There are a lot of things that were put into play as I properly learned how to draw. To be honest, the TLDR of this is because I'm obsessed with drawing. To the point, I can forego eating, sleep, and every other responsibility I have (which is bad-- because of this habit I became susceptible to illnesses and isolation. My parents even ask me to spend time with them too...)

The long version of this can be broken down into three parts: Observation, Practice, and Reflection-- this triad helped me improve or "lock in", in Gen Z terms;

First and foremost, I observe other artists: I stare at their pieces and try to break down how they drew/rendered/colored something. A more in-depth, non-boring form of observation I do is watching speedpaints, "draw with me" videos, time-lapses, and similar things. I take their advice, apply their techniques to mine, and refine my skills with this new knowledge.

Then I practice over and over and over. It's what everyone tells every artist or aspiring artist. What you observed-- those techniques, you put into practice. The references you like, try to draw them in your style. That famous illustrator whose style you like? You can do drawing studies of their illustrations to get a feel for their style (It's fine to take inspiration, but ultimately copying their style word for word doesn't sit well with me: there's a certain uniqueness to every illustrator's style out there, and you have to find your own too sometime.)

On a side note in this process, another thing is I use whatever material is available: references, posing apps, posing figures, "how to draw X" tutorials-- (60% of the stuff in my gallery is just references for clothes/poses). Anything, and I mean ANYTHING can be used as a reference. I once used a weird stock photo image of a grandma eating a popsicle to draw Chongyun from Genshin Impact. (disclaimer: pls ethically source ur references.)

Lastly is Reflection. To be honest, this is the most brutal part for me. It can sound kind of toxic, but after finishing a piece, and posting it on social media-- I'm proud of it until I'm not: because I will be nitpicking my drawing from lineart to rendering in a form of self-criticism: "The lighting looks off here.", "No, the composition isn't good", "The anatomy is off on this side", and many more others. While it helps me note which areas I need improvement on, (and prepares me for constructive criticism from others) This isn't recommended for the safety of your self-esteem, and it blinds you from your improvement until you look at your old art. (I keep samples of my old digital art, and it was interesting and cringe to look at once in a while). I think this and my jealousy of seeing other people being good at drawing fueled me to rapidly improve from 2020 to 2023: Not being able to take criticism stunted my growth in art for so long that I know I wasted so much time being a snowflake that can't take criticism-- which probably played a part why I'm very harsh on myself these days, so I can improve. (Again, I don't recommend this, especially if you are an artist who is really struggling with your self-esteem in terms of your skills.)

I'm guessing you're either someone who's genuinely curious about how I began as an artist or is an artist themselves-- if you're the former, I hope my answer doesn't surprise you xD I'm just passionate in terms of the process I use to draw.

On the other hand, if you are the latter, and are asking for advice on improvements, I sincerely hope my answer can help you in your art journey. Don't beat yourself up, continue practicing and before you know it you'll see that you've improved drastically: practice, be open to constructive criticism, and keep striving to be better and it'll be fine :DD