pens/nibs aren't available, heavy battery pens, few incompatibilities with programs, etc.

[quote=BassChan][url=http://ctrlpaint.com/]Watch every video on this site.[/url][/quote]

Oh geez. @.@

Any recommendations on a tablet for beginners? As in not a huge investment but something that can keep me going for a while?

[quote=StiKman19]is that } supposed to be >

because if so, what's wrong with reference?[/quote]

if it was >, then the mistake would have been a .[period]...

[quote=Doutei]referencing and tracing} for anything real.
seeing that you have almost absolutely no experience so far with those, add in learning how to create anything real with a computer.

give or take a couple of years.[/quote]
is that } supposed to be >

because if so, what's wrong with reference?

referencing and tracing} for anything real.
seeing that you have almost absolutely no experience so far with those, add in learning how to create anything real with a computer.

give or take a couple of years.

@MSVeteran05
Art can be anything, but you can approach it one of three ways..
-High technique with little emotion or meaning. Usually applies to concept art or design art. Some elements are brought into the artwork.
-Low technique with high emotion or meaning. Most people refer to this as "Modern Art." Usually possesses some form of philosophical or emotional meaning.
-High technique with high emotion or meaning. The greatest pieces consist of this type. Either of the other two simply mean the artist lacks one or the other: emotion, or technique.

---
I'm gonna be blunt here:
You can either choose a style and go with the flow, as a hobbyist. For example, anime artists. I'm talking anime-exclusive. They go with the flow, have no truly memorable style, and will never be able to learn to the fullest extent. They're limited by their own limits of their chosen style.

Or, you can go full-on technical. You can work your ass off drawing things you don't necessary want to draw. Drawing realistic. Then, once you're better, you morph that realism into style. And become far better than any other style-only artist. Become open to all styles and methods.

If you want to choose the first path, I won't help you, because that's the path of a hobbyist who isn't actually determined to get better. Their goals are merely public support.
If you want the second path, then you'll have to put in a lot of work into your art. You'll have to go part by part, piece by piece. This method will yield the highest possible growth rate for your art, but it will also be the most strenuous.

[url=http://ctrlpaint.com/]Watch every video on this site.[/url]

[quote=MSVeteran05]You people seem to misunderstand art its not just a well drawn shape or figure its anything >_>[/quote]

I see what you're trying to say. I guess I should've been more specific.
I'd like to make art that RESEMBLES things in real life (such as people, animals, nature, etc).
I already have a basic knowledge of abstract art and photography, however drawing natural object has always been difficult for me.

don't do digital until you're decent with traditional

You people seem to misunderstand art its not just a well drawn shape or figure its anything >_>

1) Do you have a tablet?
2) If not, GL with digital art. It'll be a pain using a trackpad/mouse all the time, but not impossible. You can always draw traditionally and color digitally. If you're [really, really] good, nobody will know the difference.

use instagram

draw what you like and like what you draw. the latter is harder than it souns

scribble scrabble