Take a serious drawing class, specifically in the classical academic tradition [1]. As a beginner, you need: a.) theory to simplify and organize the visual inf

Take a serious drawing class, specifically in the classical academic tradition [1]. As a beginner, you need: a.) theory to simplify and organize the visual information in front of you b.) immediate and rigorous feedback on your mistakes. The realist ateliers make a point of doing both and are incredibly effective at teaching. Don't be put off by the classicist dogma. It really is the best art instruction you can get today. IMO the independent study route is a poor use of time. It is indeed very important to "learn to see," but you probably won't achieve this by staring at an object and trying to reproduce it. You will definitely get better if you do the exercises in e.g. "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," but you'll still be pretty bad, and what's worse, you'll have no idea how to improve. [1] https://www.artrenewal.org/Atelier/Search https://www.artrenewal.org/Atelier/Search [2] https://grandcentralatelier.org https://grandcentralatelier.org (which I can personally vouch for)