Art is learning how to see. When we're little, our drawings looked very... interresting. well at least mine did. This is a simulation of my (I'll need to look around to find some real examples) and other children's art.

The problem with these drawings is that none of them are drawn by looking. It's all by imagination. Imagination is great, abstract art tends to have a lot of that, but sometimes you want to draw something that looks a little more advanced. All of these drawings are symbols of what we think these objects look like. Though it's obvious to see that these do not look like the actual objects. The best way to draw something realistic is to look at it. When you've done that enough times you can start mixing and matching things to come up with things that you can't see. For instance, if you look at your hand, you'll notice that the thumb is lower than the rest of your finger.

Once you start realizing how objects really look like, then you can start drawing them from your head. As you look at the objects you are drawing, start analyzing why they look they way they do. For instance, with a hand, if you start to understand what's under the skin you can figure out what will happen above the skin. You may notice two tendons that go to the thumb. Depending on how you move your thumb they will show up or fade away. There is a science to why and when this will happen. If you figure it out, then you won't have to guess when something will show up.