I've been taking a painting class and did this still life.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

132. The important thing is good instruction to get a good foundation.

I did a fair amount of drawing and painting when I was very young, didn't do much for years, went back to it as a retiree but in a guided course. I learned that you can't just sit down and paint, but that you have to learn about basic drawing, how to prepare a canvas, color theory, brush technique, etc., so I've been taking a basic drawing and painting class for the last few years, just learning those things. I still feel inadequate compared to a lot of other students in the class. We start learning about oil painting by copying one of the old masters and starting from scratch with an underpainting and adding layers, light over dark. The main point the instructor makes is that anyone can draw and paint well but you need to learn a lot of basic stuff first. I'd highly recommend a structured class.