New artist seeking guidance.
 

I have just recently picked up a pencil and paper, and tried my hand at drawing. I used to make silly comics when I was a kid, and now I want to improve on the doodles and turn it into something nice. So my question is, how can I improve? Should I follow tutorials to get better? If so, could someone 'draw up' a tutorial?

The following is a sketch of Vivi from Final Fantasy. I thought it came out nice.

Before you turn to any lessons or tutorials - I suggest you draw for a while until you're comfortible with your results. Pay attention to the neat things light will do, and how it displays specific details (texture, reflect, etc) - try to recognize, and even name these things.

Then, turn to tutorials and names of specific styles. For example, I really like contour lines, and cross hatching. I'm not a big fan of tone drawing.

That's just my suggestion :)

Heh, your first mistake was posting on these forums about it. The best way you'll improve is through experience. People will have things to say, but everyone is flawed in their own way. I think the best way to improve is to do it yourself. Screw using tutorials - use those only if you're having trouble with a specific program or something. When it comes to technique, you will learn everything those tutorials have to offer on your own and with time, and if you discover it yourself you'll be much better then what the tutorial has to offer. Of course, thats my opinion...I'm sure lots of people disagree with me. But the fact is, everyone has their own unique style. Using tutorials will hinder that, I say.

>_> :spam:

I disagree.

Before I entered my Illustration class I was just as good as I am now - but now I know the specific names of certain styles and how/when to use them most effectively. In a sense, a class is like a tutorial.

Zero Hour pretty much said what you need to do.
Also, i think it's good that he posted, so he knows we are now here to help him, and can crit the images he posts, and ways to improve his drawing. Thats always good, and tutorials are always good to read over now and then, to pick up techniques.

http://www.conceptart.org
http://www.pixeljoint.com

Look at those, gives you a good idea of light and dark, and plenty of techniques, which you can use for both drawing and pixeling.

Keep drawing things like this, post them. And we will help you out, just do what Zero said for now.